Chapter 484: Consciousness and Soul

Truly, the world is ever‑changing.

Who could have thought that Bai Mu Yun didn't die at the hands of the Church, but instead fell to an ordinary person's gun?

Although more so, he became a pawn in their game.

They say herbivores have an innate sense of danger; perhaps Bai Mu Yun's reckless dash to Tianmian City back then was because he sensed he would die in the Dome's internal strife?

"It's a pity, no."

The murderer who killed him chose to commit suicide, and that person's file shows no anomalies; where exactly Bai Mu Yun fell—whose side—was destined to become a dead‑end topic.

Han Huan regrets Bai Mu Yun's abilities, Fang Zhiyan regrets that Ying Duo missed out on some wave experience, and Xie Jingnian apparently has no dealings with him.

But the person did die within the Field Operations Department's territory, so Fang Zhiyan seized the chance to extract plenty of resources from them, which counted as a big blood return, and even made a profit.

Afterwards, their discussion shifted to Min Tianyou.

Because the network was forcibly breached again, Min Tianyou now appears in Tianmian City, and rumors that he clashed with an Aberrant Species have already spread like wildfire.

Although the Dome and the Church have long been adversaries, to the common folk they are both organizations that slay Aberrant Species and provide protection.

At least in repelling Aberrant Species, the Church and the Dome should form a united front.

"The Church sent people over to negotiate, saying that recent Aberrant Species activity has been unusually frequent and hoping to cooperate with the Dome."

But how sincere this "cooperation" can be is hard to say; if they do send people over, Min Tianyou must stay put for now.

Nevertheless, they could use the opportunity to squeeze the Church for a payment, and the Dome wouldn't lose out.

Only the pitiful weapons department chief Xing Ke has been tasked with urgently developing a method to resist intrusion into the energy channels.

The meeting quickly concluded amid discussion; the Field Operations Department will soon bring the three corpses over. After Ying Duo receives Fang Zhiyan's message and greets Luo Jinyou, he turns to head to Xie Jingnian's office first.

A light‑gray sofa sits by the window, with a person seated on it; the massive floor‑to‑ceiling window is open, allowing a view over the entire Heavenly Dome City.

Xie Jingyan's purple long hair drapes over her shoulders, droplets glistening at the tips; she has changed into a clean white shirt, holding a communicator in her hand as if sending a message.

Ying Duo slowly materializes from the Data Stream into human form; Xie Jingyan's hand releases the communicator, letting it fall onto the sofa.

A pair of swords materializes in his hands, the blades tracing a dark‑purple arc in the light, slashing diagonally from Ying Duo's left shoulder even before his form fully solidifies.

Damn, the Dome Headquarters also has dirty business!

Ying Duo immediately crouches to evade the sword, and Xie Jingyan spins around with a blade, pointing the tip at Ying Duo's throat.

This time, she sees clearly who that phantom shadow is.

Xie Jingyan:......

She suddenly wishes to swap the twin swords for a peach‑wood blade.

As the two remain locked in a strange stalemate, the door is pushed open from outside.

Xie Jingnian stands in the doorway; upon entering, he is silenced by the "lively" scene in his office.

He doesn't dare fling the door wide, merely ajar, and waves to the assistant behind him, signaling them to attend to other matters first.

After confirming everyone outside has left, Xie Jingnian steps in, sits on the chair behind his desk, sees the two still holding the odd stalemate, and gives Xie Jingyan a look.

Xie Jingyan sheaths the twin swords back into her waist.

Xie Jingnian's gaze shifts from Xie Jingyan to Ying Duo, lingering on Ying Duo's face.

He scrutinizes the youth before him; his once normal black hair has turned an eerie glowing green, his eyes now stiff and blank, looking like a manually controlled puppet.

So this is what Fang Zhiyan referred to as "personality complete"?!

Xie Jingnian's eyes move from his face to Xie Jingyan, who, receiving the glance, shakes her head at him.

"He's not an Aberrant Species."

When Xie Jingyan says that, Xie Jingnian visibly lets out a breath of relief, but soon realizes he released it far too early.

"But I'm also not sure whether he even counts as a person."

Xie Jingyan looks at the Ying Duo before her, her brows gradually knitting.

She was specifically asked by Xie Jingnian to stay and assess a person's life condition for him.

According to Xie Jingnian, that individual is an orphaned former subordinate of his, possibly tampered with.

Who could have guessed that this so‑called "orphan" turned out to be the Dome bigwig she previously identified as a puppet master, with a real person pulling the strings behind the scenes.

"Perhaps you should reveal your true form?"

Xie Jingyan questions Ying Duo: if Ying Duo truly belongs to Xie Jingnian, why appear as such a puppet?

Xie Jingnian doesn't know exactly what's going on, but he trusts Xie Jingyan's judgment; at this moment he squints, closely examining the "Yang Yixie" before him.

...... The transformation is just too great.

Even if Xie Jingyan doesn't question, Xie Jingnian finds it hard to link him with the child who once solemnly vowed before him to uncover his parents' death truth.

"This is my true form."

Yang Yixie's hallmark is a refusal to admit, to reveal his true self? His body couldn't, like a game character, traverse two worlds via a game backpack.

...... Probably not, right?

Yang Yixie suddenly feels uncertain; if before noon he lets the game character use its ability to blur his real self into a prop, maybe it could actually work?

He quickly abandons the risky notion, realizing there's truly no need to dig his own grave.

"...... Xiao Yan, what does he look like in your eyes?"

After a moment of silence, Xie Jingnian proactively asks her.

"It's hard to describe, like a mass wholly made of energy, yet it seems to have a real body; most of his mutations cluster around the top of his head," Xie Jingyan replied.

Xie Jingyan's Aberrant Arts give her an innate sensitivity to life signs and mutations, but at this moment she doesn't know how to convey just how bizarre Ying Duo appears to her.

Her Aberrant Arts give her an innate, especially keen sensitivity to life's breath and Mutation, but now she doesn't know how to convey just how bizarre the Ying Duo appears to her.

Xie Jingyan harbors deep doubts about this.

"It would be best to have a Special Ability Practitioner of the Consciousness Law examine him," Xie Jingyan suggested, "You know, souls are generally within the domain that Consciousness Law practitioners can access; I'm not an expert in that area."

"It's best to find a Special Ability Practitioner of Consciousness Law to check it out," Xie Jingyan suggested, "You know, souls are generally the domain that Special Ability Practitioners of Consciousness Law can access; I'm not an expert in this area."

Consciousness really is a rather ethereal, elusive existence that is hard to guard against.

Its manifestations are not limited to possession, brainwashing, reading memories, etc.; especially issues related to the soul, only Special Ability Practitioners of the Consciousness Law can detect something wrong.