'Evolve Big Black!!'
Shu Feng issued the command with a thought.
Big Black walked into the Warrior Synthesis Nest. Countless streams of mucus spewed out and enveloped it, forming a mysterious black egg that pulsed with a dim, wavering light, like a beating heart.
The Guardian Flame headquarters building on Beiling Street.
Gao Wen reported, "Captain, that's the situation."
Zhou Yang frowned slightly. "The Qidemon Cult? It seems we'll have to call on Celestial Sword to handle this."
Celestial Sword was Guardian Flame's most elite Spiritualist combat unit. Each of its members possessed astonishing combat prowess and was an expert at the Great Spirit Master Level or higher.
Zhou Yang's squad was a Spiritualist unit responsible for peacekeeping operations, while Celestial Sword was the main force for dealing with top-level evil cults like the Qidemon Cult.
A strange glint flashed in Gao Wen's eyes. "Captain, this branch of the Qidemon Cult hasn't had time to establish itself. Why don't we let our squad handle it? We can find them and wipe them out."
An evil extraordinary organization like the Qidemon Cult was a mortal enemy of Guardian Flame, and eliminating its members would earn a huge amount of Contribution Points.
Zhou Yang shook his head and flatly refused. "Absolutely not! Even with a Secret Treasure from headquarters, we could barely handle a single Great Spirit Master Level entity. The Qidemon Cult is crawling with powerful experts. It's best to let Celestial Sword handle them to ensure nothing goes wrong. Our primary mission is to gather intelligence."
Gao Wen considered it for a moment, then nodded slightly.
Gao Wen said, "Captain, if there's nothing else, I'll head back."
Zhou Yang said, "Go on."
Gao Wen then left the office.
Zhou Yang thought quietly to himself, 'Lei Jiang City is poor in resources. Why would it attract the Qidemon Cult?'
「A few hours later, inside the mysterious Base Space.」
CRACK!
A crisp cracking sound echoed from the Warrior Synthesis Nest as the black egg enveloping Big Black shattered.
Amidst the countless streams of mucus, black mist roiled as Big Black emerged from the egg. Its size hadn't increased, but its body was now packed with muscle and wreathed in faint wisps of black gas. A small, one-centimeter-long black horn grew from between its brows, its eyes were crimson, and its claws were like incredibly sharp iron hooks. Its entire being radiated a terrifying aura.
"Black Dog Illusion Demon (Big Black). Power: 18, Agility: 20, Defense: 17, Spirit: 14, Constitution: 16. Must consume 80 kilograms of flesh and blood daily to maintain peak combat effectiveness. Special Abilities: Invisible Void Demon, Extraordinary Smell, Extraordinary Perception. Combat Assessment: Ninth-level Spirit Warrior Apprentice."
Shu Feng's eyes flashed with excited anticipation. 'It's gotten stronger again, Big Black! If it keeps evolving, I'll soon have a Void Demon at the Spirit Warrior Level.'
Experts at the Spirit Warrior Level could become official members of the Guardian Flame. The monthly salary for a Level 1 Spirit Warrior was 200,000, plus 20 Contribution Points.
Once Shu Feng advanced to the rank of Spirit Warrior, he would enjoy a monthly salary of 200,000 and receive 20 Contribution Points per month.
A few days later, Shu Feng's mission assessment came in. He had earned 20 Contribution Points and a bonus of 100,000. Without a second thought, he immediately bought and consumed 20 Basic Spirit Cultivation Pills.
Consuming the Basic Spirit Cultivation Pills this time brought Shu Feng a pleasant surprise. The very first pill he took increased his Spiritual Power cap by 1 point, with the effects only gradually diminishing with each subsequent one. Clearly, after his two evolutions, his Cultivation Talent had become much stronger.
Zhong Jietong didn't return to school until three days later. She had been adopted by her paternal uncle, and her face was shrouded in gloom. Her memories had been altered to make her believe her parents died in a car accident. It would be difficult for her to emerge from her grief anytime soon.
「Ten days later.」
In the morning, after the reading session, Zou Qiang, the class president of Class 53 at Lei Jiang Third Middle School, walked up to the podium.
Zou Qiang announced loudly, "Alright, time to pay up! Everyone, please hand in your money. We need to charter the bus and buy supplies this afternoon."
Lei Jiang Third Middle School had a tradition of holding a spring outing one month before the high school entrance exams. It was a chance for everyone to relax and have one last group activity together before graduation, leaving them with a fond memory.
All the students in the class walked over with a hundred-yuan bill and placed it in a box.
Shu Feng went up as well.
Xu Gang, Wang Mo, and Zhou Changfeng exchanged a look, a cold, sinister smile playing on their lips.
After P.E. class ended that afternoon, everyone returned to the classroom.
"The money! The money's gone! The money I put in my drawer is missing! Who was it? Who took the money?"
Zou Qiang reached into his drawer, and his face instantly turned deathly pale as he shouted.
There were forty students in Class 53 of Lei Jiang Third Middle School, so the money for the spring outing amounted to four thousand yuan—a huge sum for an ordinary student.
Wang Mo immediately jumped up, pointed at Shu Feng, and yelled, "Who stole everyone's money?! Shu Feng, was it you? Your family is the poorest in our class! It must have been you! You must have stolen the money to help out at home!"
Dozens of suspicious gazes immediately fell on Shu Feng. It was true that among the students of Class 53, Shu Feng's family was in the worst financial situation.
Linga slammed his hand on his desk, pointed at Wang Mo, and roared, "Wang Mo, are you even speaking like a human being? Does being poor automatically make someone a thief? Compared to Zhong Jietong's family, you're just as poor! I think you're the one who stole the money to go and squander it! You're so shifty-eyed, you look like a real lowlife!"
"Linga, don't argue with a psycho like him. It just drags you down to his level."
Shu Feng said calmly to Zou Qiang, "Zou Qiang, the theft of four thousand yuan meets the threshold for filing a criminal case. Call the police. Let them come and get to the bottom of this."
Zou Qiang's expression changed, and he said with some hesitation, "A criminal case! Isn't that... going a bit too far?"
Wang Mo shouted, "Shu Feng, I think you're the real thief crying 'thief'! Do you dare let everyone search your desk? Of course, you can search my desk right after! Let's see who the real thief is!"
Zhou Changfeng suddenly rushed over from the side, shoved his hands into Shu Feng's desk drawer, and pulled. A money bag and several books tumbled out.
"It's here! The money is right here! It was Shu Feng! He's the one who stole everyone's money! He's a thief! He stole everyone's money!"
Zhou Changfeng snatched the money bag, held it high, and pointed at Shu Feng as he yelled.
A cold glint flashed in Xu Gang's eyes as he smirked. 'Shu Feng, now you're a thief! How dare you hit me? I'll ruin your future for this!'
Ever since Shu Feng had beaten him up, Xu Gang had been harboring a bitter grudge. He knew he couldn't win against Shu Feng in a fight, so he had been waiting for an opportunity to frame him.