Beiling City.
Inside a residence, Reinhard placed three sticks of incense before his father's memorial tablet, then glanced at his mother standing in the room.
"I'm leaving now, Mother."
"...Be careful out there."
"Understood."
Yang Lin turned and left the house. Since his father passed away, his mother's physical health had declined, and her spirit had become weary.
She had suffered a severe illness many years prior, and now required daily medication.
Yang Lin tried his utmost to avoid causing his mother distress, but this particular matter was non-negotiable.
His mother strongly opposed him becoming a police officer, yet Yang Lin remained resolute in his chosen path.
Yang Lin had never once disobeyed his mother, with the exception of this singular instance where he refused to yield.
...
Arriving at the Beiling City Police Station.
Yang Lin changed into his police uniform, then returned to his assigned workstation.
Newly appointed officers are always paired with a senior officer for mentorship. The senior officer imparts vital experience to the rookie. Out of deep respect, the new officer addresses the mentor as "Master."
Yang Lin's designated master was the police officer nearing fifty whom he had met just yesterday.
So, effectively, he now had two mentors.
"Master, could you please help me look up an individual?"
Yang Lin took out a photograph from his chest pocket and placed it on the desk. This was the picture Reinhard had given him the previous night.
"What is his name?"
"Jihen."
"Where is he from?"
"Unknown."
Hearing this, his master turned and scrutinized him closely. "Why are you looking for this person? Did he cause you any trouble?"
"No."
Yang Lin shook his head.
"Do you know him personally?"
"No."
"Then what is the basis for your investigation?"
Hm...
Yang Lin paused, considering his answer. "This person is connected to my father's affairs."
"Related to your father?"
"You're not attempting to re-investigate your father's old case, are you? I advise against it. You won't uncover anything new," his master advised.
"Moreover, without concrete justification, the police station cannot arbitrarily delve into private records. With the current information protection laws, investigating personal data without proper cause is also against regulations."
Yang Lin acknowledged this and picked up the photo. A middle-aged police officer walked by and happened to glance at the picture.
"Hm?"
"Are you looking for this man?"
"Sir, have you encountered him before?"
"This person was brought in handcuffed by me three years ago. He was just released yesterday," the middle-aged officer stated.
"What was his offense?"
"Uh... wait a moment. I'll go check the confession report. If I recall correctly, this fellow was a grave robber."
The middle-aged man said, turning towards the archives room. After a noticeable delay, he returned holding a file.
"Take a look for yourself."
"But I have to ask, why exactly are you looking for him?"
Yang Lin's master cleared his throat twice. "Cough, cough. This person is tangentially related to a case we are currently overseeing."
"He committed a crime just yesterday after being released?"
"Not yet; it's just somewhat connected to his activities."
The middle-aged officer did not press for further details. Yang Lin thanked his master and returned to his seat with the file.
By reviewing the filed confession, Yang Lin learned Jihen's specific background details.
Jihen, male, age 28.
He had just turned 25 when he was arrested three years prior for tomb raiding. The grave wasn't grand; likely belonging to some minor ancient official.
There was nothing of monetary value discovered in the tomb.
But what proved interesting was that after breaking in, Jihen entered, surveyed the scene, and took absolutely nothing.
Yet, the fact that he took nothing was still technically illegal, resulting in his three-year imprisonment.
After confirming his residential information, Yang Lin began tracking this individual.
...
Two days later.
Yang Lin arrived at a remote rural area. Jihen had returned to his old family home in the countryside after his release from custody.
After discreet inquiries confirmed his residence, Yang Lin located Jihen's house.
The yard was entirely overgrown with weeds, giving the impression that it had been unoccupied for a long time.
Yang Lin stepped forward and knocked firmly on the door. Not long after, a thin man cautiously opened the door. He looked at Yang Lin, then immediately slammed the door shut.
"Comrade, I was just released three days ago, and you're already tracking me down again. I swear, this time I really haven't done anything."
Hearing the voice from behind the wood, Yang Lin felt a touch of confusion.
Yang Lin was in plain clothes, without his police uniform or badge displayed. How did the man instantly deduce that Yang Lin was law enforcement?
"I simply have a few questions for you. Would it be convenient for me to step inside?"
"No, it absolutely is not."
"Alright then, in that case, kindly show me some identification."
The wooden door slowly creaked open. Just as Jihen's hand appeared, Yang Lin swiftly seized the door, pulled it wide open, and rushed inside!
Yang Lin stepped in and surveyed the interior. Well, well.
"Quite a complete set of tools, huh?"
Yang Lin squatted down, observing a pile of shovels resting on the ground.
These shovels featured narrow heads and long handles, coming in various sizes and specialized types.
"Survival shovels, I see. Just released from confinement and already planning to resume your old profession?"
Jihen caught sight of them and clicked his tongue dismissively. "How dare I? I just got out; these are old relics, comrade."
Yang Lin turned his head. "But these tools look remarkably new."
Jihen's eyes turned cold. "Then perhaps you should dispense with the pleasantries and get straight to the point?"
"Very well, I shall be direct. Do you have any knowledge of Kitsune?" Yang Lin inquired.
Hm?
Jihen's expression instantly shifted to something strange. "You wish to inquire about Kitsune?"
"Correct."
Hearing this, Jihen, without changing his composure, pulled out two chairs. "Please, take a seat."
"First, I'd like to ask you, is this matter of great personal importance to you?"
Yang Lin sat down. "Not particularly important; merely curious."
Jihen nodded. "Very well, that's acceptable. However, I don't recall possessing any inherent obligation to disclose such information to you."
"How about this? Shall we strike a bargain?"
"Rest assured. We engage in nothing unlawful or disorderly. Moreover, this intelligence will directly benefit you. It might even facilitate you in achieving outstanding merit."
"Tell me the specifics of the deal first, then I will consider it," Yang Lin responded.
"Agreed."
"Here is the proposal: I know an individual we all refer to as Old Jin. He is the ringleader of a notorious grave-robbing operation. If you apprehend him, I will provide you with information regarding Kitsune."
"This is also an act of removing harm from the populace—a commendable public service."
Yang Lin shifted slightly upon hearing this. "Arresting someone requires verifiable evidence. Do you possess any such proof?"
"Naturally, I do."
"Then follow me."
...
As twilight descended, Jihen led Yang Lin to a desolate, forested mountain area.
Jihen held a powerful flashlight. This specific model wasn't easily found on the commercial market as it was an older design.
Its distinct characteristic was a sharp circle of illumination projected at its center.
After walking for a while, Jihen crouched down and deliberately sniffed a clump of dirt on the ground.
"The trail should be close by."
Yang Lin observed this and glanced around. "You can actually discern things just by smelling the soil?"
"Which organization do you belong to?"
Jihen chuckled. "What organization? This is a modern society governed by law. This is just a slight inheritance of an old family skill, nothing worth mentioning."
With that, the two began to search the immediate vicinity.
Not long after, Jihen located a concealed opening, and Yang Lin also found another one.
These were standard tunnels used for illicit grave robbing.
"Why are there so many shafts dug around here?"
Jihen stood up. "They serve as ventilation shafts. They open up the entire structure to ensure air circulation, but admittedly, this method can sometimes compromise the integrity of the artifacts inside the tomb."
"A single grave-robbing tunnel isn't conclusive evidence. It could just as easily be that you dug them yourself."
Jihen heard this and walked toward the entrance of the nearest tunnel. "One hole proves nothing in isolation. The real evidence lies within here."
"Comrade, do you possess the audacity to descend into that tomb?"
Hearing this, Yang Lin took out his mobile phone, first snapping a few photographs of the scene, then immediately transmitting them to his master.
"Then you might have to wait a little longer."
...
After roughly a few hours, a contingent of police officers rushed to the scene in a state of agitation.
One officer, upon spotting Jihen, immediately pulled out a pair of handcuffs.
"It's you again, kid!"
Jihen heard this, and several dark lines creased his forehead. "I maintain, comrade, can you please refrain from immediately wanting to interrogate me the moment you see me? This time, I am here to facilitate the capture of a major offender."
Yang Lin reached out and gently restrained that police officer. "It has not yet been proven that he excavated this shaft."
"According to him, the crucial intelligence is located inside."
Hearing this, the expressions of the other police officers grew serious. "Down below, concerning the tomb, we must contact archaeological experts. We..."
"That won't be necessary. Given the reported conduct of those tomb raiders, there is likely nothing of historical value left down there anyway. Archaeological experts would gain nothing from coming here, perhaps just a cursory survey," Jihen stated dismissively.
"Even so, we must contact and report through the proper channels before taking direct action. That is protocol."
Yang Lin gave Jihen a pointed look. Jihen seemed to grasp the implication and promptly leaped directly into the grave-robbing tunnel!
"That's not good, he's trying to escape!"
Yang Lin exclaimed, and also dove into the grave-robbing tunnel!
The police officers exchanged quick glances.
"This..."
"Capturing the suspect takes priority."
With that decision made, the police officers also jumped down.
Descending through the grave-robbing tunnel, they emerged into a vast subterranean space below.
Jihen rolled upon landing and swiftly stood up. "Head straight for the main burial chamber. This tunnel alignment is expertly placed."
Yang Lin landed immediately after, his footing perfectly secure.
Jihen noticed this and seemed to recall something, but remained silent. He simply raised his hand and cast his flashlight beam around the area.
This burial chamber was not just sparsely furnished; it was entirely bare.
Even the tomb bricks had been looted.
"Where is the evidence you mentioned?"
"Don't be impatient."
Jihen, holding his flashlight, began searching the barren interior. The police officers quickly followed, but the tomb passage was quite deep, causing everyone to stumble during the descent.
At that moment, Jihen spotted half of a broken tomb brick.
"Found it."
Yang Lin stepped forward. "And what exactly does this prove?"
Jihen turned around, only to be instantly surrounded by the police officers.
"Everyone, hold on a moment. Look closely. This is a Han Dynasty tomb brick. Its decorative style is rather uncommon."
"That group of grave robbers were typical thieves. Coffins, tomb bricks, door panels—anything with inherent value was taken."
"But incomplete and broken bricks like this were carelessly discarded by them."
Yang Lin nodded slowly. This, presented as evidence, held a degree of plausibility.
A police officer scanned the surroundings. "There truly is nothing substantial left. So thoroughly cleaned out. Could this be the work of the Mountain Mover sect?"
Another officer fixed a stern look on Jihen. "You really didn't dig this tunnel yourself, did you? I strongly advise you to be candid for leniency."
Jihen remained silent. "I'm not foolish enough to excavate my own grave."
"This really doesn't resemble his methodology. I distinctly recall, three years ago when he robbed that tomb, he only dug a single shaft and lit a candle."
"This kid is probably just another tomb raider."
"Officer, please exercise a little more rationality. Stop reading so many novels. I lit the candle solely for illumination," Jihen retorted.
That police officer turned and met his gaze levelly. "If my memory serves, your candle was positioned in the southeast corner?"
"If the candle extinguished, it signaled that the tomb's guardian did not wish you to take anything inside. That's why you returned empty-handed that time. How about it, Officer, is my analysis correct?"
Jihen: "The southeast corner corresponds to the Xun position in the Eight Trigrams, which governs the wind element. If the flame died, it meant the wind vent sealed—no oxygen—so one should retreat. It's that elementary. Please adopt a more scientific approach, Officer. This is the 21st century."
Initially, the Beiling City police department vehemently opposed feudal superstition, until several years prior when they investigated a bizarre Fish-Man homicide case.
...
At the very instant Yang Lin and his entourage descended into the tomb, another Kitsune branch facility experienced significant trouble.
Following a period of aggressive global expansion, Kitsune outposts were now established across numerous countries, both large and small.
And regardless of how numerous their auxiliary units grew, there had been remarkably few instances of Acquisition loss of control over many years. Everything had maintained remarkable stability.
Until recently, a Kitsune branch located in Asia suffered a critical failure resulting in an Acquisition loss of control.
The base's alarms blared fiercely, red lights flashed urgently, and armed response teams rapidly mobilized toward the affected zone.
These armed personnel were equipped with peculiar gear; it resembled external exoskeletons yet also looked like some form of skin-tight metallic lifeform.
But as the forces rushed toward the Acquisition Zone, they were confronted by an individual.
A figure robed entirely in black, holding an object resembling a blade. He was calmly traversing the corridor.
"Halt! Identify yourself!"
The armed unit raised their weapons, but the person before them instantly vanished.
At that moment, a streak of blade light, too fast for the naked eye to register, materialized in the air!
In the blink of an eye, the black-robed figure reappeared behind them and continued his steady advance.
And the entire squad of armed personnel instantly lost their heads—literally.
Not long after, the black-robed figure reached the end of the hallway.
Before him stood a door. Before he could initiate the opening sequence, the door swung inward autonomously, yet no one emerged from within.
The black-robed figure's ears twitched, as if detecting a faint sound.
He flicked his finger, and invisible threads instantly permeated the surrounding corridor!
Until, at a precise moment, a blood-red mark appeared on one of the taut threads!
A vibrating sensation transmitted through the line. The black-robed figure suddenly retracted the thread, and with blinding speed, delivered a direct kick into the empty space!
Thud!!
With a resonant impact, a man materialized directly before him!
The black-robed figure's kick landed precisely on the man's chest!
The man bore a snake-patterned stone embedded on his back, and his body was encased in sophisticated yet robust metallic armor.
But the black-robed figure's kick carried incredible power, directly shattering the chest plate, causing the man to vomit a mouthful of blood.
"Serpent's Hand?"
The man glared at the figure before him and began to raise his arm, but a flash of blade light swept past, instantly severing his limb!
"Aaaah, Lord Byakuya... will avenge me!"
"Long live Kitsune!"
With those final words, the man's metallic armor suddenly pulsed with red light!
The black-robed figure instantly created distance between them, and at that moment, the man's body detonated!
Boom!!
Terrifying energy accompanied by roaring flames erupted outward. The black-robed figure continued widening the gap until the smoke and haze before him completely dispersed.
The black-robed figure strode forward and located the Snake stone amidst a pile of wreckage.
But this was clearly not his primary objective.
The black-robed figure entered the large door before him, moving into the room.
He searched the space briefly, then retrieved a specific document.
"SG-07: Cloudblade Codex "
Securing the document, Reinhard glanced at the Snake stone in his hand.
"Better than nothing, I suppose."
...
Existing within the seam between reality and spirit.
Inside the Crack Space, an empty, lifeless body lingered. It would sometimes pause its movement, sometimes become completely inert.
This was an avatar left behind by Mei in the Crack Space.
It possessed no fundamental consciousness, merely executing pre-programmed instructions, relentlessly pursuing a single directive.
That directive was the distribution of potions.
Initially, everything proceeded normally until, recently, this body began to tremble violently in place with increasing frequency. Its logical operations were experiencing some form of severe chaos.
And the origin of this emerging chaos remained entirely unknown.
Mei's avatar's limbs spasmed as it walked toward a specific shelf.
On this shelf, not a single bottle of potion had been touched. It was marked entirely with bright red crosses.
Among the surrounding group of potion storage cabinets, the others had yielded quite a few supplies.
Only the potions within this particular cabinet remained completely untouched.
Mei's avatar reached out, seized a bottle of potion, and violently threw it aside!
Space fractured, and the potion vanished into the rift.
Immediately following this, Mei's body, as if completely depleted of strength, slumped to the ground.
"No... yes..."
"Can, cannot."
"Forbidden potion, cannot... be dispensed."
"No, can..."
"Can."
Mei's avatar began muttering incoherently for reasons unknown.
After a while, she managed to climb up, her hands involuntarily grasping several bottles of potions, but the vials slipped from her grasp.
But these potions did not fall to the ground.
All the potions vanished upon contact with the surface.
They simply dematerialized.
...
Reason World.
A colossal, intricate web enveloped a spider-like monster. The spider manipulated dense threads using its numerous jointed legs, weaving them together as if knitting an elaborate tapestry.
And on the opposite side of Earth's sky, a massive centipede-like insect was pinned to the ground beneath the claws of a gigantic dragon, its body continuously being subjected to immense pressure!
"The restraints are weakening steadily. We must locate the cocoons immediately."
Otherwise, it would be too late.
The Vermin struggled, managing to extend one joint from beneath the earth. Ye Long observed this and exerted downward force with his dragon claws, decisively crushing that protruding joint.
A contorted human visage surfaced on The Vermin's head. "You cannot halt our advance, 025. The Descensionists present here far outnumber the Conservatives!"
"The True God has been absent for many long years. The fragmented world-space is naturally deteriorating day by day. Haven't you noticed? Some have already begun to claw their way out from within!"
Ye Long looked down upon him coldly with his golden vertical pupils. "That is manageable. I will ensure they return. But before that, I intend to resolve your situation first."
Damn it!
The Dragon's power had intensified once more!
How was this occurring? Why did this individual's strength keep escalating?!
It was clear that The Vermin could originally overpower him, but as time passed, the two gradually reached parity.
And now, The Vermin was facing unilateral defeat!
Ye Long's power seemed to amplify every passing moment, culminating in the present moment—four years later!
His strength had reached the Upper Rank of the 4th Step!
Concurrently, the ambient energy flowing through this world was also gradually becoming more abundant.
This was profoundly strange.
There were now numerous Awakened individuals across Earth, all absorbing energy, yet the energy seemed to grow richer the more it was consumed!
The reason was simple: the dragon served as the very core of the Boundary. Everything within this world was fundamentally tied to him.
The stronger this world became, the stronger Ye Long grew.
And the strength Ye Long accumulated would, in turn, cycle more energy back into the world.
With greater energy reserves, the Awakened cultivated faster.
The stronger the Awakened became, the more potent Ye Long grew.
This established a self-reinforcing, positive feedback loop.
A powerful world necessitated a powerful Ye Long, and a powerful Ye Long ensured a powerful world.
Once this cycle was initiated, the world and Ye Long began an uncontrollable and wild expansion!
This world originally contained no inherent energy. It was the dragon who decomposed universal energy, distributing it back to all living beings within this realm.
He was the energetic nexus of this world.
Even Principal Starry could tangibly sense that this world's energy was expanding and increasing at an astounding rate!
Although it was still far short of his original realm's capacity, based on the current progression, it was estimated that after some additional time, this world would gain the qualification to birth Ancient Gods.
Principal Starry classified Ancient Gods as beings of the 5th Step. In other words, after a period, this world would possess the inherent capacity to generate 5th Step entities.
Currently, atop an abandoned skyscraper, Principal Starry and Zero sat cross-legged, engaged in a game of chess.
Zero had also autonomously cultivated to the 4th Step. And upon reaching the 4th Step, his physical form underwent its own dramatic transformation.
He resembled the otherworldly Demon King Bael from that past time; his eyes had elongated into horizontal slits, like those of a goat.
His legs had mutated into cloven ox hooves, clearly signifying an evolution into a high-ranking demon.
Moreover, without any concealment, he could now actively suppress the demonic characteristics on his body, effortlessly reverting to a human appearance.
This was an innate trait among high-ranking demons: the ability to alter one's appearance at will.
Zero had been residing here for some time.
To be frank, this progression was slightly faster than he had initially projected.
Because with the integrated cultivation methods, the rate of advancement quickened, and the world's energy became richer. All these factors accelerated his promotion to the 4th Step.
And the first being Zero encountered was Principal Starry.
Zero recognized him instantly, as he had previously observed Principal Starry via the View of Otherworldly.
After exchanging initial words with Principal Starry in the otherworldly tongue, Zero quickly grasped the context of his situation.
He remained uncertain why he had been deposited into this world. Upon his arrival, he was immediately challenged by a contingent of local monstrous entities.
What proved vexing was that these indigenous monsters had not cultivated their abilities at all.
These monsters, relying solely on their formidable physical resilience and various innate characteristic abilities, immediately overwhelmed Principal Starry's magic.
Zero recognized this threat, and immediately afterward, the local monsters turned their attention toward him.
But upon viewing Zero, those monsters abruptly turned and retreated.
Absolute Terror, coupled with the capacity to shamefully drag foes into other dimensions, made him an unchallengeable opponent.
Following that engagement, Principal Starry and Zero waited together.
Zero instructed him in the language of this world and conveniently provided him with some popular science insights. However, Zero wasn't entirely without receiving recompense.
Zero had also inquired about magic from Principal Starry. Principal Starry represented an unparalleled treasure left behind by that preceding world.
The arcane knowledge contained within his mind was too valuable for certain locals not to benefit from.
"I win again."
Zero placed his knight piece onto a corner of the chessboard.
Principal Starry cleared his throat twice upon seeing the move. "This is too simple. How about you instruct me on how to play your Go game?"
"When you manage to win a match against me, I will teach you."
Zero heard this and gazed into the distance, yet couldn't help murmuring to himself.
You can't even play standard chess proficiently, and you dare demand instruction in Go?
But at that precise moment, the space before the two suddenly tore open, manifesting two distinct rifts!
Zero saw this and instantly increased the distance between them, but two bottles of potions rolled out of the fissures.
Huh?