pjbooks Chapter 1012 How to handle it
Chapter 1012 How to handle it
It wasn't a fall. A fall was something that happened the moment he was dragged into the void rift. What just vanished was merely the last trace of will left in that drop of blood, the last vestige of Candle's attachment to this world. Now even that attachment has dissipated, and from this day forward, there will be no trace of Candle in this world—except for the emblem on his palm.
Lin Qiye withdrew his hand to his side, turned around, and walked back the way he came.
He passed through the black membrane—the membrane split open as he approached, closed again after he passed, and then, once closed, completely lost its fluorescence, becoming an ordinary, dry bony septum. He passed through the narrow, dark golden passage, the crystalline layers on either side losing their luster, fading from dark gold to grayish-white, like some kind of life form rapidly decaying after losing its soul. He passed through the ruins of the temple sealed by the cooled magma, through the completely extinguished altar pit, through the caverns studded with clusters of fluorescent blue crystals—the light of those clusters was also diminishing, not extinguished, but changing from a dazzling fluorescent blue to a softer, dimmer pale blue, as if the harmonic pollution of the entire mountain range was rapidly decaying as the will of the candle dissipated.
When he finally emerged from the crevice of the Rock Bone Pass and stood once again on the black rock layer on the surface of the Azure Bone Mountains, it was already dawn.
It wasn't true dawn—the Canggu Mountains were perpetually shrouded in thick gray clouds, so even at midday, only a hazy, grayish light could be seen. But this "dawn" was brighter than any previous day. The dark gray clouds were thinning at a visible rate, and sunlight streamed through the gaps, casting golden beams of light onto the ground. When these beams of light struck the fluorescent blue crystal clusters on the ground, the harmonic light that should have been absorbed or reflected instead dimmed rapidly, as if encountering its nemesis. The crystal clusters embedded in the rock walls and the ground shattered, turning into piles of grayish-white powder.
Harmonic pollution across the entire Canggu Mountain Range is receding at an unprecedented rate.
Lin Qiye stood on the black rock platform outside the Rock Bone Pass, gazing into the distance. The spiraling bone tower that once soared into the sky no longer emitted fluorescent blue mist, and the bone pores on its surface were slowly closing, like a colossal beast closing its eyes. The fluorescent blue crystal clusters clinging to the tower were crumbling away piece by piece, revealing the grayish-white bone beneath. The bone tower still stood, but the oppressive feeling that instilled fear deep in one's soul was gradually dissipating.
The blood demon power within him was also subsiding. The power that had erupted violently and out of control in the hall now seemed to have completed some mission, receding back into the depths of his dantian and quietly lying dormant. But his cultivation level—he could clearly feel that he had completely crossed the previous bottleneck and entered a completely new realm.
It wasn't a quantitative change, but a qualitative one. The source energy within his body was no longer merely the single attribute of "Blood Demon Power," but had undergone an inexplicable mutation after fusing with a trace of the inherited will of the candle. The dark golden power was no longer a light floating on the surface of his body, but had completely integrated into his meridians, bones, and internal organs, as if his body had been reforged from the inside out. He clenched his fist and then relaxed it; the dark golden light flowing from his fingertips was no longer as flamboyant and outward as before, but had become extremely restrained, as if it had been contained within the light, leaving only a thin halo adhering to the surface of his skin.
He raised his hand, looking at the faint, dark golden halo at his fingertips, and then slowly clenched it.
The power remains.
And it was stronger than before. It was just no longer so violent, no longer so easily out of control, like a tamed beast, silently lurking within him, waiting for his command.
He took a deep breath, turning his gaze from the distant bone tower to the southeast. That was the direction of the arena, and also the direction Mo Yuan and A Jiu had retreated from. He could sense that their presence was already dozens of miles away, rapidly moving towards the outer edge of the mountain range. At their speed, they should reach the rendezvous point outside the arena by evening.
He didn't rush to chase after them.
He found a protruding bone spur on the rocky platform, sat down against it, and took out half a piece of dry, hard rations from his pocket, slowly chewing them. His gaze calmly followed the slowly dissipating outline of the bone tower in the distance, his heart undisturbed. He needed time to process the inherited information in his mind, time to adapt to the completely transformed power within him, and even more time to think—
What should we do next?
If it weren't for his will suppressing that power at the last moment, and if the remnants of the candle hadn't helped to channel the rampaging energy when they merged into his consciousness during the inheritance, he might have turned into a mindless killing machine on the spot, devouring Mo Yuan, A Jiu, and even all the living beings in the entire Canggu Mountain Range.
He doesn't want to become like that.
But Zhu's memories also made him realize one thing—there are some higher-level beings in this world who will not tolerate the appearance of a second "Zhu". Even if he is only the inheritor of a drop of Zhu's bloodline, as long as those beings sense his aura, they will do everything in their power to nip him in the bud, just like they did when they besieged and killed Zhu.
He must be powerful enough—powerful enough to protect himself, powerful enough to protect those he wants to protect, powerful enough to deter those beings from easily attacking him.
To reach that level, he needs more power, more inheritance, and more...
He looked down at the emblem on his palm.
The emblem felt slightly warm under his gaze, as if it were some kind of ancient response.
"Is there anything else you want to tell me?" he asked in a low voice.
Herald did not answer.
But he sensed a door deep within the emblem. That door was currently closed, but he knew that as long as he was strong enough, as long as he found the right method, that door would eventually open. What lay beyond the door, he didn't know, but the pull from the deepest part of his blood told him—that was where he had to go.
He stood up and patted the ashes and pebbles that had settled on his robes.
Then, he took a step in the southeast direction.
……
The arena, the headquarters of the Control Yuan, the highest-level conference room.
This is a circular secret chamber located in the core area of the arena. Its four walls are made from a single, huge piece of obsidian, and the surface is engraved with array patterns that prevent detection.
The sealed room had no windows; the only source of light was a suspended energy lamp in the center of the round table, emitting a soft and cool white glow.
Seven people were seated around the round table.
Seated in the main seat was a middle-aged man with a thin face and slightly graying temples. He wore a dark gray robe with a silver cloud pattern embroidered on the lapel—the insignia of the Chief of the Oversight Bureau. His name was Shangguan Lin, the highest-ranking official of the Arena Oversight Bureau, and he ranked among the top three in the entire Arena's power structure.
To his left sat an elderly man with white hair and beard, dressed in a simple black robe. His face was kind and gentle, but the occasional sharp glint in his slightly narrowed eyes made his presence not to be underestimated. He was Luo Song, the president of the Arena Array Master Guild.
To Shangguan Lin's right sat a burly middle-aged man with a rugged face. A hideous scar ran diagonally from the corner of his left eye across his nose to his right chin, dividing his face in two. He was Mo Shan, the commander-in-chief of the arena's combat department.
The other four are the two vice directors of the Supervisory Council, the vice president of the Array Masters Guild, and the deputy commander-in-chief of the Combat Department.
The meeting room remained quiet for a long time.
Shangguan Lin tapped his fingers lightly on the table twice, breaking the silence: "You've all seen Mo Yuan's report. Xun... the former chief array master Xun Yan, his identity has been confirmed as a replica of a consciousness born in the core of a bone tower deep within the Canggu Mountains. The original Xun Yan died twenty-six years ago during the Blackwater Canyon mission. This replica has been lurking in the arena for twenty-six years, successfully infiltrating the core of the Oversight Council without revealing any flaws."
He paused, his gaze sweeping over everyone present: "This is the largest infiltration incident since the establishment of the Oversight Council. If the anomaly in the Canggu Mountains hadn't been triggered, this replica might have continued to lie dormant until it completed its so-called 'summoning.' The consequences would have been unimaginable."
"Xun Yan was recommended to the Oversight Council by our Array Masters Guild," Luo Song said, his voice aged but still steady. "Although he was replicated and replaced before he joined the guild, as the recommending party, the Array Masters Guild bears an unshirkable responsibility. We will fully cooperate with the Oversight Council in conducting an internal investigation to ensure that there are no similar hidden threats."
"An investigation is necessary." Mo Shan's voice was deep and resonant, like the vibration of a bronze drum. "But the bigger problem now is—what do you plan to do with that Lin Qiye?"