Chapter 639 - 378: Guarantee

After the space was sealed, the light from outside was also cut off. The interior of the tree-like structure was plunged into darkness.

After a moment, Chen Chuan saw a kind of luminous liquid being secreted from the inner walls. The substances quickly coalesced and spread, soon forming a glowing membrane.

The entire inner space gradually brightened. A moment later, his vision was filled with a vast expanse of white.

The sensation was just like standing inside a Rift.

At that moment, he suddenly sensed something was amiss. He couldn’t help but look at his Second Self and saw it showed faint signs of virtualization. It was undoubtedly under some kind of external assault.

It seemed his previous guess was correct. This test used a powerful invasion to force a Fighter to produce an instinctive defensive reaction. These reactions would truthfully reveal a person’s internal state and condition. If there was a problem, the organism might immediately display a corresponding response.

However, he had already made his Second Self overlap with his own body long before walking into the Emergency Affairs Center. Therefore, the Second Self was now bearing the brunt of this powerful invasion.

Meanwhile, everyone standing outside was waiting. But this time, the test seemed to be taking an exceptionally long time. When Xu Chan had gone in earlier, he came out in just one or two minutes. Yet Chen Chuan had been inside for a full five minutes, and it still wasn’t over.

Moreover, over three minutes ago, the crowd had seen the organism display a green light, just as it had during Xu Chan’s test.

Inside the security control room, the two council representatives looked displeased.

"No problem? How could there be no problem? Are you sure?"

The gentle female voice replied, "The third test run confirms that the target has not displayed any abnormalities."

The two of them found this result hard to accept.

According to the current analysis, the one who tore open the breach should be Chen Bitong. Chen Chuan had spent time with Chen Bitong during his final moments, and there was evidence to suggest the two had a brief collaboration. He was a prime suspect. At the council, it was practically a foregone conclusion that Chen Chuan had absorbed the Pure Essence.

It was said this conclusion was derived from the analysis of a certain active Consciousness Body.

So the two of them had come here today on a mission. But the test results overturned everything, meaning their operation could not proceed.

They knew their superiors wouldn’t think their own judgment was flawed. They would only consider them incompetent.

One of them said with a grim expression, "Just because the test didn’t find anything doesn’t mean there isn’t a problem."

The other asked, "What do you have in mind?"

The man said, "According to his file, this target is skilled in Esoteric Rituals. So could this be the work of an Esoteric Ritual? I have reason to suspect that he used an Esoteric Ritual beforehand to evade the detection equipment. Therefore, we need further verification."

He added with emphasis, "Detain him!"

The other man hesitated. "If the test shows no problems on the surface, the Processing Bureau and the Defense Department will likely object to that reasoning."

The man said coldly, "This is just a reasonable deduction. We are simply handling the matter with rigor. This is also for his own good."

The other man hesitated for a moment before nodding in agreement.

Back in the main hall, the test finally concluded. The tentacles parted, and Chen Chuan walked out, his expression perfectly composed.

His smooth exit surprised some who had been privy to the inside information. The guards stationed above had not received any further orders and could only maintain their previous state of alert.

After walking up from below, Chen Chuan nodded to Xu Chan and the others. He was about to step aside and wait for an opportunity to leave, but then a voice called out from behind him:

"Captain Chen, please wait a moment."

He turned and saw Yan Zhiwen walking toward him. When he reached him, he said, "The Emergency Affairs Center believes there are some other things that need to be checked. Please do not leave yet."

Chen Chuan said, "What, was the previous test not enough? The procedure I saw when I came in didn’t mention any other necessary tests."

Yan Zhiwen said stiffly, "This is the Center’s procedure. We ask for your cooperation, Captain Chen."

"I don’t think any more tests are necessary." A voice came from nearby.

Yan Zhiwen felt the hairs on his body stand on end. The voice had appeared abruptly, and the person had materialized out of nowhere. He hadn’t noticed him at all before.

He looked over stiffly and saw a middle-aged man with a slightly decadent air standing there with his hands in his pockets.

Chen Chuan was a little surprised. "Teacher Xue?"

Xue Shou walked up, clapped Chen Chuan on the shoulder, and glanced toward a certain direction above. He smiled and said, "Chen is my student. I’ll vouch for him."

"Mr. Xue..."

Yan Zhiwen recognized him. This was the Fighting Master from the Capital. Standing this close to a Fighting Master, he felt himself enveloped by an immense and terrifying pressure.

Although the man was acting friendly and casual, Yan Zhiwen’s own Biological Domain and spirit were frantically warning him for self-preservation, telling him to get away from this person as quickly as possible.

It wasn’t just him; everyone present felt it. A Fighter is tempered through countless trials and possesses immense confidence and a tenacious will to preserve their own life. Yet, standing before this man, all of that became a negative influence, forcing their bodies into an instinctive stress response.

The two council representatives were instantly drenched in sweat, their expressions becoming extremely tense. They had never anticipated a situation like this.

They were well aware of the weight a Fighting Master carried. Their minds were in chaos, unsure of what to do.

Just then, a dispassionate voice sounded from the Realm Token: "Let him leave."

When Xue Shou appeared, the council had already learned what was happening here through the Domain’s information feed. With a Fighting Master vouching for him, it would be difficult to insist on detaining him and risk offending the man, even if there really was a problem. Besides, the test had already been conducted and had indeed found nothing. If they pressed the issue, it would be difficult to walk away from the situation gracefully.

The two council representatives felt as if they’d been granted amnesty. Then, they heard the voice again: "Initiate the backup plan."

The two quickly acknowledged the order and immediately notified Yan Zhiwen, who was still at the scene. Upon receiving the message, he promptly stepped aside, bowed his head, and said, "Captain Chen, you may leave."

Chen Chuan asked, "So, does this mean I’ve passed the test?"

"You’ve passed," Yan Zhiwen replied.

Chen Chuan nodded. "Your procedures are very efficient."

Just then, the gentle female voice announced, "Execution Captain Lü Huo and Execution Captain Wang Weiguang, please proceed to the South District and North District testing platforms, respectively, to undergo testing."

Captain Wang and Captain Lü exchanged a look and walked down toward the platforms.

Xue Shou said, "Chen, let’s go."

Chen Chuan agreed. He said a quick farewell to Xu Chan and started walking out with Xue Shou. But before they reached the exit, an alarm suddenly blared through the hall.

He was slightly surprised and turned to look. He saw that on the northern testing platform, the tree-like organism was pulsing with bursts of red light from within.

Yan Zhiwen’s expression changed. He immediately leaped down from his position, while the guards on the surrounding floors all aimed their guns downward.

The tentacles in front of the tree-like organism parted, and Captain Wang walked out with a grim look on his face. The female voice said, "Execution Captain Wang Weiguang, you have illicitly absorbed a prohibited substance. Please stand still and await processing. If you resist, lethal force is authorized."

Captain Wang looked at Yan Zhiwen standing before him and the countless gun barrels aimed at him from above. He spread his hands, indicating that he was surrendering.

"Captain Wang, you..."

The people above who knew him looked at him with confusion and disbelief. Some even looked on with schadenfreude. Only Xu Chan gave him a deep look. When Captain Wang met his gaze, however, he lowered his head.

The guards on site quickly moved in, restrained Captain Wang, and swiftly led him away from the scene.

On the other side, Chen Chuan witnessed the scene unfold. The elevator doors in front of him slowly opened. Xue Shou tilted his head toward the inside and said, "Let’s go."

Chen Chuan didn’t look any longer and followed him inside. After the elevator doors closed, it began its descent.

Xue Shou then said, "You figured it out?"

"It was too obvious," Chen Chuan said.

Xue Shou smiled. "Get used to it. You’ll be seeing a lot more of this in the future."

At almost the same time, Captain Wang was taken to an interrogation room, where he was locked onto a restraint wall.

Yan Zhiwen took a few steps back and said to him, "Captain Wang, you’ll have to bear with this for a while."

Captain Wang looked up. His earlier grim and panicked expression was gone, replaced by a calm demeanor. "What’s next?" he asked.

Yan Zhiwen brought over a paper document, holding it up in front of him. "Just say what’s written here."

Captain Wang glanced at it and memorized all the content. "I understand. I’ll cooperate."

Outside the building, Xue Shou led Chen Chuan out. He looked up at the bright sky and said, "Chen, I need to return to the Capital for a while. But since I promised to teach you for half a year, I will of course keep my word. I’ll be back after some time."

’Teacher,’ Chen Chuan thought, ’I hope "after some time" doesn’t mean a few years.’ Out loud, he said, "I’ll remember, sir."

Xue Shou grunted in acknowledgment. "Before I go, I’ll teach you another little trick. It can conceal your information from being leaked on a spiritual level. With this method, it won’t be so easy for others to test you again.

But you should know, testing is just one method. There are many ways to achieve a goal, so it’s best not to give them the chance."

As he spoke, he reached out and patted Chen Chuan’s shoulder. Chen Chuan immediately felt a Spiritual Mark being left there.

"Go back and practice it diligently. I’ll check on your progress when I return."

Teacher Xue smiled, stuck his hands in his pockets, and walked away. After a few steps, he waved back without turning around and soon blended into the bustling crowd on the street.

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