According to Bu Siqi's deduction, at the time of Chu Xuan's death, Wei Yinshuo was likely facing the disastrous situation of the blood sacrifice head-on. He subsequently lost contact and never had the opportunity to learn about the matter.
"What's his situation like now?" Su Chen couldn't help but ask.
"I don't know. He's probably undergoing emergency resuscitation. After all, he is a Chief Inquisitor," Bu Siqi shrugged. Saying he wanted to "piss him off to death" was just venting. "The Chief definitely won't let him die."
At this point, he sighed with emotion. "This is a Chief Inquisitor. Even if his mistakes led to two cities being blood-sacrificed, there probably won't be any major consequences."
"When is Teacher coming back?" Su Chen asked again.
Bu Siqi shook his head: "Word is that those few Chief Inquisitors discovered quite a few clues and are currently tracking them down. They probably won't be back anytime soon."
Su Chen frowned, feeling disappointed.
"Wei Yinshuo..."
The Medical Department inside the Adjudication Court was located in the southeastern corner, making it quite remote.
Because of various potions, the robust recovery abilities of professionals, and the internal security of Yingfeng, the vast majority of Adjudicators rarely suffered major injuries.
Thus, its presence within the Adjudication Court was not very high, and very few people visited on a regular basis.
â
But today was different; even the entrance was guarded by Adjudicators from the Disciplinary Department.
In the medical room on the top floor, Wei Yinshuo's body floated within the pale green liquid of a cylindrical medical tank. Countless tiny bubbles rose along his badly mangled torso.
His injuries were horrific. From head to toe, there was barely a single patch of intact flesh, and black blood constantly seeped outwards.
The restorative fluid formed vortexes at his wounds, the newborn granulation tissue intertwining and regenerating at a visible rate. The circulation system on the side of the medical tank continually replaced the discolored liquid.
Whenever the green liquid became clouded to a certain degree, a blue light on the filtration device would illuminate, extracting the liquid while simultaneously injecting fresh restorative fluid.
Standing on both sides of the tank were four profusely sweating medical professionals. Green light poured from their hands, interweaving within the liquid and converging at Wei Yinshuo's missing limbs to reconstruct them.
Suddenly, Wei Yinshuo's newly stabilized injuries abruptly worsened. Wounds that appeared to have healed tore open once more.
A massive amount of black liquid gushed out, staining the restorative fluid dark brown.
Beepâ Beepâ
The real-time monitoring devices outside the medical tank continuously refreshed their data streams. Wei Yinshuo's eyelids trembled; he seemed to have finally regained consciousness.
"Stopâ" The medical director yelled hurriedly. The four immediately ceased their actions. A mechanical arm suspended from the ceiling fished Wei Yinshuo out of the tank and placed him on an adjacent bed.
"Thank goodness... thank goodness..." He wiped his sweat, watching Wei Yinshuo slowly open his eyes.
"How is it? How are the repairs coming along?"
The moment he stepped outside, he was questioned by Chong Jingtian. Jiang Shumo and You Shan, who was massaging her temples, stood behind him.
Nearby were also several anxious-looking high-level Adjudicators, Xue Fei among them.
"He's already awakeâ" Facing several Chief Inquisitors, the director felt a mountain of pressure. "Chief Inquisitor Wei suffered extremely severe injuries, and there is highly corrosive Evil God power lingering within his body."
"When he lacked self-awareness previously, forcibly repairing him would only turn his body into a battlefield, ultimately harming him."
"Fortunately, Chief You just repaired his spirit body. Now that he's awake, we can utilize more methods."
Hearing this, Chong Jingtian finally breathed a sigh of relief. Confirming that Wei Yinshuo could communicate, he brought Jiang Shumo and You Shan inside. "Chiefâ" Seeing Chong Jingtian walk in, the somewhat delirious Wei Yinshuo attempted to force himself up, only to be met with stabbing pain.
"Just lie down." Chong Jingtian waved his hand, asking with concern, "What exactly happened to leave you in this state?"
A bitter smile surfaced on Wei Yinshuo's shoehorn-shaped face. "It's all my fault. Because of personal grudges, I completely disregarded Xia Hanshi's warnings, leading to such a disaster."
"Two cities were blood-sacrificed by Believers of Black Buddha. I was heavily injured and only barely managed to escape after fleeing for several months."
Chong Jingtian's eyes flickered slightly. He naturally knew the cities had been sacrificed; what he needed were the details. He continued asking, "Black Buddha generally favors twisted spirits, but according to the data we collected, it seems the Believers of Black Buddha didn't inflict much torture prior to the blood sacrifice."
"Correct..." Wei Yinshuo's expression grew solemn. "And it's precisely because of this that I was caught off guard. This blood sacrifice was very bizarre. They seemingly stored away the evil substance formed by the convergence of flesh and spirit, instead of directly offering it to the Evil God as usual."
"Stored it away." Chong Jingtian's face sank slightly.
Jiang Shumo asked, "Old Wei, where did you flee from?"
"...A High Priest of Black Buddha relentlessly hunted me down along the way. I didn't dare approach any cities en route; I just kept my head down and fled." Speaking to this point, Wei Yinshuo's face turned pale as he coughed continuously, black blood seeping from the corners of his mouth.
"His spirit was almost completely shattered. I only barely managed to repair it; it will still take a very long time for him to completely recover," You Shan explained.
"Chief, the Evil God cults are making major moves; we cannot lower our guard," Wei Yinshuo stated urgently.
"I know. Focus on resting for now." Chong Jingtian sighed. Turning around, he saw several high-level Adjudicators standing by the doorâall students of Wei Yinshuo, wearing concerned expressions.
Suddenly, as if recalling something, his gaze drifted before he turned back with helplessness. "Old Four, there's something you need to mentally prepare yourself for."
The pale-faced, agonized Wei Yinshuo looked even more confused upon hearing this.
"Chu Xuan... is dead," Chong Jingtian said, feeling somewhat ashamed as the words left his mouth.
"Chu Xuanâ" Wei Yinshuo's expression froze. Disbelief laced his weak voice, rising several pitches in volume, "Dead?"
Wei Yinshuo even thought he misheard. Chu Xuan wasn't just his student; he was a Core Seed of the Adjudication Court, a talent of the Ink Jade grade.
A successor upon whom he had placed immense hopes, a potential seed capable of competing for the Chief Inquisitor positionâhow could he just die?
Following the disbelief, a sense of absurdity filled his chest, making him think for a split second that Chong Jingtian was joking with him.
"Chief, thisâ" Wei Yinshuo didn't even know how to begin asking, a dull ache throbbing in his brain. "What exactly happened! Who... who killed him!"
"I must bear the primary responsibility for this matter," Chong Jingtian said heavily. "The person who killed him was Meng Qi."
"Meng Qi?" In Wei Yinshuo's mind surfaced a timid, shrinking figureâthe young man who often trailed behind Chu Xuan.
"He dared to kill Chu Xuan?" Wei Yinshuo still found it unimaginable. "He
could
kill Chu Xuan?"
"He was a type ofâ" Chong Jingtian thought for a long time before saying, "A type of special lifeform, related to the Faceless Ghost. None of us saw through it."
Wei Yinshuo fell silent, then began violently coughing up mouthfuls of black blood. It took a long time for the coughing to cease, his voice now extremely weak: "Where... where is he?"
"Dead." Jiang Shumo, noticing Chong Jingtian's embarrassment, answered on his behalf.
"He's dead too?" Wei Yinshuo was staggered. He completely hadn't expected so much to have happened after his departure.
"Mm," Jiang Shumo nodded. "Killed by Teng Liang."
Teng LiangâWei Yinshuo paused. Xia Hanshi's student.
"The whole situation can't be clearly explained in a few sentences. Your students have been waiting for you; let them explain it to you." Jiang Shumo gestured for the high-level Adjudicators outside to enter.
Chong Jingtian and the others told him to rest well before leaving the room.
Wei Yinshuo felt completely helpless; he naturally couldn't blame Chong Jingtian.
"Teacher..." Several high-level Adjudicators stood by the side, revealing worried expressions.
"Uncle..." Xue Fei's eyes were red.
"Xue Feiâ" Wei Yinshuo locked onto his nephew and demanded angrily, "What exactly happened? Didn't I instruct you to keep an eye on Chu Xuan?"
Xue Fei's eyes flickered, displaying a complex expression. He explained helplessly, "...Uncle, it wasn't that I didn't keep an eye on him. This matter is trulyâ"
He explained everything word by word, from Chu Xuan's battle with Su Chen, to his death, to Meng Qi being killed, and finally the trial of Teng Liang.
"...Actually died inside the Adjudication Court... and testified against by a Believer of Black Buddha..." Wei Yinshuo truly hadn't expected the situation to be this complicated.
"Teacher, this matter is truly bizarre. Teng Liang is still locked up in the Judgment Department; would you like to personally intervene?" Xue Fei lowered his voice. "And as for that Su Chen, had his battle with Chu Xuan not dealt such a crushing blow to his state of mind, perhaps he wouldn't have died."
Wei Yinshuo remained silent for a long while, his eyes cold. "Who told you to say that?"
"Thisâ" Xue Fei froze, then said awkwardly, "These are all facts; many people can testify."
"Get out," Wei Yinshuo ordered coldly.
"Uncle," Xue Fei pleaded.
"Scram!" Wei Yinshuo shouted, triggering another bout of dry coughing.
"Don't get angry, I'll leave right now." Looking terrified, Xue Fei hastily turned and left, a sinister glint flashing through his eyes.
Old Bastard!
Wei Yinshuo was left alone in the medical room. He stared blankly at the ceiling.
"...So this is your Adjudication Court. Such an excellent student, dead just like that... and dead right inside the Adjudication Court..."
A voice suddenly echoed in his ears, but Wei Yinshuo wasn't surprised, responding internally, "Tell me, did we fool them?"
The voice replied, "More or less. You're already injured to this extent; their suspicions will be kept within a certain limit. Furthermore, since I exist within you in the form of residual power, no one will be able to notice any clues."
Wei Yinshuo asked, "Can you contact the Believers of Black Buddha in Yingfeng to ask why exactly they came out to testify, and how exactly Chu Xuan died?"
"You are about to attain a long, enduring life. He's just one student; there will be many more in the future. Why care so much?" The voice didn't agree, only saying, "His death now is actually for the best. Considering this matter, those higher-ups won't probe you any further."
Wei Yinshuo sighed. "What a pity. I could have sacrificed him to Black Buddha. He possessed an Ink Jade talent, after all; definitely worth savoring."
These words even silenced the voice.
"I didn't expect Su Chen to be this formidable. No wonder your god has set their sights on him..." Wei Yinshuo added, "I hope Your Excellency keeps their promise."
"Rest assured. Once we succeed, not only will you survive, but Our Lord will also grant you a life so long you'll grow weary of it."
"Old Wei should be fine, right?" Walking out of the Medical Department, Chong Jingtian looked hesitantly at the two beside him.
You Shan replied, "I saw no abnormalities with his spirit. Furthermore, he was truly on the verge of death with his spirit nearly shattered. Feeling wise, I don't think there's any issue."
"On the verge of death, yet still didn't die. We can't rule out a 'bitter meat' ruse." Jiang Shumo shook his head. You Shan frowned.
Jiang Shumo added, "But with those injuries on his body, he won't be recovering anytime soon. There's no need to worry too much."
"I plan to retrace his path from where he was found to see if I can find some clues. The people from Yuandu should be arriving soon anyway, so I can go greet them along the way."
"Mm," Chong Jingtian nodded, warning him, "Be careful."
The news of Wei Yinshuo's return with severe injuries caused quite a stir within the Adjudication Court. Many people consecutively went to visit him, shocked by the severity of his wounds.
At the same time, the death of Chu Xuan was brought up once again, accompanied by many sighs and laments.
There were even rumors that when Wei Yinshuo dragged his heavily injured body to see Chu Xuan's corpse, he wept on the spot and nearly fainted.
The lively atmosphere of the Yuanqing Festival quietly slipped away, and in a blink, more than half a month passed.
â
Inside the gravity room, Su Chen's brow was tightly furrowed. His entire body floated suspended in mid-air, his hair defying gravity and drifting upwards as if fully submerged within an invisible ocean of energy.
Azure lightning snakes frantically surged around him. A greenish-gray cyclone containing an amalgamation of ice crystals and sand spiraled around his left half. Meanwhile, his right half burned with a crimson-gold flame, its core continuously erupting to scorch the adjacent air into distorted ripples.
These elemental forces intertwined and converted amongst themselves, ultimately fusing into a singular entity and slowly subsiding.
ăDevelopment progress of Mystic Holy Hand has reached 50%. Obtained Professional Ability â Holy Hand: Squeeze out all mental energy to enhance the next professional ability used.ă
The Class Development Degree had hit 50%, awakening a new professional ability.
Su Chen slowly descended from mid-air and let out a long breath, retracting his boiling mental energy to carefully examine the newly awakened ability.
"Squeeze out mental energy to enhance an attack..." His curiosity piqued, Su Chen immediately decided to test it.
Upon attempting to trigger the newly awakened ability, he instantly felt his mental energy being continuously extracted, converging somewhere within his body and transforming into a special kind of energy.
But very quickly, he felt dizzyâthe very symptom of his mental energy being squeezed dry.
Because he had been constantly experiencing this sensation lately to fulfill the [Origin Reverser] requirement, he was barely able to hold on.
"F
k, my head is spinning, how am I supposed to fight like this?" Su Chen gritted his teeth. He initially wanted to charge up an attack, but given his current state, he worried it might slip from his control and make him look foolish.
He simply chose to activate the Indestructible Thunder Aura Armor instead. In an instant, that bizarre power formed from the converged mental energy erupted.
Su Chen's body was nearly encased in glaring lightning, which then rapidly contracted, turning from an explosive frenzy into concentrated density.
The electric light was forcefully compressed into liquid plasma, racing rapidly along the contours of Su Chen's muscles.
These blazing white energy fluids instantly cooled upon touching his skin, solidifying into a crystalline plating with a metallic luster.
The overlapping armor plates interlocked tightly like dragon scales, rapidly forming a suit of thunder armor covering his entire body. Flowing thunder patterns were sealed within every single piece of armor.
"It's indeed been strengthened immensely."
Enduring the exhaustion, Su Chen observed the thunder armor encasing his body. To intuitively observe the ability's change, he hadn't applied it over his fused scale armor.