Inside the gravity chamber, Su Chen let out a muffled groan. He suddenly clutched his chest, nearly collapsing to the floor as cold sweat drenched his forehead.
"It's too intense——"
His heart spasmed incessantly. Leaning against the wall of the gravity chamber, Su Chen slumped to the ground.
Fortunately, before advancing to the [Ravager] class, he had cautiously deactivated the high-gravity environment.
Barely after he sat down, Su Chen's pupils abruptly contracted. His heart felt as though an invisible hand were crushing it, sharply amplifying the agony.
Sinking his spiritual energy into his body, he could clearly observe his beating heart. The blood vessels connected to it were rupturing inch by inch, only to weave themselves back together amidst bursts of golden-red halos.
The newly formed blood vessels spread across the surface of his heart muscle like coiled dragons, taking on a dark red hue with a metallic sheen.
Countless blood-jade runic patterns bulged on the surface of his heart. Each symbol looked as if it had been cast from molten iron, flickering in rhythm with his pulse.
[Successfully advanced to the Ravager class. Acquired class ability: Pain Engine. Grants a certain degree of amplification based on the amount of physical damage currently sustained.]
"This class is really..." Su Chen let out a long breath. As the spasms in his heart gradually ceased, he finally had the time to check his new ability. It was no different from what Yuandu had relayed.
It had been over two months since he acquired the [Ravager] class. Throughout this period, it had been constantly and relentlessly battered by his other classes.
Only today had it finally been beaten to its satisfaction, allowing him to complete the advancement.
"I just don't know the conversion ratio," Su Chen muttered. After resting for a moment, he found that he couldn't feel any changes to his body in a normal state.
Reaching out, he summoned the Formless True Blade, shaping it into a dagger. Relaxing his body, he forcefully sliced a gash across his arm, drawing blood.
From just this small wound, Su Chen immediately sensed a warm current surging from his heart and flowing through his entire body. He actually felt a bit stronger.
"This amplification is even more obvious than I imagined." Pleasantly surprised, Su Chen inflicted a few more cuts on his arm. The stinging pain sharpened significantly, and more blood seeped out.
The warm current pumping from his heart grew even more intense, and he could vividly feel a tangible enhancement in his physical attributes.
'It seems the completion rate of the advancement requirements affects the conversion ratio between sustained damage and power amplification,' Su Chen deduced in his mind. 'Those from Yuandu who advanced in this class likely had a terribly poor conversion ratio, which is why it wasn't highly valued.'
However, in his case, the [Ravager] itself had actively submitted to the advancement. It was as perfect as it could possibly be.
Su Chen had originally assumed that this freely obtained class would have massive flaws, and he had only taken it because it required no extra effort on his part.
But now it seemed to have some genuine utility——far better than he had anticipated.
"Ordinary injuries generally don't impede combat effectiveness. If I can deliberately control and distribute the damage evenly, I'll be able to maximize its utility."
As he pondered its specific applications, Su Chen considered paying Old Bu another visit. He wanted to test exactly what degree of injury would allow the Ravager to squeeze out its maximum potential without hindering his own performance.
"This class has massive potential. It's incredibly promising." The more Su Chen thought about it, the more excited he became. "I should look for double-edged classes that injure me while damaging the enemy. Since I'm going to get hurt anyway, I might as well reap some extra benefits from it."
"It would be perfect if there was a health-locking class." Su Chen fantasized, but couldn't help shaking his head. "That would be way too overpowered. Even if it exists, the difficulty of obtaining it would likely be sky-high."
"I wonder what level my strength has reached now," Su Chen muttered. He clenched his fists and glanced at his status panel. [Mantra Lawmaster: 10%]
[Calamity Ranger: 10%]
[C-Rank Cloud Dragon Forging Method —— Proficient: 70%]
[C-Rank Mirage Sea Meditation Technique —— Proficient: 70%]
His class development progress had increased a bit more. After quickly tending to his wounds, he was just about to send Old Bu a message.
To his surprise, Old Bu was already at his door, looking to be in a frantic rush.
The moment Su Chen opened the door, Bu Siqi urged, "Let's go, the teacher is calling for you."
"What's wrong?" Seeing his frantic state, Su Chen thought something terrible had happened, his heart skipping a beat.
"The teacher has surrounded the guesthouse. He's worried that something might happen at the Tribunal, so he told me to bring you all over," Bu Siqi explained.
"Surrounded the guesthouse?" Su Chen froze, ripples of shock spreading through his mind. 'Old Xia actually made his move?'
A second later, realizing something else, he asked in confusion, "All of us?"
"Yeah, Ming Lin too," Bu Siqi replied. "I was just on my way to inform him."
'Is Old Xia afraid of getting backstabbed at home?'
Su Chen quickly understood Xia Hanshi's reasoning. With such a massive operation underway, he inevitably wouldn't be able to keep an eye on the Tribunal. For safety's sake, keeping his students close by his side was the wisest choice.
"Alright, let's go." Su Chen didn't hesitate, immediately following Bu Siqi to notify Ming Lin.
Ming Lin, who had just been dragged out, was still utterly bewildered. Only after boarding the hovercar did he finally blurt out, "Why did Chief Inquisitor Xia surround the guesthouse?"
Bu Siqi's expression turned icy. "Those bastards from Yuandu actually colluded with the Faceless Ghost cultists! They're harboring the Faceless Ghost's Divine Son, plotting to subvert Yingfeng while the Head Chief is away!"
'So it's a frame-up. No wonder he kept that Divine Son alive without making a move until now,' Su Chen thought, stealing a glance at him. 'Since when did Old Xia's acting get this good?'
"What?!" Ming Lin froze, his face filled with sheer disbelief. "The people from Yuandu are colluding with the Faceless Ghost? Harboring the Divine Son? Is this some kind of mistake?"
"Are you doubting Teacher Xia?" Bu Siqi shot him a cold glare, entirely devoid of his usual playful demeanor.
Ming Lin hurriedly shook his head. "No, no, I'm just afraid we might be falling into some villain's trap, causing both us and Yuandu to suffer heavy casualties."
"Do you really think my teacher would fall for a trap?" Bu Siqi countered again, his eyes filled with piercing scrutiny.
Ming Lin broke out in a cold sweat. "I didn't mean it like that, it's just... it's just..."
"Since the teacher made his move, he must have absolute certainty," Su Chen interjected to defuse the tension. "Senior Brother, Ming Lin is just shocked, that's all."
"Yes, exactly——" Ming Lin nodded vigorously. Before his own teacher left, he had repeatedly warned him never to clash with Xia Hanshi.
"Hmph," Bu Siqi scoffed coldly, finally letting the matter drop. "You younger ones don't understand the kind of blood feud we have with Yuandu."
"Those people from Yuandu have a history of close ties with various Evil God cultists. No matter what they do, it shouldn't come as a surprise."
""
Ming Lin stopped talking, though in his heart, he now believed about seventy to eighty percent of it. After all, the stakes were incredibly high. With Wu Chenpei still fighting on the front lines, Chief Inquisitor Xia had to be absolutely certain before making a move.
'It seems Old Bu isn't acting. He genuinely has no idea,' Su Chen realized, picking up on the subtle clues.
Meanwhile, at the guesthouse——the accommodation Yingfeng had arranged for the delegations from Yuandu and the other two cities——all the necessary amenities were fully provided. The master suites were even equipped with their own gravity training chambers.
Inside Hong Xuan's room, viscous waves of crimson flames churned within the gravity chamber. His body bobbed in the sea of fire as he shifted through various martial stances. Magma-like veins pulsed just beneath his skin, and every breath he exhaled released trailing wisps of golden-red sparks.
His brows were deeply knitted. At a certain moment, his eyes snapped open. White streams of vapor erupted from every pore on his body. He stumbled, and the surrounding crimson flames abruptly lost control, converging wildly toward him.
Hong Xuan let out a cold snort, absorbing the rolling crimson flames back into his body before exhaling a puff of smoke. His complexion looked rather grim.
This was already the third time in two months that he had lost control during his training. His body-forging technique required exquisitely precise control over elemental flows to synchronize with his movements and achieve optimal results.
Even a single lapse in concentration could lead to a severe backlash.
It was only thanks to his wealth of experience and immediate reaction that he avoided injuring himself.
In his mind, the memory of Su Chen fusing three dragons into one constantly resurfaced. Rather than fading with time, the image had only grown deeper and more vivid.
"That man..." Hong Xuan's frown deepened. Even after advancing to the Saint class and further elevating his talents, he still wasn't confident he could compete with him.
"Rather than facing him head-on to gamble on a minuscule chance of victory, it is better to eradicate him early." Thinking about how Yuandu's plans were already mostly finalized, he calmed his state of mind. "If he could make it off the Crimson Thunder Planet, he might have been able to stir up some waves. What a pity."
"The Royal Court..." Hong Xuan forced himself to shift his focus, casting Su Chen out of his mind. "The Crimson Flame Thunder Exalt shares an old bond with the Ancient Bronze King."
"Once I become the Chosen One, I will enter the Ancient King's sights. In an instant, I'll be able to cross an unimaginable chasm of power and purge all the past enemies of my clan."
Imagining the glorious scene of standing under the gaze of millions, Hong Xuan's thoughts drifted. He closed his eyes, only to open them again moments later.
His state of mind remained hopelessly unsettled. Giving up, he decided to halt his training and go out for a walk.
But the moment he stepped out of his room, Hong Xuan bumped right into a young man. Both of them froze in surprise.
'Hong Xuan——why is he here too?'
Xu Siyuan furrowed his brows. He had originally intended to scout out the situation in this place, only to unexpectedly run into this guy.
The Faceless Ghost cultists possessed intelligence on this person, suspecting that he was not a native of the Crimson Thunder Planet.
'Judging by this man's attire, he's clearly not a staff member. Why would he be here?'
Hong Xuan also subconsciously began to speculate.
For a brief moment, the two remained deadlocked, neither daring to make a move.
Xu Siyuan's mind raced. Just as he was about to speak, hurried footsteps echoed down the corridor. Tang Chen rushed over, his face deathly pale. Without caring who was standing in front of Hong Xuan, he blurted out, "Something's happened! The Tribunal has sent people to surround the guesthouse!"
"What?" Hong Xuan snapped out of his daze, looking at Tang Chen in bewilderment. "What's going on?"
Tang Chen could barely formulate a coherent sentence. "——They said, they said we colluded with the Faceless Ghost cultists and are harboring the Faceless Divine Son!"
"What?!"
Both Hong Xuan and Xu Siyuan's expressions changed drastically, their faces mirroring the exact same look of sheer disbelief.
'Has the Tribunal gone mad?' Hong Xuan couldn't help but think. But soon, panic seized him as another terrifying possibility surfaced in his mind.
'How did they discover me?'
Xu Siyuan found it incredibly hard to believe. He had been meticulously cautious, employing methods far superior to the crude disguises used by the cultists. How could Yingfeng have possibly detected him?
"Let's go!" Hong Xuan gritted his teeth, leading Tang Chen toward the stairs. But after taking just two steps, he caught a glimpse of the astounded Xu Siyuan out of the corner of his eye. Subconsciously, something felt off.
However, right now, he was far more concerned with the Tribunal's intentions. With no time to overthink, he casually commanded, "Bring this guy along too."
Xu Siyuan stiffened, an impulse to attack instantly flaring up, but he forcefully suppressed it.
He simply couldn't believe his cover had been blown for no rhyme or reason. Furthermore, this Hong Xuan seemed even more panicked than he was. Perhaps there was a hidden agenda behind all this.
"This is a massive commotion..." Su Chen peered down from the hovercar. All traffic lanes within a ten-kilometer radius had been completely rerouted.
On their way here, they had even spotted personnel from the Inspection Department actively evacuating large crowds of civilians.
Following the navigation guidance, the hovercar parked a short distance away. Su Chen and the others stepped out, staring at the guesthouse, which was now completely enveloped by multiple layers of tightly packed perimeters.
Aside from a skeleton crew left behind to maintain basic operations, almost the entire force of the Tribunal had been deployed here.
——
Hundreds of shuttle-shaped aircraft hovered at a low altitude like a swarm of steel bees. Deep blue energy crystals protruded from the artillery muzzles on their bellies, casting an intersecting web of targeting lasers across the exterior of the guesthouse.
On the ground, tracked combat vehicles formed an impenetrable steel barricade. The twin-linked gun turrets mounted on each vehicle were synchronizing their angles, while the Tribunal's insignia etched into their heavy armor plating gleamed with an icy, metallic sheen.
The Inquisitors had formed a circular defensive perimeter. Fully armed, they stood in deadly, suffocating silence.
Stepping into the temporary command post, they found Lei Tieyan inside. His face was ashen, his chest heaving with extreme fury. "Xia Hanshi, you'd better be able to clean up this mess!"
"You're here." Xia Hanshi completely ignored him, his gaze instead landing on Su Chen and the cowering Ming Lin.
"Teacher. Chief Inquisitor Lei," Su Chen greeted politely.
Ming Lin quickly followed suit. "Chief Inquisitor Xia. Chief Inquisitor Lei."
Inwardly, he couldn't help but mutter to himself. 'Chief Inquisitor Lei looks furiously pissed off. What exactly is going on?'
"Teacher," Teng Liang walked in, his expression stone-cold. "The lockdown is complete. Even if everyone inside dies, the outside world won't know a thing."
"Xia Hanshi!" Hearing this, Lei Tieyan couldn't hold back any longer. "All of this is just your assumption! What if Yuandu fights to the bitter end? What then? Are we still going to the ruins or not?"
"Fight to the bitter end?" Xia Hanshi scoffed. "Wu Chenpei might be willing to die fighting, but what about the other two?"
"Besides, you overestimate Wu Chenpei. Back when we killed his younger brother, he was overwhelmed with grief and roared that he would swear an oath to avenge him in this life. And then? He took his people and left."
"Once his initial bout of rage passes, he'll recognize reality. If he wants to survive, he'll have to rely on Su Chen. Just like in the past, he will make the safest, most calculated decision."
Ming Lin looked utterly clueless. 'What on earth are these two talking about?'
"You're a gambler!" Lei Tieyan still refused to endorse Xia Hanshi's plan.
"If we don't gamble now, once they kill Su Chen, you won't even have a table to gamble at!" Xia Hanshi snapped sternly.
Lei Tieyan froze, asking in shock, "They're trying to kill Su Chen? How do you know?"
Xia Hanshi swept a glance over him. "They will definitely try to kill him. When that time comes, we'll be forced to choose between swallowing our anger or flipping the table entirely."
"I dare to flip the table, but do you? Does Chong Jingtian? Do any of the others?"
"This is pure paranoia."
Even though Lei Tieyan realized Xia Hanshi was operating purely on conjecture, his anger had somewhat subsided. To a certain degree, he had actually been convinced by the argument.
Ming Lin's expression remained vacantly dumbfounded. 'How did the topic suddenly shift to whether Su Chen lives or dies?'
He had a sneaking suspicion that today's ordeal had very little to do with the Faceless Ghost cultists.
Su Chen finally pieced it together. Old Xia hadn't consulted anyone. He simply acted first, forcibly hijacking the Tribunal and all of Yingfeng into his scheme.
'He's absolutely ruthless,' Su Chen marveled inwardly once again.
"Xia Hanshi——"
At that exact moment, a muffled roar echoed from outside. Xia Hanshi's expression shifted slightly. "Let's go. Let's see how they plan to talk their way out of this."
Su Chen and the others followed Xia Hanshi outside.
Downstairs in front of the guesthouse, the members from Yuandu had already gathered together. They were glaring like cornered beasts at the Inquisitors encircling them.
The one who had let out the deafening roar was Lu Kai. Clad in platinum armor and wearing a deeply solemn expression, he bellowed the very instant Xia Hanshi arrived, "Xia Hanshi, what the hell are you trying to do!?"