Theft

Hearing Chen Chuan's reply, Assistant Ling showed a look of regret and said, "That is truly a pity. In truth, I think very highly of you, Chief Supervisor Chen. "You don't come from an influential family, nor do you possess any superior background. You rose to this position entirely on your own. We share similar journeys and face the same obstacles. I believed you would understand us. "If you joined us, with your strength, you would undoubtedly help us overcome every impediment and turn everything we hope for into reality." Chen Chuan remained entirely unmoved. He fixed his gaze on Assistant Ling. "In my view, you—and those behind you—are no different from the people you speak of. It is simply because your personal ambitions have been thwarted that you seek to bypass those obstacles. Yet you still use the flesh and blood of others to pave your staircase upward. "You raise slogans claiming to champion every fighter, every individual, but in truth, you do not hold them in any regard at all. You merely treat them as tools. That is why you could throw those students into a colosseum without the slightest burden on your conscience, hanging their severed heads upon this great tree and glorifying it in the name of some grand ideal—comforting yourselves while seizing the moral high ground." It was easy to imagine that as this so-called ideal expanded, even more heads would be strung upon it. It was nothing more than sacrificing the flesh and blood of others to fulfill oneself. How many of those heads hanging above had been willing? Yet in the eyes of Assistant Ling and those behind him, such things likely did not matter in the least; everyone was expendable for the sake of the ultimate goal. For such methods, Chen Chuan felt that sparing them even a second glance was a waste. Assistant Ling smiled. "It seems Supervisor Chen truly does not understand this undertaking. That makes it difficult for us to reach ideological common ground. But no matter. For the sake of our ideal, I don't mind employing radical means. In the future, you will thank me for bringing you into this grand cause." He looked at Chen Chuan. "Though, Supervisor Chen, you likely do not realize it yourself: talented individuals like you may be rare in this world, but they can still be found. Yet you possess something no one else can match. "Do you know..." He gestured behind him. "The field space created by the True Form Tree did not contain everything from the beginning. Its internal details and logical progressions require constant supplement and refinement. The more details we populate it with, and the closer it aligns with real-world development, the more complete its internal changes become—and the closer it draws to reality. "In the past, the True Form Tree had always been there. Others before us had similar ideas; the wisdom of our forebears was by no means inferior to ours. Yet the reason they failed to achieve this was because they were constrained by their era and bound by too many limitations. "Consider this: in the past, let alone manifesting a complete world, even pure fighting techniques could not truly be rendered within it. The number of peers of comparable caliber that a fighter encountered and interacted with in an entire lifetime could not match the total faculty and student body of a single Wuyi Academy. "How could they possibly form what they needed inside the True Form Tree? "Now, however, we do not have to be like them. The progress of the era allows us to achieve what was once impossible." At this point, the branch beneath his feet slowly arched upward, carrying him higher. "We stand upon the crest of the era's wave, so naturally we must seize it all..." His smile grew increasingly inscrutable. "What the True Form Tree can integrate is not limited to human consciousness—it can also incorporate the consciousness of an active conscious entity." Chen Chuan realized something, and his eyes narrowed slightly. Having risen to an even higher vantage point, Assistant Ling smiled and said, "Do you know why we chose Wuyi Academy? Because what we value most is right here." An enigmatic gleam surfaced in his eyes as he spoke slowly, "Wuyi's active conscious entity, Hongfu—she is our true objective. "We don't need to assimilate the entire entity, only her externalized consciousness. Even so, it remains difficult, especially since Hongfu possesses autonomous consciousness. "Fortunately, we waited until you arrived." He looked down at Chen Chuan. "Supervisor Chen, your compatibility with Hongfu is extraordinary—truly remarkable. Back when I sent Hongfu to support you, you brought out her power to perfection. From that moment, I knew you were the ideal candidate. "If you were willing to cooperate actively and draw Hongfu's externalized consciousness here to take residence within the True Form Tree, then all the combat techniques accumulated by Wuyi Academy over decades could be absorbed by the tree. Our current phase would then be complete." He sighed in admiration. "How marvelous that would be! Every consciousness inside would undergo a leap-bound ascension fueled by such nourishment." A flicker of regret appeared on his face, but he quickly reined it in and fixed his gaze upon Chen Chuan. "Although you have refused, it makes no difference. As long as we carve out your brain and place it upon the True Form Tree, we can still lure Hongfu in and merge her into it. "Moreover, with your aptitude and talent, you would surely achieve even greater growth inside. You might even stimulate the True Form Tree to break through to a higher level..." He slowly spread his arms, as if embracing the expanse. With his motion, the surrounding virtual landscape suddenly erupted into churning floods, erupting volcanoes, and collapsing mountains. When all the tumult subsided, between earth and sky, only that immense, towering tree remained standing steadfast. "In the future, it may rival any higher life form in the world, thereby fulfilling our vision." Chen Chuan looked up at Assistant Ling, who seemed intoxicated by his own grandiosity, and remarked calmly, "Setting aside whether you can actually accomplish that, what you are saying now is openly threatening and conspiring to murder an Investigation Supervisor of the Disposal Bureau. You certainly don't lack nerve." "How could this be called murder?" Assistant Ling smiled. "We are merely inviting you to join us. You will not die; you will simply live on in another manner. "As for the rest... "Supervisor Chen, earlier you asked why I considered today the right time. That is because someone invited us to deal with you. "Although we didn't agree right away, if you join us, none of that will be an issue anymore." He extended a finger toward the outside. "Right now, the Disposal Bureau has deployed most of its personnel. They have their hands full dealing with the Linax Federation and the Corporate United Syndicate. They have no spare energy to watch over other matters, which grants me ample time to finish all this. "As for afterward, there is no need to worry either. "Once we obtain what we want, we will depart from here and head to the Confluence, where we will complete the subsequent steps. "Mm, and here is something Supervisor Chen might not have anticipated." He suddenly called out loudly, "Hongfu, open the passage to the Confluence." The next instant, a cold, mechanical voice echoed all around: "Instruction received. Authorization verified. Now opening the temporary passage to the Confluence." In that very moment, a colossal void ripped open directly behind the great tree. Along its perimeter flickered threads of burning light, and on the opposite side, the faint expanse of another land could be discerned. "And one more thing..." Assistant Ling raised a hand and commanded, "Hongfu." A flash of crimson appeared. Hongfu stood on the other side of a thick bough, holding a yanling saber. The red veil obscuring her face and the crimson robes adorning her form fluttered in the gale sweeping across from the Confluence. Chen Chuan turned his gaze toward her. But behind the veil, her eyes were icy cold, devoid of their usual lively spark. Assistant Ling said, "No need to stare. I am the Assistant to the Academy's Vice Principal, and I have acquired maximum authorization. As the academy's active conscious entity, Hongfu will now only obey my commands. Furthermore, she cannot recognize you, nor can she hear your voice. "Supervisor Chen, I admit you are strong. But no matter how powerful you are, you cannot surpass Hongfu." Indeed, he could not fathom Chen Chuan's true limits either, but there was no need to fight Chen Chuan face to face when he could simply let Hongfu handle it. He ordered, "Hongfu, take down Supervisor Chen!" Upon hearing the command, Hongfu drew her yanling saber with a metallic ring. As a scarlet silhouette drifted gracefully down from the trunk, a frigid flash of saber light cleaved straight down toward Chen Chuan's head. Her eyes were completely detached. A portion of her self-awareness had been suppressed, reducing her to an entity that purely obeyed orders, yet this did not diminish her combat prowess in the slightest. Moreover, because this was not a potential evaluation, she held nothing back. The downward strike carried devastating lethality; the moment the blade's gleam appeared, its jin had already arrived. Chen Chuan had sparred with Hongfu countless times and knew her capabilities intimately. He did not let his guard down in the least. With a single thought, his second self instantly converged with him. He then raised the still-sheathed Xuejun Saber in an upward parry. Even though the saber remained in its scabbard, the jin behind the guard was solid and unwavering. Yet it failed to push Hongfu back by even a fraction. Similarly, because he had directed the oncoming force into his second self, Chen Chuan stood equally motionless. In the next moment, saber light erupted again. In a mere split second, their weapons clashed more than a hundred times, filling the air with explosive shockwaves that rumbled like thunder. Assistant Ling watched from above, clicking his tongue in marvel. From his vantage, everything was plainly visible: none of Hongfu's moves were simple, and no two bursts of Mind Jin she unleashed were the same. Her power and speed were practically bordering on the ceiling of the third limit. Yet Chen Chuan managed to meet every single blow. Setting everything else aside, the sheer resilience he displayed against such jin was enough to prove how formidable he was. The more remarkable he proved to be, however, the more Ling desired to mount Chen Chuan's brain upon the tree. Perhaps he could add a little more weight to the scale—after all, this was never meant to be a fair duel. He raised a hand and made another gesture. The surrounding scenery shifted once more as two serrated-edged blossoms bloomed into existence beside him. Smiling, he said: "Supervisor Chen, why bother resisting? It is destined to be futile. Perhaps you resist our cause because you are constrained by your current perception, but once you join us, you will understand the true benefits."