Chen Chuan asked, "Are all the records regarding the two of them here?"
Supervisor Bao hurriedly said, "We also have some professional test reports."
"I don't need those," Chen Chuan said, looking at Supervisor Bao. "Do you have any tissue samples taken from their bodies?"
Bao Ning did not hesitate. "Yes."
He knew very well that things had reached this point; only by cooperating fully with Chen Chuan could he minimize the fallout and make up for his own oversight. He instructed the assistant beside him. The assistant nodded, brought over a briefcase, and carefully retrieved two glass vials from inside.
Chen Chuan looked at them. They contained blood—fairly viscous and displaying a brilliant, eye-catching golden-red luster. Under his gaze, the two vials floated into the air, drifting rapidly before him as though nudged by an invisible hand.
Zhu Xian stood nearby. Though he maintained a composed expression, he could not conceal the astonishment in his eyes. This was the first time he had witnessed such a sight, and it instantly gave him a much deeper appreciation of what the title "martial artist" truly entailed.
Right then, with a sharp crack, the two glass vials shattered.
Everyone started in surprise, only to see the blood disperse into droplets without falling to the ground. A faint light seemed to flicker within Chen Chuan's eyes as he used his mental power to perceive the physical information contained within the blood.
This was not an analysis based on data, but a pure observation through mind and field. It allowed him to gauge the current condition of the individuals involved and made it easier to track them down.
After a moment, he understood the status of the blood's owner. At the same time, he detected an ancient imprint lingering within it, dating back several centuries at least.
Beyond that, he could sense that both individuals must have been exposed to some special high-energy nutrient beforehand, which had allowed them to endure until now without completely dying.
Once he finished his inspection, the blood evaporated into thin air. Supervisor Bao and the Yuangan Company personnel stood quietly, saying nothing.
Chen Chuan said, "Supervisor Bao, before handling this matter, I need to inspect the site where the two were originally unearthed. Is it far from here?"
Supervisor Bao replied, "Not far. It takes less than an hour by airship. We'll make the arrangements immediately."
Yuangan Company proved highly efficient. In under twenty minutes, Chen Chuan boarded an airship dispatched by the branch and set off toward the location.
Along the way, Chen Chuan questioned Supervisor Bao about the specifics of the ambush. Judging from the details, his conclusion aligned with the findings of the supervisor's investigation: insiders from Yuangan, or even foreign infiltrators, were involved.
If that was the case, the situation was far more complicated.
Why had these people struck now? Was there something special about the two unearthed individuals? What did the perpetrators actually know?
Supervisor Bao said, "Chief Chen, we have launched a rigorous internal investigation. Once there is progress, the company will submit a formal report. Please believe us—for the security of Great Shun, our company will spare no effort."
Chen Chuan said, "Let us hope so."
Half an hour later, the airship reached the skies above the wasteland. Supervisor Bao gestured in a certain direction. "Chief Chen, right down there."
Chen Chuan looked down through the angled porthole and saw two massive contours indented in the ground, each roughly twenty to thirty meters from head to tail. Their original shapes were relatively well preserved, faintly revealing the postures of the two bodies before excavation.
Only...
He glanced further out. "Take us a bit higher."
Supervisor Bao immediately relayed the order, and the airship climbed further. As their altitude increased, the surrounding terrain became clearer.
Chen Chuan's gaze deepened, while Supervisor Bao and several company staff behind him turned pale.
Just outside the perimeter of the two human silhouettes lay an even more colossal impression. It resembled a human footprint—and by the looks of it, that massive foot had stomped right down upon the two individuals beneath it.
Supervisor Bao felt a chill run through him. "Chief Chen, this is..."
Chen Chuan said calmly, "It's too early to tell. Take us down. I need a closer look."
The airship began its descent at once, soon hovering barely a dozen meters above the ground. Chen Chuan walked onto the exterior observation deck. Under his focused gaze, countless fine particles floated up from the earth.
Most of the items here had already been gathered by Yuangan Company, leaving barely any residue in the dirt and sand below. His primary goal, however, was to sense the biological field here to see if any anomalous traces remained. After scanning the area, he found nothing; whatever had been there had likely dissipated over the vast span of time.
He said, "Let's head to the site of the incident."
"Understood."
The airship flew toward the northwest. In less than an hour, a stretch of railway came into view. It was evidently a classified military line; at the very least, he had never known a railway existed here.
After following the tracks for over half an hour, they reached the sabotaged section. The train wreckage remained uncleared, with a track maintenance convoy parked behind it. A squad of company security personnel stood guard around the perimeter. Seeing the company airship arrive, they flashed an all-clear signal upward.
Supervisor Bao said, "As soon as the incident occurred, we cordoned off the area and decided to report the situation to the Security Defense Departments of both Haixi Dao and Jibei Dao. Since you happened to be here, Chief Chen, we brought the news to you first."
Chen Chuan looked over the scene and asked, "Did you inject them with high-energy nutrients?"
Supervisor Bao said, "Yes. To ensure their survival, we administered a small amount of high-energy nutrient fluid, but not much—just enough to sustain their vital signs."
Chen Chuan nodded. "I'll go take a look." With that, he stepped forward and vaulted over the railing. Before the eyes of the onlookers, he plummeted rapidly. Just as he neared the earth, his biological field snapped open. His body seemed to drift like a feather before landing soundlessly on the ground.
The security personnel stared in astonishment, then scrambled to clear a path as he approached.
Chen Chuan walked over to the train. After examining it, he confirmed that the cars had suffered an internal explosion before overturning onto the ground. Judging from the residual field traces, one of the targets had likely been taken away by an airship or a similar aircraft. As for the other...
He tracked a set of marks into the distance. This one appeared to have left on his own.
In an instant, Chen Chuan vanished from where he stood. The people on the wasteland felt only a fierce gust sweep past, followed by a muffled, thunderous roar.
From the airship, Supervisor Bao watched a straight trail gouged into the earth, streaking toward the distant coniferous forest in the blink of an eye. The assistant asked, "Supervisor, should we follow?"
Supervisor Bao considered it, then said, "No. We wait here for news."
After traveling for twenty to thirty minutes, Chen Chuan slowed his pace and walked forward, his gaze fixed in a specific direction.
Beside a fallen trunk, a pale man with flaxen-yellow hair sat atop a tree stump. He looked identical to the photograph, except his height had shrunken to about two meters. Emaciated to skin and bones, his flesh clung tightly to his cheekbones and bare arms.
At his feet lay a giant bear that had been torn open alive. Aside from the head, most of it had already been devoured. At that moment, he was gnawing on a bear arm with one hand. Yet not a single drop of blood stained his body; the spattered and flowing blood was kept entirely at bay by an invisible force.
The man seemed oblivious to Chen Chuan's presence, remaining utterly absorbed in tearing through his meal.
Chen Chuan halted thirty meters away. He did not rush forward, instead waiting patiently where he stood.
Before long, the man stripped the bear arm clean, crunching through the bones and swallowing them whole. Only then did he lift his head, glaring fixedly at Chen Chuan.
Chen Chuan asked, "Who are you?"
The man uttered a few sentences. Though Chen Chuan could not understand the words, he could tell the dialect leaned toward the tongue of the Noros Hierarchy, mixed with some local slang.
He reached into his uniform, pulled out a specialized boundary credential, and tapped it. As he spoke, the boundary credential relayed his voice in the language of the Noros Hierarchy.
"State your identity."
The man froze, clearly not expecting him to speak an intelligible language. He glanced at the boundary credential, a look of sudden realization dawning on his face. "A relic? Are you an Eastern Continent General of State Subjugation?"
Listening to the translation from the credential, Chen Chuan looked at him and said, "There are no Generals of State Subjugation here. Even if one came, I would beat him to death."
The man was taken aback, then let out a low chuckle. He rose from the stump, swaying slightly before steadying himself.
Puffing out his chest, he declared, "I am Zharnik, Champion Hunting Warrior. I came here with another warrior to hunt an Agara monster, but we ran into an accident along the way. When I woke up, I found myself on that stretch of track back there."
He rolled his neck, the joints popping loudly. "I take it many years have passed by now?"
He was far from stupid. Though the surrounding landscape had not changed drastically, the attire and speech of the people he had seen, combined with the severe depletion of his own life energy, told his instincts that a great deal of time had elapsed.
"I do not like your kind, so I want to leave as soon as possible and return to my tribe. I hope you will not stand in my way."
Chen Chuan looked at him, his tone calm. "You are not telling the truth. The two of you were carrying something, and that item was found on our land."
Zharnik's expression changed instantly. He flew into a sudden fury, letting out a savage roar. "You tracked us down just for that?! None of you Eastern Continent dogs can be trusted!"
With that, he lunged forward. Dirt and shattered wood blasted outward beneath his feet as a blinding, blood-red radiance erupted across his body, and with a thunderous boom, he charged straight at Chen Chuan.
Chapter 851