Chapter 137: Past Life? Chu Hongjun?

"According to the information I obtained..."

"There are rumors that this is a gift from a great civilization somewhere in the universe."

"There are also speculations that Divine Roles are closely related to planetary consciousness; perhaps this universe also possesses consciousness, and it is what created the Divine Roles."

Xu Shaofeng sighed, "The truth is unknowable, but the records state that the birth of Starry Sky Divine Roles is more ancient than any known universe civilization."

Lin Qing pondered and asked, "Factors like firearms, gunpowder, and crossbows do not fit evolution?"

"Correct."

Xu Shaofeng said, "It is said that there are planets in the universe where only technology or machinery exists, and the Starry Sky Divine Roles born there are also in the fields of technology and machinery."

He spoke softly, "The Zhi Xing Group hopes Earth will focus on evolution, with technology and knowledge occupying only a small portion."

Lin Qing nodded in realization.

"An overly comfortable environment causes people to lose their drive; appropriate chaos and crises aid evolution."

Xu Shaofeng said, "Although there are other better solutions, the Zhi Xing Group clearly feels this is simpler, so they are also happy to see Earth remain in a certain state of chaos for the long term."

Lin Qing nodded slightly and said, "I understand."

In a sense, extraterrestrial visitors like the Zhi Xing Group are the greatest source of chaos on this Earth.

But...

The gap is simply too vast.

So, he can only think about it; if the Autonomy Faction truly has hope of expelling the Zhi Xing Group from Earth, he would naturally be willing to contribute his efforts.

"What you need to do now is cultivate well."

Xu Shaofeng gazed at Lin Qing and spoke softly, "As long as you can obtain a Rare Divine Role, it will be more useful to our Earth civilization than ten more Primal Beings."

Lin Qing pondered for a moment and asked, "Is a Basic-level Rare Divine Role enough?"

"Yes." Xu Shaofeng nodded slightly and said, "Among the treasure-exploring members, within the Primal-level Divine Role holders, our Earth civilization also has excellent candidates."

Lin Qing hummed and asked no more.

He knew the path of evolution could be divided into Awakened Beings and Primal Beings.

Starry Sky Divine Roles are similarly divided into Basic-level and Primal-level.

As for Regular Divine Roles or Rare Divine Roles, they are distinguished simply by whether there is a quantity limit; Divine Roles with quantity limits are rarer and less common, and are also stronger than those of the same tier.

Only the most outstanding Awakened Beings can obtain Basic Divine Roles.

If one becomes a Primal Being, one must also be among the most outstanding to obtain a Primal-level Divine Role.

It seems there are Primal-level Divine Role holders on Earth?

"Roughly how much longer until the treasure exploration?" Lin Qing asked.

"Once every two years."

Xu Shaofeng said, "The next one is at the end of next year; you still have a year. However, you need not rush; it is best to wait until after obtaining a Rare Divine Role before attempting it, otherwise it will be futile. We can simply wait three years."

"Good." Lin Qing nodded slightly, "I understand."

"Contact me anytime if needed." Xu Shaofeng said, "With the speed of my fighter, rushing from headquarters takes less than half an hour."

After Xu Shaofeng and Tang Wanqiu left, Lin Qing also tested the newly acquired Energy Shield Bracelet and High-Energy Cube.

The Energy Shield could be activated instantly, perfectly covering his entire body.

The High-Energy Cube could store roughly three times his total energy.

In other words, this was an additional six uses of Instant Light.

"Master, the Autonomy Faction is really going all out."

Chen Guang spoke softly, "Even the descendants of Zhi Xing Group's high-ranking officials generally would not receive treatment much better than yours; the Autonomy Faction truly views you as hope."

"Hope..." Lin Qing shook his head slightly, "I can only do my best."

After putting on the Energy Bracelet and storing the High-Energy Cube, a smile appeared at the corner of his lips: "Regardless, with these two treasures, this trip to find Dr. Chu Hui's legacy will be much safer."

"When will Master depart?" Chen Guang asked.

"Tonight." Lin Qing said.

Late at night.

Lin Qing did not use a private fighter; he stepped directly onto the air and ascended to the sky. Once above the clouds, he unfolded the Wings of the Firmament.

According to what Chen Guang said, the research base built by Dr. Chu Hui during his lifetime was located inside a snow mountain in the Tibetan region of the country, where Dr. Chu Hui's legacy was housed.

It was only four thousand kilometers; with the speed of the Wings of the Firmament after reconstruction and completion, it would not take long to fly there.

Half an hour later.

"Is it right here?"

At an altitude of ten thousand meters, the cold wind was biting. Lin Qing looked down at the plateau snow mountains below, the Wings of the Firmament behind him spread out wildly.

He did not worry about being discovered.

From the ground ten thousand meters away, he was not even as big as a sesame seed.

This range of peaks covered in pristine white snow, viewed from above, showed continuous, rolling white ridges winding across the plateau like giant dragons, exuding a sense of solemnity and sanctity.

"According to the direction I marked for you." Chen Guang spoke, immediately forming an arrow pointing the way.

The Wings of the Firmament behind Lin Qing flapped, sending him diving straight toward the direction the arrow pointed, piercing through layers of night wind.

At the same time, he retracted the Wings of the Firmament behind him.

These light wings were too conspicuous; it was better to be cautious once reaching the ground.

Anyway, with his current speed, he could ascend even by stepping on air, it was just slower.

In a short while, Lin Qing found the snow mountain indicated by Chen Guang.

It looked nothing special; apart from traces of wild animals like snow leopards, not a single human figure could be seen.

As he neared the snow-capped peak, Lin Qing activated his Zizai Body, floating gently onto the snow without leaving even a single footprint—truly treading on snow without a trace.

"Where?" Lin Qing glanced left and right, but found nothing.

"Master, just follow the arrow," Chen Guang said. "The base entrance is concealed by a 3D projection."

Lin Qing immediately took a few steps forward, felt a faint shimmer in the light ahead, and stepped into a dim cave interior, where the temperature rose slightly, and ahead stood a metal door.

"It's right here."

Chen Guang drifted out from a streak of light, gazing at the door. "Master, go inside."

"Alright." Lin Qing walked over, studied the door's recognition system, and asked, "What's the access code?"

"I don't know," Chen Guang shook her head. "This base was built to remain hidden—no network connection, total signal shielding. I can't hack it."

"So you want me to force it open?" Lin Qing asked.

"The base's outer shell is made of a blend of first- and second-tier alloys; this door is second-tier alloy."

Chen Guang said, "But the base's outer shell is a signal-blocking layer—breaking through it would be troublesome. Just force open the door, Master."

Lin Qing reached out, and in a pale blue glow, a dark golden longsword materialized.

This was the reassembled and perfected super-material.

Originally, the super-material was only comparable to third-tier alloy; now its strength had increased several-fold, making it sharper and more durable than before.

"Cut straight through?"

Lin Qing stared at the door. "It won't self-destruct like the underground research facility in Lin'an City, will it?"

"No," Chen Guang said. "That facility in Lin'an was deliberately equipped with a low-grade defense system by Father to conceal the existence of the Star-Transmission Tower—to make people think it wasn't important. The self-destruct mechanism was meant to deter powerful intruders."

"But this experimental base was already well-hidden. Even if found, it wouldn't matter—no need to self-destruct." She shook her head.

Lin Qing understood, then drove the tip of his blade into the thick metal door, activated the Zhu Shen Xiang Combat Art, and slowly applied force—the metal door parted like tofu.

Fortunately, he had a weapon made of super-material; otherwise, breaking through by brute strength alone would've been troublesome.

Soon, he had sliced out an oval piece of metal about one meter tall.

"Clang!"

He kicked the metal slab into the base, then bent over and stepped inside—the interior instantly brightened.

"Aren't you going to block the door?" Lin Qing asked.

"No need," Chen Guang shook her head.

"Guide me," Lin Qing nodded and hurried deeper into the base.

Chen Guang drifted beside him like a ghost, warning, "The base's intelligent mechanical guards have arrived."

The next moment, over a dozen women clad in black leather suits and black sunglasses sped toward him at near-sonic velocity.

Before arriving, Chen Guang had explained the base's armed forces—these intelligent mechanical guards were liquid-metal beings, with strength and speed equivalent only to a First-Star Elite Patrol level, posing no threat to him.

"Liquid robots?"

Lin Qing casually swung his blade, slicing the mechanical guards into pieces. He let them rapidly flow and reform, too lazy to smash them apart, and used the moment to swiftly pass through corridors—even when encountering doors, one slash was enough.

Following the arrow's direction, he soon reached a vast, empty warehouse.

All around were various ores and materials; deeper inside stood row upon row of safes.

"The safes are made of reinforced second-tier alloy mixed with a trace of third-tier alloy—Master, you can break them open with full force."

Chen Guang said, "I don't know which safe holds the Original Crystals, but all contain precious metals or materials. If you're interested, take them all."

Lin Qing said nothing, sheathed his longsword, reached out again, and pale blue light solidified into a saw.

He had crafted it specifically for cutting through tough materials.

Activating the Zhu Shen Xiang Combat Art, his arm muscles swelled, and he began rapidly sawing through the safes.

At his speed, he could cut open a safe every half-second on average.

As each safe opened, crystals, rare metals, and precious materials inside were revealed before him.

When Lin Qing cut open the seventh safe—

A familiar yet strange aura spread from within, instantly brightening his eyes.

It was the aura of Original Crystals!

—When Minister Xu had given him the energy shield bracelet, he'd also sent him two hundred grams of pre-cut Original Crystals—he'd seen them before.

"So much?"

After slicing open the safe, long, black crystal bars appeared—dozens of Original Crystals filled the safe to the brim.

"Master, each of these Original Crystals weighs one hundred grams, and there are twenty of them," Chen Guang said.

Four kilograms of Original Crystals!

Lin Qing smiled.

No wonder such a big shot from the urban circle had access to extraterrestrial civilization channels—even this restricted resource could be acquired in such quantity.

The Autonomy Faction could only get seven or eight hundred grams at most.

Of course, that was only because Dr. Chu Hui was already dead—if he were alive, openly trading this much Original Crystal privately would be a grave crime.

"Good."

Lin Qing was in high spirits and immediately packed the Original Crystals, along with the crystals and materials, into separate bags using his backpack.

If he had the lower volume of the Star-Refining Art, these Original Crystals would be enough to prepay for his fifth energy level.

After all, the fifth energy level of the Celestial Orb Sovereign bloodline had only one ability.

"One more."

Of course, Lin Qing didn't forget to slice open the last unopened safe.

"Huh?"

After cutting it open, his eyes instantly lit up.

Inside this safe were fifteen raw crystals, totaling three kilograms.

"Seven kilograms of raw crystals—good."

Lin Qing's smile deepened, and he immediately packed them all away.

After he availed himself of the fifth-tier bloodline ability, the debt he'd owe would be substantial—he'd definitely need a large quantity of raw crystals.

Seven kilograms of raw crystals may seem like a lot, but it would still be far from enough to repay the debt.

But with this restricted resource, every bit counts; otherwise, he had no idea when he'd ever clear the debt.

"Next, the drug lab."

After leaving this storage room, Lin Qing immediately headed for the next drug lab.

Although the drug lab's door was hard to breach, it couldn't stop his blade, and the drugs inside were completely undefended.

Each of these drugs was at least a rare formulation found only in the Urban Circle.

He found three vials of Hyper-Sensory Essence alone, plus various special drugs or gene therapies useful for Primitive Life-tier beings.

"This is Andrew-7—it heals wounds; take several vials and even severed limbs can regrow."

"This is Abyssal Tarn Poison—inject it into a Primitive Life-tier being and though it won't die, it'll become extremely weak."

"This is 'Glimmer'—after injection, reaction speed increases dramatically until the effect fades."

"This one is…"

Lin Qing packed each precious drug into a pre-prepared storage case while listening to Chen Guang's casual explanations beside him.

After a dozen seconds, the drug lab was completely empty.

"Good. Next location."

Next was Dr. Chu Hui's resting chamber, where Lin Qing found special coins resembling dark red crystals.

According to Chen Guang, these coins were called 'Yuan Chen Coins,' forged from a rare material used by the Zhixing people as their base currency; their value was inherently extremely high. Though this sum wasn't large, it was enough to buy several large homes in the Urban Circle.

But in the Urban Circle, the most important things were visas and residence permits; without them, even money couldn't buy anything.

"Head to the Central Control Room."

After stowing the coins, Lin Qing headed straight for the final location.

"The Central Control Room itself is made of second- and third-tier alloy mixed together—breaking through would take too long," Chen Guang said rapidly in his mind: "Just use Instant Light three times in a row, and you'll pass through the laser grid, pressure corridors, and final energy shield with maximum speed."

"Got it."

These defenses were hard to breach, but mechanical systems still needed a moment to react—and for Instant Light, that was the greatest flaw.

"Shhh-shhh-shhh!"

After three consecutive uses of Instant Light, Lin Qing disabled all three defense systems and walked calmly into the Central Control Room.

Had he not been able to use Instant Light three times in a row, he'd originally planned to save Instant Light for the laser grid, force his way through the pressure corridors by sheer strength, and slowly drain the energy shield's reserve power.

Now, it was simple.

Even the energy shield needed a moment to activate and form—if he timed it right, he could slip through with Instant Light.

……

Inside the Central Control Room.

!.

At the center, on a silver circular table, a holographic communicator was fixed, linked to the entire Central Control Room.

This communicator couldn't be moved—otherwise, he wouldn't need to use it on-site.

"Aren't the signals blocked?" Lin Qing said. "Can this even work?"

"This communicator is different," Chen Guang said. "Its signal receiver is outside the base."

Lin Qing understood.

"You'll have to operate it yourself—I can't help you."

Chen Guang added: "Chu Hongjun must have an intelligent lifeform. If I leave any trace, he'll surely suspect you're being aided by an intelligent lifeform—and suspecting you have a Star-Transmission Tower would be perfectly normal."

She paused. "But honestly, I think even if Chu Hongjun knew you had a Star-Transmission Tower, he wouldn't care—he has one himself, and you're a genius of Earth Civilization who hasn't been recruited by the Zhixing Group. He's 99% unlikely to expose you."

Lin Qing shook his head slightly. "Better to be cautious."

He stepped forward immediately, followed Chen Guang's instructions to activate the holographic communicator, and found the only name on the contact list—

【Foster Father】

Then, he sent a communication request.

Lin Qing stood silently before the communicator, waiting, still feeling some pressure.

After all, this was Chu Hongjun—the man ranked alongside the founder of Chaoyang Martial Hall!

Moments later.

A line of text lit up on the screen:

【The other party has accepted your communication request】

Light beams rose above the holographic communicator, and soon the holographic projection sharpened from blur to clarity, forming a young Han Chinese man in a white lab coat, wearing glasses, with black hair and yellow skin.

When Lin Qing saw the young man's appearance in the holographic projection, he couldn't help but freeze slightly.

Because he had seen this man before!

During the end-times of his past life, he had stayed for a time in a large human settlement. He'd heard the settlement thrived because its leader had a clever man surnamed Chu who knew almost everything.

But the man always stayed in his lab, rarely showing himself—until the "Storm" arrived, when Lin Qing finally saw him leave the lab, though he only gave a few brief instructions before returning inside.

—Because he, too, was unafraid of the Storm.

Though his appearance was ordinary, his utterly calm demeanor and hyper-rational decision-making had left a deep impression on him.

He was nearly identical to the young man now projected in the hologram.

Even the holographic projection made him look younger!

"That guy with the surname Chu… is actually Chu Hongjun?" Lin Qing immediately realized.

Though nearly a century had passed, and he looked even younger than before, there was nothing surprising about it.

After gene recombination, one could gradually regain youth if willing; reversing aging was not difficult, as long as one was not dead, one could remain youthful and vital.

When the evolutionary radiation appeared globally in 2045, Chu Hongjun was only in his forties or fifties.

The Zhi Star Group arrived on Earth in 2047.

It was perfectly normal for him to still be alive today.

"The Chu guy? Chu Hongjun?" Lin Qing's emotions were strange, tinged with nostalgia.

After more than ninety years, he had actually met someone he'd seen before?

Though back then he hadn't exchanged a single word with Chu Hongjun, and didn't even know his name, they had still crossed paths.

"Lin Qing?"

Chu Hongjun in the holographic projection regarded Lin Qing calmly. "A seed of the Autonomy Faction—already this strong? Impressive."

Does he know me? Lin Qing raised an eyebrow slightly.

Still, he wasn't surprised—even the junior scion from the urban circle's family could instantly retrieve his data via the bio-crystal in his body.

It was perfectly normal for Chu Hongjun to instantly pull up his information.

His ability to force his way into the experimental base and reach this central control room alone was proof enough of his strength.

"Good day, Director Chu," Lin Qing replied respectfully.

The Dawn Group's predecessor was the Dawn Academy, and Chu Hongjun had been its director.

Though they had met once in his past life, he could never reveal he had been reborn.

Chu Hongjun looked at Lin Qing and suddenly murmured, "Chu Hui has rather good fortune."

Lin Qing didn't understand why this elder suddenly said that—Chu Hui's fortune was good?

"Write it down now."

Chu Hongjun suddenly tapped a finger—the holographic projection instantly displayed page after page of data, clearly labeled: "The Lower Section of Star Refining Art · Revised!"

Lin Qing froze, unable to help asking: "Director Chu, what is this…?"

"What?"

Chu Hongjun gazed at him quietly, adjusting his glasses with a fingertip. "Didn't you come here seeking the Lower Section of Star Refining Art?"

"How did you know?" Lin Qing couldn't help asking.

To find a plausible reason to obtain the Lower Section of Star Refining Art from Chu Hongjun, he and Chen Guang had previously planned multiple strategies.

But he hadn't expected… Chu Hongjun had produced it before he even opened his mouth?

Chu Hongjun said calmly: "You developed your fourth-tier ability after entering the underground research facility in Lin'an City. The energy stabilizer also appeared after that. Chu Hui is my adopted son."

Lin Qing took a deep breath and understood his meaning.

It seemed Chu Hongjun had deduced this on the spot from existing information.

He said nothing more and immediately began memorizing the "Lower Section of Star Refining Art · Revised" provided by Chu Hongjun.

After memorizing it, Lin Qing exhaled in relief, then asked curiously: "Director Chu, if Dr. Chu Hui has the revised Upper Section of Star Refining Art, and you've revised the Lower Section, why haven't you shared it with Earth's civilization?"

The Upper Section of Star Refining Art allows Earth humans to optimize their genes using fourth-tier energy, greatly increasing the probability of gene recombination.

The Lower Section of Star Refining Art could even unlock fifth-tier abilities, increasing Earth humans' chances of acquiring rare divine offices!

Such a development would greatly benefit civilization—why did Dr. Chu Hui and Director Chu Hongjun both keep it hidden?

"Share it with Earth's civilization?"

Chu Hongjun glanced at him. "After the Yuan Chen Civilization entered the interstellar age, the Zhi Star people developed Star Refining Art in just over a thousand years. But it took them thirty thousand years, after conquering hundreds of life-bearing planets, to begin selectively teaching it within their circle of geniuses. Even now, the Zhi Star people strictly control its distribution. Do you know why?"

Lin Qing asked, puzzled: "Why?"

Chu Hongjun's expression remained blank. "Rare divine offices have a fixed limit. The number of rare divine offices across the galaxy, star regions, even the entire universe, is finite."

"The entire universe has a limit?"

Lin Qing fell silent for a moment, then understood: "Director Chu means… geniuses who unlock fifth-tier abilities have a higher chance of acquiring rare divine offices, and that would occupy the slots of other civilizations?"

"You understand," Chu Hongjun said. "Even though the Yuan Chen Civilization controls hundreds of life-bearing planets, Earth is like a bug to it. But to powerful civilizations in the Milky Way, isn't the Yuan Chen Civilization itself just a bug?"

Lin Qing understood his meaning.

Earth's civilization was still far too weak—it could barely defend itself, let alone compete with other civilizations for rare divine offices.

If Earth continuously produced geniuses who unlocked fifth-tier abilities through Star Refining Art and kept acquiring rare divine offices, it would only invite disaster!

Like a child wielding nuclear weapons.

"Remember."

Chu Hongjun looked at him. "One person alone is acceptable—you have the qualifications. Don't waste this opportunity. Strive to obtain the strongest divine office possible—the rarer, the better."

Lin Qing nodded slightly. "I understand."

"If you can achieve primal transformation, the Stellar Patrol Council might make an exception and recruit you directly."

Chu Hongjun's tone remained flat. "Don't waste your time with the Autonomy Faction. Otherwise, you'll only squander your talent and opportunity. Your growth is the best choice for Earth's civilization."

Lin Qing's heart stirred, and he said: "Thank you for the warning, Director Chu."

"You may leave. Proceed with caution."

Chu Hongjun gave him one final look, and the holographic projection vanished.

Lin Qing stood still for a moment, then turned and left the central control room.

"Master, Chu Hongjun seems…" Chen Guang's voice sounded.

"I know," Lin Qing said slowly. "Director Chu definitely knows I have the Transmission Star Tower."

"His level is too high—he understands far more than you do," Chen Guang said. "Father was captured and executed precisely because he ignored Chu Hongjun's advice and insisted on his own path."

"I have a sense of proportion." Lin Qing nodded slightly.

……

Not long after, Lin Qing returned the way he came, arriving at the entrance of the experimental base.

Just as he was about to step through the gate—

【Current Order Level decreased by 4.9 levels】

As the blood-red, glaring prompt appeared, Lin Qing's pupils instantly contracted.

Decreased by 4.9 levels?

Even Uliao only caused a 3.9-level drop—now it dropped 4.9 levels all at once?

Each level difference means danger increases by dozens of times!

Even a Patrol Envoy's strength probably wouldn't be this dangerous…

Could there be a Patrol Envoy-level enemy lying in wait outside?

Though his own strength is formidable, he is certainly no match for a Patrol Envoy blessed with a divine office.

"If that's the case…"

Lin Qing stepped back several paces, re-entering the interior of the experimental base, and murmured, "Chen Guang, someone is lying in wait for me outside—clearly someone discovered I broke into this base. Can you deduce who it is?"

"This experimental base completely blocks signals."

Chen Guang analyzed: "If any signal leakage is possible, it can only be from that holographic communicator—its transmitter is wired to the base's exterior. If someone tampered with the communicator beforehand, they would detect it the moment you use it."

Lin Qing fell silent for a moment, then said, "Chu Hongjun must have known. His sudden warning to be careful—was that a hint?"

He would never suspect Chu Hongjun.

If a figure of that stature wanted to harm him, there would be no need to send someone to ambush him.

More importantly, during his conversation with Chu Hongjun, the Order Level showed no change—this proves Chu Hongjun had no hostile intent.

"I've thought of a possibility."

Chen Guang suddenly said, "The intelligent life form left behind by my father is the only one who could have tampered with the communicator in advance and monitored it continuously."

"Intelligent life form?" Lin Qing frowned slightly.

"Yes. Father named it Boss."

Chen Guang said, "The Original Research Institute is still operational—someone must be managing it. Perhaps it's my father's intelligent life form, or someone collaborating with it."

She paused, "Your breach of this base would lead them to assume you're the top-tier among the Three-Star Elite Patrols. If they sent an ambush based on that assumption, it's almost certainly a Patrol Envoy-level operative—meaning one of the top ten figures in the Original Research Institute."

Top ten?

Lin Qing nodded slightly.

He could be certain: the enemy likely possessed Patrol Envoy-level strength.

In the Original Research Institute of the Light Society, those ranked before No. 1000 are stronger than many One-Star Elite Patrols.

Those ranked in the top ten rival Patrol Envoys—just like the Professor Suoge I once encountered.

In overall strength, the Original Research Institute approaches the Patrol Headquarters!

"Forget it. Retreat immediately."

Lin Qing immediately turned back into the base, raced to its far end, and pulled out a dark-gold cone roughly one point five meters long and sixty centimeters in diameter. Circular threads were visible along its surface, and inside was a rotating slot with a handle.

—This was his specially crafted drill for tunneling underground.

Lin Qing effortlessly pierced the base's wall with the drill, unconcerned that the shielding layer had been breached—he had already taken everything he needed.

Then, sensing the celestial track coordinate he had left outside, he constructed an invisible celestial track and drove straight through the outer shell of the base, into the mountain's interior. The drill spun at high speed, carving through rock along the celestial track's pull, racing swiftly outward.

"Chiiiiii—"

With this tunneling tool, breaking through rock was effortless.

In mere seconds, Lin Qing burst through layers of rock and soil, emerging into a mountain range blanketed in snow and ice.

"Shunguang! Return coordinate!"

After stowing the tunneling cone, Lin Qing unhesitatingly activated Shunguang.

In an instant, a cyan-blue flash appeared—and he vanished.

Just one second later.

"Huuu!"

A blazing black flame suddenly tore through the night, appearing at terrifying speed upon the snowy ground. Snow within a hundred meters instantly vaporized, yet beyond that, nothing was affected.

The flame faded, revealing a boy of about sixteen or seventeen.

The black flame radiated an utterly terrifying aura, then slowly receded and vanished.

The boy pulled out a communicator and spoke in a hoarse voice: "Boss, the intruder has disappeared."

"Who told you to use Black Flame?" came a deep voice from the communicator. "Do you want to die sooner?"

"I'm not going to live long anyway."

The boy said flatly, "I just wanted to catch him fast. I didn't expect him to vanish."

"I already have several suspects."

The deep voice in the communicator said, "Return now. Without my permission, you are forbidden to use Black Flame again. This power beyond the Sixth Energy Level will only burn you to ash."

Two-in-one

(End of Chapter)