Chapter 72

After switching to new vehicles, He Xiong was sent for medical treatment; Wang Jian, Li Yi, Chen Hao, and Zheng Gong rested briefly before setting out again.

This time, Wang Jian drove, his limited mobility restricting him to the role of driver, while Chen Hao took the sniper position.

This moment revealed the importance of the training.

Even with sudden personnel loss, others could immediately fill the gaps, keeping the team fully combat-ready.

“What exactly is this little medicine? Wang Jian, do you know?”

Inside the vehicle, Li Yi held the vial the doctor had secretly given him, examining it and occasionally shaking it.

The liquid inside was crystal clear, shimmering faintly under the light, appearing almost mystical—not like medicine, but more like fluorescent water.

“That’s Superfluid.”

Wang Jian immediately said: “The doctor at the training base is really generous—he actually gave you this powerful medicine. The entire base only gets twenty vials a year, and doctors only use them in extreme emergencies. Look at He Xiong—he suffered severe injuries and still didn’t qualify for a dose, only got an IV drip.”

“What’s the effect of such a precious medicine?”

Li Yi stared at the vial, sensing faintly that the liquid contained some special energetic substance.

Wang Jian, still driving, said: “It’s made by extracting serum from Super beings’ blood. When a cultivator takes it, it rapidly stimulates the body’s regenerative abilities, healing wounds, replenishing stamina, and enhancing cellular activity—like adrenaline for cultivators, boosting strength temporarily with no side effects.”

“If that’s the case, this is an incredible medicine. But I don’t know the doctor—why would he give me something so precious?”

Li Yi was astonished—the tiny vial was so potent—and then he grew puzzled.

Beside him, Chen Hao chuckled: “You’re that strong—you killed a man-bear barehanded. If I were the doctor, I’d give you the medicine too.”

“Exactly,” Wang Jian added with a grin. “Using this medicine just to heal injuries is a waste. Li Yi, you’re an external combatant—you took down a ferocious beast on your first mission. Your potential is enormous; everyone sees it, including the doctor. Giving it to you is putting it to the best use—he hopes it helps you hunt more ferocious beasts. If I asked for it, he’d spit in my face and tell me to get lost.”

“Looks like I’ll need to thank that doctor properly next time.”

Li Yi nodded, tucked the vial away, and suddenly felt a quiet insight stir within him.

This world shows kindness to the strong. My past hardships, my poverty, weren’t because the world was cruel—they were because I wasn’t strong enough.

The men in the car chatted, soon passing the spot where they’d killed the man-bear.

“The blood on the ground is gone.”

Li Yi’s gaze sharpened—he noticed the spot where the man-bear had fallen. There had been a pool of blood there, but now it was completely gone.

It wasn’t cleaned up—it looked as if something had licked it clean.

“The man-bear was a ferocious beast in evolution. Though it hadn’t yet become a Super being, its flesh and blood are fatally attractive to nearby animals. After we left, something must have passed by and devoured the blood.” Wang Jian lit a cigarette and took a drag.

“All things vie for freedom under frosty skies. Everything in our world is evolving toward cultivation—even an ant by the roadside. It’s only been ten years since the Heaven’s Collapse. If another fifty or a hundred years pass, I wouldn’t be surprised if my dog suddenly started talking.”

“But the threats we face now aren’t those. They’re things from outside our world.”

“Super beings, ferocious beasts, ghosts, malevolent spirits—so many unknown horrors. Who knows how many deadly, hidden things lurk in our world?” Wang Jian sighed: “I’m only at Spirit Medium realm—I can see only so much. But as I cultivate and evolve, my Spirit Medium senses will grow stronger, revealing more truths.”

“Li Yi, you have great potential and strength. I hope your eyes can see farther than ours.”

Li Yi stayed silent, sensing an unspoken dread in Wang Jian’s words.

It seemed the entire world still held countless hidden terrors, and even cultivators had seen only the tip of the iceberg.

“Enough of that. Stay alert—we’ve passed the attack site. Ahead may be more dangers. Don’t let your guard down. Chen Hao, your sniper skills still good? You’ve been training in hand-to-hand combat.” Wang Jian changed the subject.

“Not as good as a professional sniper, but I can handle regular sniper missions,” Chen Hao replied. “Don’t worry—I’ve got some confidence.”

“Good.” Wang Jian nodded.

The vehicle continued along the road toward the abandoned district. After their prior experience, everyone aboard was now hyper-alert, constantly scanning their surroundings.

This time, however, their luck was much better.

They drove without encountering any sudden ferocious beast attacks. The giant spider-like humanoid monster on the building had vanished—Chen Hao scanned with his rifle but found no trace at all, as if it had disappeared completely.

“Other colleagues must have cleared hidden threats along the way. Otherwise, the route wouldn’t be this quiet. Let’s head straight to the rescue point—no time to waste.”

Wang Jian accelerated again.

The rescue point lay at the border between the abandoned district and the outer city. Once a bustling urban area, it was now deserted—tall buildings abandoned, overgrown with wild grass, visited only by animals and occasionally by scavengers.

But today, outside a half-collapsed building, over a dozen special vehicles were parked, and a perimeter had been set up. Even nearby buildings housed hidden snipers.

“I’m Investigator Wang Jian, ID 77162. I’m driving a gray SUV from the east, approaching the rescue point.”

Before reaching it, Wang Jian picked up the radio and reported on the investigator-specific channel.

He was identifying himself to nearby colleagues, preventing misunderstandings—someone might mistake them for an unrelated intruder.

In this zone, not only investigators operated—there could also be rogue cultivators who’d committed crimes, posing hidden threats.

“Wang Jian, this is Liu Yue. Park your vehicle by the roadside ahead. I’m on the fourth floor of the building opposite—I see you. No other dangers nearby. You can show yourself safely.” A voice responded over the radio.

“Liu Yue? Got it.” Wang Jian recognized the voice and pulled over immediately.

“Get out.”

As the engine died, the men exited the vehicle.

They scanned the surroundings—no danger detected. Everything was calm.

At that moment, a figure leapt from the fourth floor of a nearby building and landed firmly on the ground.

He was a thin, middle-aged man around thirty, his skin rough and weathered. He strode forward, waving from afar: “Wang Jian, how’s it going? Any trouble on the way?”

“We ran into a ferocious beast—a man-bear. Took some damage. He Xiong got hurt. But luckily, I’ve got a powerful external combatant who killed it. Otherwise, we’d be in trouble. Come on, Liu Yue, let me introduce you—this is Li Yi.”

Wang Jian smiled and introduced him.

“Li Yi? No need to explain—I know. The cultivator who committed the murders in the old district. A fierce new recruit—he killed eight Spirit Medium cultivators barehanded. I heard Captain Zhang Lei wanted to recruit him into the Investigation Bureau. I wondered who’d get him—never thought you’d snatch him up.”

Liu Yue nodded at Li Yi in greeting, then asked: “How’s He Xiong? Is he okay?”

“Sent to the hospital. That’s why we had to turn back and lost some time. What’s the situation here?” Wang Jian asked quickly.

Liu Yue lowered his voice: “Captain Zhang Lei’s team, Investigator Zhang Zhixiong’s team, and Investigator Feng Xiang’s team—all three teams vanished inside. I didn’t risk entering. No fighting sounds came out. Radios went dead. Something’s interfering with energy—every communication device failed.”

“Is there a Spirit Perception cultivator here? Can they use spiritual sense to probe inside?” Wang Jian asked.

“Didn’t try. My team has no Spirit Perception cultivators. Even if we did, it wouldn’t help—the building’s huge. Spiritual sense can’t reach far enough.” Liu Yue said.

“I see. Can I go closer to the building to check?” Wang Jian paused, then asked.

Liu Yue replied: “As long as you don’t cross the perimeter, it’s fine.”

Wang Jian turned back: “Zheng Gong, you stay here. Keep watch nearby and coordinate with other reinforcements. We’re going to take a look.”

“Got it.” Zheng Gong immediately found a vantage point and began surveillance.

The others didn’t hesitate—they headed straight toward the collapsed building.