Chapter 397: Double Agent

Lin Xuan and Xiao Yuan looked at each other, both seeing shock in the other's eyes.

The high-ranking official's image continued: "What's more terrifying is that I've discovered some of our own have already been eroded by Void Energy. On the surface, these people look completely normal and can even use Five Elements Energy as usual, but in reality, they have become double agents. I suspect that even within the Five Elements Academy, there are their people..."

The image suddenly became blurry, and the high-ranking official's expression turned terrified: "Someone is coming, I must—" The image cut off there.

The three fell into silence, and Zhou Zhuo was the first to break it: "If this is true, then the threat we are facing is even more serious than we imagined."

Lin Xuan said in a deep voice: "We must verify this news and simultaneously conduct a screening of internal personnel. But we must be very cautious; we cannot alert the enemy."

After leaving the villa, Lin Xuan and Xiao Yuan did not immediately return to headquarters, but instead headed to a 24-hour café. The two chose a corner seat to ensure they would not be easily overheard.

"I had long suspected this possibility," Lin Xuan said in a low voice, "The Void Devourer's strategy is too shrewd, and they know our operations like the back of their hand; this is not normal."

Xiao Yuan was thoughtful: "If even within the Five Elements Academy there are their people, how should we respond?"

Lin Xuan's expression was exceptionally serious: "From now on, we only trust the most core members. I will arrange a special energy test, but we cannot let anyone know the true purpose."

After returning to headquarters, Lin Xuan organized an all-staff energy test under the pretext of "improving Five Elements resonance ability." During the test, he and Xiao Yuan secretly observed everyone's energy flow patterns, looking for possible abnormalities.

To their shock, among the more than twenty core members, three showed subtle disturbances in their energy flow, which were early signs of Void Pollution.

What worried Lin Xuan even more was that these three were all heads of key positions, respectively managing the intelligence network, energy research, and external liaison. If they were truly controlled by the Void, then most of the Five Elements City Guardian Network's operations were likely already exposed.

"We need a plan," Lin Xuan said to Xiao Yuan, "A plan that can confirm their identities without alerting the enemy."

Lin Xuan decided to implement a covert operation: he revealed different versions of "classified information" to these three individuals separately, then observed the flow of this information. If any information leaked to the Void side, the identity of the mole could be confirmed.

Let me write the next chapter of the novel for you based on the provided prologue and chapter outline.

Lin Xuan stood in the empty conference room, tapping his fingertips on the table with a grave expression. Outside the window, Beijing was brightly lit, yet he clearly sensed the dark undercurrents hidden behind this brilliance.

"Confirmed?" Xiao Yuan pushed the door open and entered, her voice kept very low.

Lin Xuan nodded: "That's right, it's Wang Kai, the head of the intelligence network. Of the three pieces of fake intelligence, only his leaked out, and the method was very covert—passed through a seemingly ordinary social media account using a specific combination of images and text. If we hadn't set an ambush beforehand, we would never have been able to track it."

"How do we handle it?" Xiao Yuan's brows were tightly locked.

"We must act immediately, but it must be done in secret," Lin Xuan quickly swiped across his data pad, displaying a plan, "At ten o'clock tonight, Wang Kai will attend a routine security meeting; we will lead him to the special isolation room on the third basement level after the meeting."

That night, everything went according to plan. After the meeting ended, Lin Xuan invited Wang Kai to the underground laboratory under the pretext of "discovering new Void Energy fluctuation characteristics." Inside the elevator, Xiao Yuan quietly released a special Life Essence Energy barrier, cutting off all of Wang Kai's contact with the outside world.

"Teacher Lin, are there any important findings?" Wang Kai's expression was calm, not sensing any abnormality at all.

Lin Xuan smiled gently: "Yes, very important findings."

The moment the elevator door opened, Lin Xuan and Xiao Yuan struck simultaneously; the Wood Element and Life Essence energies intertwined into an invisible net, binding Wang Kai tightly. The calm on Wang Kai's face collapsed instantly, and a flash of black-purple light flickered in his eyes.

"You found out?" he struggled to ask, his voice gradually becoming hoarse.

"Wood Element: Purification Touch." Lin Xuan pressed both hands against Wang Kai's temples, and green energy poured into Wang Kai's body like a trickling stream. Wang Kai struggled in pain, black patterns appearing on the surface of his body, then gradually fading away.

Three hours later, Wang Kai slumped in the chair in the isolation room, his face as pale as paper. Lin Xuan stood before him with a complex expression.

"What... what have I done?" Wang Kai held his head in pain, "That information... that information I leaked..."

"Now is not the time for self-reproach," Lin Xuan said in a deep voice, "Tell us everything you know. How did the Void Energy erode you?"

Wang Kai tried hard to recall: "About three months ago, I started researching some video materials related to the Void to analyze their dissemination patterns. There was one video... especially strange; every time I finished watching it, I would feel a headache, but at the same time, I couldn't help but want to watch it again..."

"Digital dissemination?" Xiao Yuan looked at Lin Xuan in surprise, "Can Void Energy be disseminated through digital media?"

Wang Kai nodded: "Not just videos, but also certain specific images and sounds. They contain a special pattern that can affect brainwaves, making the viewer more susceptible to Void Energy. Gradually, I found myself starting to do things I couldn't control, like leaking intelligence, but I had absolutely no awareness of betraying 【the organization】."

Lin Xuan immediately contacted Xu Feng, who was currently in New York in charge of local protection work: "Xu Feng, return to Beijing immediately; we need your technical expertise. Void Energy has begun to spread through the digital network."

The next day, Xu Feng arrived in Beijing on the fastest flight. As the member of the Five Elements Guardian most proficient in modern technology, he immediately set to work researching the clues provided by Wang Kai.

"The situation is more complex than we imagined," Xu Feng said after analyzing those suspicious files, "This isn't just simple Void Energy dissemination; it's more like a fusion of Void Energy and digital technology. They have formed a hidden 'Void Dark Web' on the internet, spreading through social media, popular apps, and games."

Lin Xuan pondered for a moment: "We need to form a special squad, composed of young Practitioners proficient in modern technology, to track the source of this Void Dark Web."

With Xu Feng's help, Lin Xuan quickly assembled a "Digital Guardian Squad." The members of this team not only possessed Five Elements cultivation but were also proficient in programming, network security, and data analysis. Their mission was to infiltrate the Void Dark Web and find the controller behind it.

At the same time, Xiao Yuan attempted to use Life Essence energy to purify the contaminated digital content, but the effect was limited.