Chapter 45: The Secret of the Purple Spiritual Consciousness

At the same time, on the top floor of the City Financial Center building, the energy shield outside the boardroom flickered a few times and then disappeared entirely.

"Got it!" Zhang Jun and Lin Xue exchanged a glance, each seeing the excitement in the other's eyes.

Before they could enjoy it for long, the building's security system suddenly collapsed.

Alarms rang through the entire building, the lights went out, and darkness fell.

"What's happening?" Lin Xue exclaimed.

At that moment, a distorted video message appeared simultaneously on every electronic device that still functioned.

In the video, a person clad in a purple robe smiled directly at the camera.

The smile carried a hint of wickedness that sent a chill down the spine: "Surprised?"

"Jun'er, what's wrong?" Lin Yuehua keenly sensed her son's odd expression, her tone tinged with a barely noticeable tension.

Zhang Jun opened his mouth, but his throat felt blocked, unable to produce a sound. He couldn't believe it, yet had to accept that on his mother's body he saw a purple mark representing the Outerworld Spiritual Consciousness.

"What the heck is this thing trying to do?" Zhang Jun blurted, then slammed the purple crystal in his hand onto the floor.

The crystal emitted a faint "hum" the instant it touched the ground, as if answering his anger.

"It's not Kunlun Mountain," Zhang Jun whispered, his voice low as if afraid to disturb something.

Lin Xue also crouched, her fingers lightly tracing the illuminated lines on the floor: "It's the city underground."

They had originally thought the first rune point lay deep within the Kunlun Mountain Range, but now the map pointed elsewhere.

"The Purple Robe Man went to such lengths to lead us here; what exactly does he want?" Lin Xue's voice trembled slightly.

Zhang Jun felt his mind in chaos, and couldn't help to tug his hair: "What the hell is this?"

Meanwhile, Zhang Tiangang, leading a special forces squad, had already arrived at the foot of the Financial Center building.

He looked up at the towering structure, feeling as if a massive stone pressed on his chest.

"Captain, the building's power system is completely down, and the backup generators won't start."

"All entrances and exits are locked; we can't get in," the squad members' voices came through the intercom, anxious and helpless.

Zhang Tiangang slammed his fist into the wall, as if wanting to tear the building down: "Purple Robe Man, what exactly are you trying to do?!"

Zhang Jun and Lin Xue were still probing when the floor beneath them lit up, and the whole room instantly shone like daylight.

Amid the light, the lines on the map shifted, eventually converging into an arrow pointing directly at the city's oldest museum.

"Museum?" Lin Xue said, surprised.

Zhang Jun grabbed Lin Xue and turned to run: "Let's go!"

In the museum late at night, it was empty, the silence making the hair stand on one's skin.

Following the map's directions, they found a hidden entrance deep beneath the museum.

Here, they discovered secret research documents spanning several generations of the Lin family on the Outerworld Spiritual Consciousness.

Yellowed papers, ancient scrolls, various bizarre instruments… each exuded a mysterious aura.

In the center of the secret chamber stood a massive wall, covered with densely packed ancient characters.

"These characters..." Lin Yuehua's voice trembled as she stepped forward, carefully deciphering them, shock in her eyes, "I can understand some..."

As Lin Yuehua read, the Purple Robe Man's identity became clearer—he was a follower of the ancient Heavenly Beings, but betrayed them out of jealousy of their power and made a pact with the Outerworld Spiritual Consciousness.

He gained immortality, the price being to find suitable hosts for the Outerworld Spiritual Consciousness.

"So that's how it is..." Zhang Jun muttered to himself.

His gaze was drawn to a locked chest in the corner of the secret chamber.

Zhang Jun tried to open the chest, but found it tightly sealed; he focused his mind and infused Yin-Yang energy into the lock.

"Click" a light sound, and the chest opened.

Inside lay a yellowed copy of a contract, its pages densely filled with writing.

Zhang Jun picked up the contract and read it line by line, his complexion growing increasingly grim.

The contract revealed an earth-shattering secret—the true controller behind the Lin Group was the city's most powerful business magnate, Xiao Lin!

And Xiao Lin had long been controlled by the Outerworld Spiritual Consciousness!

"Xiao Lin..." Lin Yuehua recalled the unusual collaborations between the Lin Group and the Xiao Enterprises, as well as Xiao Lin's incomprehensible business decisions, her face turning ashen.

She then realized that over the past decade, Xiao Lin had silently taken control of the city's major core resources.

"We must locate Xiao Lin quickly!" Zhang Tiangang, through special channels, obtained Xiao Lin's recent itinerary.

He discovered that Xiao Lin was organizing a global summit of top billionaires called the "New World Summit," inviting political and business magnates from around the world.

"That summit is probably the Outerworld Spiritual Consciousness's next move!" Zhang Tiangang's voice was filled with anxiety.

At that moment, the chamber's walls began to shake violently, producing a "crack crack" sound.

"Bad!" Zhang Tiangang's complexion changed, "This place is about to collapse!"

The words barely left his mouth when the wall crashed down, revealing a small metal container sealed with ancient runes.

Inside, a crystal-clear purple crystal lay still, emitting a heart‑pounding energy ripple.

"What is this..." Zhang Jun's gaze was fixed on the purple crystal; he felt that within it lay a power both familiar and alien.

Compelled by an unseen force, he reached out and touched the crystal.

"Boom—" a surge of powerful energy rushed into Zhang Jun's body in an instant.

His eyes flashed with a violet light.

He could now see the energy fluctuations emanating from others, and clearly discern whether each person bore any trace of spiritual consciousness.

It was the power crystal the Purple Robe Man had stolen from the Heavenly Beings!

He looked excitedly at Lin Xue, Lin Yuehua, and Zhang Tiangang.

Both Lin Xue and Zhang Tiangang radiated pure energy fluctuations, with no issues.

But when he looked at Lin Yuehua, his heart sank sharply—within Lin Yuehua's body was a faint yet undeniable trace of purple spiritual consciousness!

"Jun'er, why are you staring at me? Is there something on my face?"

"Zhang Jun, are you okay?" Lin Xue's voice sounded beside his ear, anxious yet trying to keep it low, as if afraid of disturbing something.

Zhang Jun stayed silent, staring intently at the familiar yet unfamiliar figure on the stage—Wang Jun, his master.

"New World Summit," the name is truly ironic.