The atmosphere aboard the spaceship remained silent for a while. Leander, captivated by the intoxicating scent lingering on Han Ling's body, found himself gulping unconsciously. He lifted his gaze, watching Han Ling, who had been lost in thought the entire time.
Han Ling looked at Leander blankly. He didn't know what Leander intended to do—only that the scent was becoming more and more tempting, almost like a drug that compelled him to keep inhaling. Leander suddenly pulled Han Ling into his embrace.
His hands roamed restlessly over Han Ling's body, eventually brushing against the sensitive tip of Han Ling's ear. Han Ling trembled at the touch, his voice slipping out in an uncontrollable soft moan: "Mm…"
That sound sent a thrill through Leander. He stared at Han Ling's flushed face, his lips slightly parted with a delicate pink hue. Leander leaned in, gently licking Han Ling's lower lip with his tongue before giving it a soft bite.
Only when Han Ling let out a muffled moan did Leander feel satisfied enough to move further. Their lips deepened the kiss, tongues intertwining, breath mingling. Han Ling, overwhelmed, braced both hands against Leander's chest as his body weakened.
The sound of their messy kisses echoed through the ship, embarrassing in its intensity.
Although they had known each other for less than a month, the rapid development of their relationship would surely shock anyone. But…
Given that their bond was ordained by the heavens, their instant attraction and fated encounter made it all feel natural. Neither found it strange. Neither had dated before—Han Ling was once the head of a sect, and Leander the current heir of another. They were both direct and unreserved in their affections.
After spending the past few weeks together, they had grown used to each other's rhythm. It was only natural to let things unfold.
Just as they were locked in that heated moment, the ship's system suddenly chimed, announcing their arrival at the destination. Only then did they finally separate.
Han Ling, already weak in Leander's arms, hadn't expected himself to be so sensitive over a single kiss.
While he was silently berating himself, Leander reached over and wiped the moisture from his lips before pecking them once more.
Without hesitation, Han Ling smacked Leander squarely on the back with some force, making Leander groan. "That's enough. We've got serious business to do."
Yet Leander still didn't let go. He whispered, "Let me hold you just a little longer…"
Even a fool could tell what he meant. Han Ling glanced down and immediately noticed a bulge pressing against Leander's pants. He let out a merciless chuckle and wriggled free—though he wasn't exactly unaffected either.
Still! Priorities!
Even though he said that, Han Ling waited until Leander calmed down before they disembarked. They then noticed that the building they arrived at looked quite different from the last time they visited the special division.
"This the right place?" Han Ling asked as he eyed the clean and modern-style apartment complex in front of them. Leander, wrapping an arm around his waist from behind, answered lazily.
"Yeah, this is their real base. The other places were just personal properties."
Leander's hand once again started rubbing against Han Ling's waist.
Annoyed, Han Ling slapped the hand away. This side of Leander was definitely rewriting his previous impression of the man. He hadn't expected him to be so clingy.
The full name of the department was the High-Level Cultivation Crime Response Unit. According to Leander, it hadn't existed in the past—there was only the Celestial Master Guild, which had become increasingly rigid and outdated. After a series of internal incidents, Hang Zhongxuan had left, bringing his partner Cen Wenyu with him, along with the current deputy director, Lan Qihan.
The remaining two members were personally invited by Hang Zhongxuan later. To Han Ling, this was surprising—such independence was rare even in the Immortal Realm. Founding a new sect or unit without the backing of a major sect was practically unthinkable. The political stakes were high. Hang Zhongxuan had either been extremely bold or completely unaware of how this era had changed.
As they reached the door, Leander reached out to press the doorbell—only for the door to swing open on its own.
The two walked in shoulder to shoulder and pressed the elevator button. While waiting, Leander leaned over, attempting to steal another kiss. Han Ling rejected him with a glare.
The elevator arrived. Han Ling walked in without looking back. Even though Leander didn't get the kiss, he felt oddly satisfied—Han Ling was now comfortable enough to be this casual with him. Their relationship had definitely taken a step forward.
Leander pressed the button for the 16th floor and stood quietly beside Han Ling. Han Ling's thoughts, however, were focused entirely on the case—on Ling Zhao.
He felt an ache in his heart. Despite this world's abundant spiritual energy, toxins accumulated in the body over time, making it nearly impossible for most cultivators to survive tribulation and ascend. He wondered if Cen Wenyu had followed the methods he suggested.
"Ding."
The elevator doors opened to reveal a tall, muscular man with a sunny smile waiting for them.
"Hi there! I'm Jiang Mingyao!" the man said enthusiastically.
The sunshine-muscle guy—Jiang Mingyao—led them into the office area of the special division. Inside, two women whom Han Ling had never met before were already seated.
With animated energy, Jiang Mingyao began the introductions.
"This beauty here is our deputy director, Lan Qihan!"
The elegant woman he pointed to was sitting at a desk, glasses perched on her nose, working through documents projected from a holographic screen. At his introduction, she merely nodded in acknowledgment.
"Our deputy director's always busy," Jiang Mingyao said with a laugh. "After all, our director's always out gallivanting with his partner."
Han Ling was speechless. Hang Zhongxuan didn't seem that unreliable to him…
Then Jiang Mingyao gestured to the adorable girl who had just walked over. "And this is the gentlest soul in our division—Gu Xingxi."
Gu Xingxi greeted them softly. "Hello…"
"See? Isn't she just the sweetest?" Jiang Mingyao puffed out his chest with pride, though it was unclear what exactly he was proud of.
Then it was down to business.
"We came to see Hang Zhongxuan," Leander explained, "but since he's not in, maybe you can help us."
"Help with what?" Jiang Mingyao asked as he led them to the round table beside Lan Qihan's desk.
Leander motioned for Han Ling to rest while he explained.
"A few days ago, I sent someone to follow Chen Qiyue's bodyguards. Today we got word that something odd happened."
He leaned forward, voice serious.
"It started with Chen Qiyue going alone to a beauty salon. After that, he met up with three of his female fans and invited them onto his private spacecraft under the pretense of chatting elsewhere."
"We followed. The ship veered off into increasingly remote territory—until it finally landed near an abandoned hunting ground. It used to be lively, but now it's desolate. He parked right beside a rest station."
"He clearly drugged the three girls. They lost consciousness and were dragged inside. He came out a while later."
"Then, someone disguised as Ling Ning exited the rest station. We're certain it wasn't the real Ling Ning—she's pregnant. No way she was involved personally. Han Ling believes the person was a high-level cultivator, likely above the Spirit Dissolution stage."
At that, both Lan Qihan and Gu Xingxi turned to him sharply.
Leander didn't flinch. What Han Ling said was good enough for him—truth or not.
"Are you sure they were Spirit Dissolution or higher?" Jiang Mingyao asked, his face pale. Very few cultivators ever reached that stage. The possibility was hard to believe.
Gu Xingxi also looked deadly serious.
Han Ling answered calmly. "His disguise technique was powerful. Only someone with advanced divine sense could've seen through it."
Though this body had only been cultivating for a month, Han Ling had already ascended to the Soul Refinement stage. He hadn't triggered a lightning tribulation yet, which confirmed his suspicion—one needed a certain spiritual density before tribulation would strike.
But once he succeeded, he could regain his Spirit Dissolution-level powers and use top-tier techniques. His instincts rarely failed him.
"After they left, I used divine sense to peek inside the rest station—careful to avoid the barrier they left behind. The three girls were dead."
"But then something unexpected happened. They emerged from the teleportation array—alive again. But clearly, they weren't normal anymore."
"They were like… living dead."
"That's why we're here," Leander continued. "We need you to investigate if, within the past month, there have been any cases of people dying suddenly—especially those with similar causes of death. We need their records."
"…There have been some," a voice finally responded.
It was Lan Qihan, who had been quietly working the entire time. She stood up, walked over to the round table, and tapped lightly on its surface. A small spherical device rose from the center and projected a transparent screen into the air. Data and images began appearing in real time.
"For over a month now, we've been quietly investigating a series of mysterious deaths," Lan Qihan said. "Roughly every week, a handful of people have dropped dead suddenly. The odd part? Though they were confirmed dead that same day, forensic analysis showed that they'd actually been dead for nearly a week. Very strange."
She tapped the projection again, pulling up a diagram. "There's more. We discovered that all of them share a very specific astrological pattern—what cultivators would call 'heaven-favored fate.' In other words, they were unusually lucky or carried significant karmic merit."
"Can you give an example?" Han Ling asked, his voice steady.
"Sure," Lan Qihan said. "The heiress of a major conglomerate. A top influencer adored by millions. A golden-tongued lawyer undefeated in business deals. Even a genius cultivator who had just broken through to the Soul Refinement stage. They weren't ordinary people. Each of them had exceptional fortune and karmic credit."
Jiang Mingyao chimed in, brows furrowed. "We suspect someone's trying to reverse their fate—stealing other people's luck, karma, and even soul energy to do it."
Han Ling's expression shifted.
He'd heard of such things before in the Immortal Realm—taboo rituals that allowed one to borrow another's fate to strengthen their own cultivation. But such acts were nearly always punished by divine wrath, often in the form of violent heavenly tribulations.
"Then why," he asked slowly, "haven't there been more lightning tribulations recently?"
The room fell silent.
Jiang Mingyao blinked, startled. "Now that you mention it… our department records show only two lightning tribulations since the start of the year. Neither was successful."
Lan Qihan's voice turned grave. "It's something the higher-ups have been paying attention to. The number of tribulations has dropped sharply, and we don't know why."
"You think someone might be tampering with the heavenly laws?" she asked.
"I wouldn't rule it out," Han Ling replied.
Leander turned to look at him, concern evident in his eyes. "If that's true… then it means the culprit isn't just stealing souls and karma. They're actively undermining the foundation of the world's spiritual system."
Han Ling's gaze darkened. "And Ling Zhao's soul might be the final key to this entire plan."
Even if it was just a theory, none of them could dismiss the possibility. Someone might already have access to the laws of heaven.
A heavy silence descended.
Then, Gu Xingxi, who had been quiet this whole time, finally spoke. "We've been analyzing the residual soul energy of recent victims. There's something strange—an irregular resonance frequency. It doesn't match any known patterns from regular soul dispersal."
She uploaded the data to the holographic projector. Three lines appeared on the screen: one in violet-blue, one blood-red, and one faint gold. The wave patterns were bizarre and unnaturally synchronized.
Han Ling narrowed his eyes. "This… This looks like some kind of ritual formation. One designed to absorb and convert souls into energy."
"We think so too," Gu Xingxi nodded.
Jiang Mingyao scratched his head. "Okay but—what about the fake Ling Ning? And the fact she's pregnant? Is that part of the ritual too?"
The entire room froze.
Han Ling's expression shifted instantly.
Yes. Ling Ning's pregnancy was far too suspicious—especially since it happened so soon after she and her ex-lover murdered Ling Zhao. On top of that, she'd recently been seen in close contact with a high-level cultivator. The identity of the child's father remained unclear.
If this was all part of a ritual… then the child might be a medium.
"I need to see her again," Han Ling said firmly.
Leander frowned and immediately reached for his hand. "That's too dangerous. What if that Spirit Dissolution cultivator is still with her?"
"I won't make direct contact," Han Ling replied, shaking his head. "But I need to get close—indirectly."
Lan Qihan raised a brow. "What do you have in mind?"
"I need a doppelgänger puppet," Han Ling said, his voice steady. "Or a high-tier spiritual vessel that can temporarily house my divine sense and mask its presence."
That wasn't a small request.
To their surprise, Gu Xingxi nodded. "I have one. My master left me a Yin-Yang puppet for self-defense. If you can successfully bind your divine sense to it, you might be able to approach unnoticed."
Han Ling's eyes lit up. "That's perfect. Thank you."
Lan Qihan added, "We'll take over the investigation into recent 'living dead' and missing soul cases. If any new teleportation arrays show signs of activity, we'll try to intercept them."
The tension in the room remained thick—but now there was focus, purpose, unity.
Jiang Mingyao finally sighed. "Damn it… This isn't just some celebrity disappearance anymore. This is a freaking prelude to the end of the world."
Leander nodded gravely. "The game board was set a long time ago. We're only just realizing we've been pulled into it."
By the time they left the Special Division, dusk had already fallen. The city's sunset stretched long shadows between skyscrapers and hovering airships, casting the world in a soft orange glow.
Han Ling sat in the passenger seat of Leander's spacecraft, arms wrapped around his knees, quietly gazing out the window.
"What are you thinking about?" Leander asked gently as he piloted the craft.
"…Ling Zhao," Han Ling murmured. "He was so strong… he wouldn't have let himself be sealed away unless… he had no other choice."
Leander fell silent for a moment, then switched the ship into autopilot. He turned to Han Ling and gently covered his hand with his own.
"We'll find him," he said, voice low but unwavering. "No matter how deep they've hidden him, I'll help you bring him back."
"…Poor Ling Zhao," Han Ling whispered, "to be killed without warning, and for what?"
He turned, locking eyes with Leander. Within those eyes was fire—fierce, unshakable trust. It made Han Ling momentarily speechless.
"You're the only one I can truly trust in this world now," Han Ling said quietly.
Leander grinned, teasing tone returning. "Then how about… not sleeping in your room tonight?"
Han Ling's cheeks flushed, and he shot him a glare. "Keep dreaming."
"Hey! I meant we could go over the plan together—you're the one whose thoughts jumped elsewhere~"
"Leander." Han Ling's voice turned icy.
"Alright, alright, serious mode," Leander chuckled, throwing up his hands in surrender. "I'll have someone tail Chen Qiyue again tonight, and we'll plant two spike-cams in his vicinity. As for you, focus on your little divine-projection puppet scheme."
Han Ling nodded. "I'll do a test run with the puppet first—see if I can time it with Ling Ning's next public appearance."
Leander offered a smile, but his eyes betrayed concern. Something about this situation made him uneasy—like the air was too still, too quiet. The kind of silence that always came before a storm.
And he hated the thought of Han Ling being pulled too deep into it.
But even if he couldn't stop him—
As long as he could stand beside him—
That would be enough.