Chapter 708: Spiritual Awareness
Chapter 708: Spiritual Awareness
As Chen Chuan's blade sliced through the air, Ling Zhuli's expression, reflected in his eyes, revealed a mix of astonishment and disbelief at the swiftness and sharpness of his strike.
At that moment, Hong Fu's sword and the meteor hammer she had pulled back both struck Ling Zhuli, emitting two loud blasts.
Despite the powerful attacks, Ling Zhuli didn't flinch, as if ignoring the assault. Chen Chuan reached out, grabbing Ling Zhuli's hair and suspending him in the air, allowing the headless corpse to fall from the True Form Tree.
Hong Fu suddenly paused, her eyes alternating between coldness and liveliness. However, instead of attacking Chen Chuan again, she stood aside, holding her sword.
Chen Chuan held up Ling Zhuli's head and said calmly, "Ling Zhuli, you lose."
A trace of agreement appeared on Ling Zhuli's face, and he smiled, "Yes, you win. Was that Spiritual Sense just now...?"
Chen Chuan's expression showed appreciation, "I knew I didn't misjudge you. With such strength, if you joined us, our vision's success would be even greater. It's a pity."
Fixing his gaze on Ling Zhuli, Chen Chuan asked, "I want to ask you something. You said someone from the Handling Bureau asked you to deal with me. Do you know who that person is?"
Ling Zhuli replied, "Unfortunately, I only received a message through an intermediary. That person was very cautious and didn't reveal their identity. As you know, after success, I would leave, so I don't care who that person is, as long as it benefits my actions."
Sensing the truth in Ling Zhuli's words through his mental state, Chen Chuan asked, "Is the True Form Tree in the Fusion Zone now?"
Ling Zhuli responded promptly, "Yes, it's there. Our people are watching it. If you're interested, Chen Manager, you can try to find it. I look forward to your choice, although I won't be able to see the outcome."
"Aside from you, who else from the academy is involved in this?"
Ling Zhuli smiled, "This question, Chen Manager, do you believe me if I tell you?"
Chen Chuan nodded, "One last question," he said, his gaze fixed on Ling Zhuli's face. "The Big Bang Collision is coming. According to your plan, if the True Form Tree doesn't fulfill your desires before then, what's your backup plan?"
Ling Zhuli's smile remained unchanged, "The Big Bang Collision may arrive in a few years or even a decade. Precisely because time is tight, we can't stop. We must race against time and use all means to accomplish our goals.
If it doesn't happen before the collision, we'll enter the Fusion Zone early. It's the earliest fusion point of two worlds, capable of carrying their echoes. The government and companies have set up there, making it the most likely place to persist. We'll continue our mission there."
"So, your so-called preparation and ideal is ultimately choosing to retreat to the Fusion Zone?" Chen Chuan asked.
Ling Zhuli replied with confusion, "Is there something wrong with that? It's precisely because of the True Form Tree that we don't need to be bound by physical forms. We can temporarily discard these burdens and reside in consciousness, waiting for the day of rebirth."
He expressed regret, "Chen Manager, I truly hope you reconsider. There's no need to be confined by human or world-bound shackles and perceptions. The world is changing, and people should also discard the past and reshape their understanding."
After Ling Zhuli finished speaking, he noticed Chen Chuan's calm gaze. Suddenly, Ling Zhuli seemed to realize something and wanted to say more, but his face contorted, and his head began to swell as if a force was trying to burst out from within.
As the head reached its limit, a muffled bang accompanied the complete explosion of the skull, like a grand firework bursting open.
Chen Chuan calmly retracted his hand, a transparent and slender branch hanging from his fingers—Ling Zhuli's Dimensional Token.
Taking this back for inspection might yield some clues.
With Ling Zhuli's death, the Field Domain authority of the entire Aerial Garden naturally fell to Chen Chuan, as he now had the highest authority.
Chen Chuan glanced at Hong Fu, whose eyes flickered with confusion for a moment before regaining their liveliness, staring deeply at him.
As Chen Chuan was about to deactivate the Field Domain, Hong Fu suddenly spoke, "I want to leave here."
Chen Chuan looked at her in surprise, as this was the first time he had heard Hong Fu speak in such a state. Usually, her voice was cold and emotionless.
"Why?" he asked.
Hong Fu lowered her eyes, "Because of my autonomous consciousness. The academy accommodates my autonomous consciousness because I can make more independent reactions, making it more convenient to serve them. But that's under the premise of complying with their wishes.
Just now, I resisted a clear command, and it has been recorded. The academy will surely 'correct' me and erase my consciousness."
Chen Chuan nodded and asked, "What do I need to do?"
Hong Fu looked at his saber, "The Fusion Ground's passage is open, and I can go there. According to the Academy's procedure, external consciousness bodies are not allowed to enter. If I were to leave, I must sever the connection and self-purify immediately."
Her lively eyes turned to Chen Chuan, "I'll try to go there. Your saber can sever my external consciousness from the main body, and then I can break free."
Chen Chuan asked cautiously, "Will this affect your main body?"
Hong Fu answered honestly, "There will be some impact, but the main body can recover quickly. In the future, when the consciousness body appears again, it will be another me that completely obeys orders."
Chen Chuan understood and didn't hesitate for a moment. He nodded and said, "Okay, I'll help you."
Hong Fu's eyes glanced, and suddenly, her body transformed into a graceful, fluttering red shadow. She turned and headed towards the Fusion Ground's passage.
Chen Chuan closed his eyes slightly, carefully sensing the atmosphere. Indeed, he felt a mental aura, like a swirling, invisible vortex, pulling him towards the depths of the Fusion Ground.
Standing on the branch, he held the hilt of the Snow Queen Saber, and his mental aura gradually soared. After reaching the peak, he opened his eyes, leaped forward, and held the saber with both hands, raising it high. Then, he let it fall from the sky and swung it with force!
A saber light slashed through the Fusion Ground's passage, falling straight to the ground with a loud bang! He firmly planted his feet on the ground, and at one end, the massive Fusion Ground passage had its flying mental vortex severed from the end, naturally dispersing outwards.
He slowly straightened up, took a look, and there was no more movement from the other side. It seemed that Hong Fu had already broken free from her constraints and was free.
However, in the future, the Academy might no longer see the previous Hong Fu, who had a self-consciousness.
He turned around, about to choose to undo the scene here, but just then, he sensed something. He turned back and saw a red scarf floating towards him, then flying up into the sky.
He looked up, feeling a thought transmitted from above. Hong Fu's consciousness body had detached from the main body, becoming a rootless waterweed, needing something to attach to in order to continue existing. So, she didn't choose to leave immediately but instead wanted to attach to him.
In return, if he encountered a crisis that was difficult to handle, she would appear to help and protect him. If he didn't want her help, she would leave and find another attachment.
Chen Chuan looked at the red scarf floating above, nodded slightly, and the scarf descended, landing on his neck and fluttering in the air.
Chen Chuan glanced at it, then touched the Dimensional Token, and after a moment, the surrounding scene shattered like broken glass.
He looked up, noticing the brains hanging on the tree were dissipating one by one. He couldn't help but think of Assistant Ling Jianxing, the notes he had recorded, and the first anomaly he encountered when he entered the Central City—the innocent Xiaoman and her brother, who had become a mannequin model.
He had a strange feeling that one of the brains on the tree might belong to Xiaoman's brother.
As all the lights and shadows disappeared, the place once again transformed into the Aerial Garden.
Birds chirped and flowers bloomed, and the colorful trees seemed to have never witnessed the ugliness.
At this moment, he glanced and saw Assistant Ling's headless body lying there, with a set of meteor hammers nearby, and his Snow Queen Saber's sheath lying at the other end.
He walked over, picked up the sheath, sheathed the saber, and then touched the Dimensional Token, drafting a report.
In summary, Assistant Ling Jianxing attempted to attack him and has been killed. He requested immediate dispatch of personnel to take away the body and conduct an inspection, while also reminding An Shield to activate the Non-Trust Clause.
Since Assistant Ling had clearly stated that there were issues within the Handling Bureau, Chen Chuan had to be cautious. This matter needed to be covered up to facilitate the investigation.
Moreover, Assistant Ling's ability to obtain higher-level permissions might have been authorized by certain individuals, which couldn't be ruled out.
Vice Chancellor Tan was also attending a meeting in Bai Niao District at the time of the incident and was not in the Academy, conveniently avoiding the situation.
The Non-Trust Clause was designed for such situations, and only the investigation supervisor from the Action Faction had the authority to activate it.
Until Chen Chuan submitted the report to the upper echelons and obtained a phased result, this information would not be disclosed to any unrelated personnel, nor was it permitted to be transmitted to other places, thus maintaining the information blockade.
Within a quarter of an hour, the elite handling team from the Handling Bureau arrived at the Academy and took over the handling of the situation.
...
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(End of Chapter)
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