Chapter 638 - 377: High Alert

While the security check was underway at the Emergency Affairs Center, Specialist Liang sat at his desk, looking through the detailed files of the personnel being tested.

These were all the people who had contributed during the operation. He was unfamiliar with the vast majority of them; only a small number were people he followed and knew about.

His expression was grim. The situation was extremely serious—Pure Essence had actually leaked out, and the breach still hadn’t been sealed.

To the various departments, the danger this posed was no less than that of the Fumu’s recent schism.

The most suspicious individual at the moment was Chen Bitong. Some people had already concluded he was the one responsible.

Moreover, this aligned with the previous breach in the World Ring and Chen Bitong’s suspicious activities during the final period.

The sound of high heels clicked as his female assistant walked in from the other side of the hall. "Specialist, Captain Chen has already gone in."

Specialist Liang put down the files and pressed his fingers to the bridge of his nose. In a heavy voice, he said, "Let’s hope he hasn’t crossed that line."

In his final moments, Chen Bitong was only with Chen Chuan. The two of them even went to the other side of the Rift and jointly killed an Assistant General of the Old Imperial Family. It was highly likely that Chen Bitong had said something to him.

Some even suspected the two of them were already involved.

The City Council’s position was to immediately isolate and investigate him, but the Processing Bureau strongly objected. The Administrative Affairs Hall remained silent, and he, Specialist Liang, had stepped in to suppress the matter.

However, this move carried a political risk. If the investigation turned up nothing, it would be fine. But if there really was a problem, and the City Council decided to press the issue, he would undoubtedly suffer major consequences.

The female assistant said, "Specialist, what if he did cross that line? Fighters are a very self-centered group. Faced with something that can help them advance, very few can resist the temptation. But maybe he didn’t know anything about this and just made an unconscious mistake?"

Specialist Liang shook his head. "That’s highly unlikely."

’If someone didn’t discover and absorb the Pure Essence the moment it dispersed, it would be nearly impossible to find the scarce substance after the Celestial Gate closed. Anyone who managed to capture it must have been prepared in advance.’

He said in a low voice, "If that’s the outcome, we must do our best to win him over to our side. We can’t let the supervisory agencies decide his fate. I’ll personally arrange a security agreement between him and the Defense Department. That might be the best possible result."

After Chen Chuan entered the building, instructions came through his Realm Token. He followed the directions, walking down an isolated corridor.

There wasn’t a soul in sight—only an empty hallway with bright lights and the clear sound of his footsteps on the floor.

After passing through the corridor, an elevator appeared ahead. He heard a few static hisses from his Realm Token, indicating it had been blocked. He could no longer contact the outside world.

He glanced up, sensing Domain monitoring everywhere. The density was extremely high. He could feel it so clearly that the intense, interwoven fields were even causing a slight virtualization reaction in his Second Self.

But he acted as if he hadn’t noticed anything and walked steadily toward the elevator. Once inside, he saw that the floor had been pre-selected. After the doors closed, he felt a jolt under his feet as it began to ascend slowly.

The indicator light blinked continuously until it stopped on the twentieth floor, and the doors opened.

He walked out into a spacious hall. This seemed to be the building’s central atrium. After about ten steps, he could see all the way to the top of the skyscraper, with floors rising layer by layer around the open space.

He could sense a faint warning from the floors above, where there was also a unique reflection. If he wasn’t mistaken, machine gun emplacements were set up there.

If every one of those floors was lined with them, they could unleash a dense and powerful barrage of fire into the center in an instant. In a place with almost no blind spots, not even a Third Limit Fighter could evade it.

In the very center of the hall, however, was a downward staircase, leading to an area about ten meters below the main floor. At the bottom, he could see tree-like veins glowing in shades of blue and purple.

There were four platforms in the four corners, each with a tower-like structure that faintly glowed. That was probably the detection equipment.

Before he arrived, about a dozen people had already gathered sporadically in the hall. Some stood alone, while others were clustered together talking. He immediately spotted Xu Chan and his group waiting off to one side.

Xu Chan saw him at the same time and greeted him first, "Captain Chen."

Chen Chuan walked over and greeted him and the two people behind him. Before they could exchange more than a few words, both men suddenly sensed something and turned to look up.

On a floor about three levels up in the southeast direction, a middle-aged man in the uniform of a garrison commander walked out. He shot them a cold glance, like a jolt of icy electricity passing through them.

Xu Chan said, "Yan Zhiwen, a master Fighter recruited by the City Council. The man is formidable. He’s been a corporate security director and has also been in charge of protecting important figures. The City Council trusts him deeply."

Chen Chuan nodded slightly. ’His identity and background aren’t the main point. Xu Chan must be referring to his strength. If even someone like him says Yan Zhiwen is formidable, he must be incredibly powerful.’

It was clear that this security check, from the perimeter guards to the internal personnel and surveillance equipment, was all arranged according to the highest standards. This kind of setup was probably not just for security, but more like a preparation to take action.

At the same time, two council representatives dispatched by the City Council stood in the security control room, watching the scene through a light screen.

With the destruction of the Ferris Wheel, the City Council had been dealt a heavy blow by the various administrative departments. Furthermore, there was now sufficient evidence to show that entities from the other side had infiltrated the Ferris Wheel.

As such, they had no grounds to criticize the Administrative Affairs Hall. On the contrary, they needed to retract their previous statements and issue a public apology. This would undoubtedly further weaken their prestige, which had already been damaged by the incident.

But the subsequent Pure Essence leak gave them an opening.

Containing the Pure Essence and ensuring it didn’t leak was a consensus among all nations and even corporations. With an incident of this magnitude, the Administrative Affairs Hall could not be without responsibility.

And if they could prove that personnel under a government department had privately seized the Pure Essence, they could use that line of attack to make further moves.

At this moment, one of them asked, "Are you sure it can be detected?"

The other replied, "This detection equipment uses the latest technology from the Porlon Company. They say that if someone has absorbed Pure Essence, even a tiny amount, it will trigger a reaction."

In the hall, a seemingly gentle female voice announced, "Execution Captain Xu Chan, please proceed down to the West District testing platform for your security check."

Xu Chan was clearly not new to this kind of inspection. He walked forward calmly, and upon reaching the center, he descended the staircase.

He arrived at a tree-like structure on the west side. Up close, he could see it was connected to a series of tube-like veins, with faint light flickering within and without. It was slightly similar to a Resonance Nest and was clearly a Domain Creature.

Without hesitation, he walked directly into the opening. Just as he stepped inside, numerous tendrils slowly closed the opening behind him.

As Chen Chuan was observing, Captain Lü walked over and said, "Captain Chen, this must be your first time for a check, right? That thing is specifically used to check for any external contaminants inside the body, and also to see if you’ve obtained anything you shouldn’t have."

"Don’t worry, the equipment at the center is always reliable. It doesn’t make mistakes. As long as you haven’t done anything you shouldn’t have, you’ll be fine."

Chen Chuan nodded. "I see. Thank you."

Captain Lü smiled. "You’re too polite, Captain Chen."

At that moment, a white light seemed to illuminate the inside of the tree-like structure, which then became somewhat translucent, revealing the blurry figure of Xu Chan within.

After a few minutes, the light gradually turned green, indicating that everything was normal. The tendrils slowly opened, and Xu Chan walked out. He nodded to the people above and walked back up the staircase.

Just then, the female voice announced, "Execution Captain Chen Chuan, please proceed to the East District testing platform."

Captain Lü said, "Captain Chen, it’s your turn."

In that instant, everyone’s eyes turned to Chen Chuan. The guards on the upper floors seemed to tense up all at once.

The expressionless Yan Zhiwen, standing up there, also fixed his gaze on him.

In the security control room, the two council representatives were also staring intently.

’According to his file, this man possesses immense combat power. But that doesn’t matter. This is the Emergency Affairs Center, equipped with the best defense systems and the most powerful personnel currently available, enough to handle any contingency.’

Chen Chuan walked up to the tree-like structure. Before coming, he had done some research. The inspection methods were nothing more than a Domain probe.

A Fighter’s Domain contains a great deal of information. It was said that the world’s most advanced Domain monitoring equipment, when paired with an active Consciousness Body, could even detect the drugs a person had taken, their daily dietary preferences, and some of the places they had been.

However, this was of limited use against a Third Limit Fighter who had mastered their Domain. Even an ordinary Third Limit Fighter could not be fully scanned. This was because they had neared or reached the absolute peak of human potential. Not only had they undergone a kind of metamorphosis, but their bodies also instinctively sealed off certain personal information, regardless of whether they were conscious of it or not.

Therefore, there was another type of Domain probe specifically designed for Third Limit Fighters, which he presumed was what he was looking at now.

He gave it a glance, walked inside, then turned around and stood still. He saw the people above watching him, and then the outer tendrils squirmed, slowly sealing the entrance.

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