At ten o'clock that evening, inside the quiet dormitory.
Twelve hidden veils hung suspended in midair.
Every day, Bai Zhou had visited the canteen's small shop, buying a little bit today and a little bit tomorrow, gathering ritual materials in advance.
Now, they were all spread across the floor.
—Though called ritual materials, it looked more like an indoor picnic on the dorm floor.
Eggplants, cucumbers, oranges, braised chicken drumsticks, beef balls, luncheon meat, beef, and mutton.
There were also greens, sesame oil, and sesame paste.
Six scented candles flickered, arranged in a hexagram across the ground.
A sweet, delicate fragrance drifted outward as plumes of white smoke slowly rose and converged in the air.
If a small pot were set up in the middle, it would look just like a candlelight dinner between Bai Zhou and Crow—hotpot edition.
Yet only this way would avoid suspicion.
At most, someone might think Bai Zhou had a midnight craving, fixing himself late-night snacks or little bites every night.
...No one could ever imagine that these very things could form an occult ritual to assist in an advancement.
Only Crow could have pulled this off.
—A master of cost-effective occultism exceptionally adept at cutting corners!
"The last battle deepened your comprehension of the secret art," Crow said.
"That is why your advancement has arrived ahead of schedule."
With the various ingredients spread out, freshly squeezed orange juice dripped onto Bai Zhou.
A crisp, tart aroma curled around his nostrils, leaving his mind remarkably clear.
"This is a ritual to help you maintain mental tranquility at all times... It's set."
Crow clapped her hands, looking at Bai Zhou with satisfaction as she murmured, "Your advancement will be tonight."
As the words fell,
Bai Zhou began to swing his blade.
Yet this time was entirely different from before. With every slash, he felt something clogged within him being "digested."
His body grew lighter and more agile, his strikes drawing ever closer to pure instinct. The seven motes of spirituality inside him surged with vibrant energy, distributed throughout his body in a distinct pattern.
The right arm swinging the blade held the most, with three motes of spirituality lying dormant there.
All of this was the result of his recent training.
Then,
following the techniques of the secret art, Bai Zhou stimulated the spirituality throughout his body.
*Hummm—*
One after another, the seven motes of spirituality lit up within him, linking together into a seamless whole.
The light grew blazing, almost burning.
For a fleeting moment, Bai Zhou felt as if his soul had burst open, blinding white light flooding his vision.
An instinct akin to an infant crying at birth drove Bai Zhou to swing his arm.
With a crisp crack—
The bench leg in his grip detonated out of thin air, fractured metal fragments spraying everywhere and embedding themselves into the walls and floor.
They sank deep into the walls, a startling sight.
Yet Bai Zhou was still moving, his right hand gripping empty space as if holding an invisible blade.
Brilliant sparks flew through the air.
A small scarlet crescent moon bloomed midair, breathtakingly beautiful.
In the next instant, however, that beauty turned into extreme danger.
Like a descending blade light, the scarlet moon plummeted from above, carrying an aura of sacred judgment—
First "Moon Cinder," then "Holy Oath."
And then, the slash!
*Boom!*
Four meters away from Bai Zhou, the iron desk he had recently moved over from the empty dorm next door burst apart with a deafening roar, cleaved clean in two.
The cut was perfectly smooth, as though sliced through tofu.
Yet the moonlight did not lose momentum, driving straight toward the floor.
Crow stomped her foot where she stood.
Her shadow spread out, transforming into a web of darkness across the ground—
Easily catching the moonlight.
The corner of her lips curved up slightly, though the faint smile vanished so swiftly that no one could have noticed.
Because at this moment, the foundational stage of Bai Zhou's *Moon Cinder Holy Oath Slash* was completely mastered.
Being able to channel spirituality to execute a secret art, thus wielding supernatural might... Bai Zhou was already considered a qualified Extraordinary, possessing extraordinary combat capability.
Had Bai Zhou chosen the Hunter pathway, his task would have been complete right here.
However,
the purpose of Bai Zhou's special training was not merely to become an Extraordinary.
...On the other side, Bai Zhou, having unleashed that incredible strike, had still not regained his senses.
After the grand, dazzling white light subsided, he once again beheld his Fate Principle—that magnificent white sun.
Above an ink-black sea, sustained by an endless stream of iridescent rainbow light, it was hoisted five feet and four inches high.
—A booming resonance echoed from the distant sky.
A wisp of streaming fire swiftly swept across the ink-black Sea of Ignorance, illuminating the chaotic Fate Principle space.
It flew into the white sun, then vanished.
"That is..."
*Rumble—*
The white sun rotated, and the heavens trembled.
The Chen Fate Principle quietly ascended, solidifying at a new height.
—Five feet and five inches!
A symbol resembling a red moon appeared upon the white sun Fate Principle, occupying its lower-left corner.
It covered roughly one-sixth of the surface.
"A secret art mark!"
Delight welled up within Bai Zhou.
Crow had explained it to him beforehand: only by thoroughly digesting the knowledge of a secret art, turning knowledge into instinct and embedding it into the soul...
Could that knowledge be transformed into a secret art mark and engraved upon one's Fate Principle.
Now, this small crescent mark represented the physical tempering knowledge of *Moon Cinder Holy Oath Slash*.
From this moment on, it was no longer mere "knowledge."
Engraved upon his Fate Principle and made part of his very being, it had become Bai Zhou's innate instinct.
Just like how humans are born to walk, or eat and drink without conscious thought.
Bai Zhou could clearly sense that he could condense five more such marks upon his Fate Principle.
—At least for now.
Channeling a secret art through a secret art mark not only consumed less spirituality, but with every movement, the art would carry the intrinsic traits of the Fate Principle itself, producing a synergistic effect far greater than the sum of its parts!
Naturally, not just anyone could achieve this; it required the combination of a Fate Principle and a harmonious pathway.
—In other words, the secret art mark was a privilege exclusive to the Destined.
It was what was known as the "blessing of knowledge."
Whenever a secret art mark formed, it meant the Destined had advanced one tier along their supernatural pathway.
And now, with the formation of his first secret art mark, it meant...
Bai Zhou had set foot upon the Adventurer pathway, becoming a Tier 1 Adventurer.
—A Destined!
Back in the dormitory, Bai Zhou opened his eyes.
His aura had subtly shifted. As if blessed by some mysterious fortune, he felt an inexplicable confidence that whatever he set out to do would succeed.
His body was light, his mind raced with vigor, and his abundant spirituality had doubled from seven motes to fourteen.
An overwhelming momentum enveloped him.
This was a Destined walking a Destiny pathway.
Destiny was here!
And here he stood.
*Hummm!*
Bai Zhou raised his hand and communed with the secret art mark upon his Fate Principle. Pure instinct drove him to execute another slash.
Realizing there was nothing in his hand to hold, he formed a blade with his palm, channeling only a single mote of spirituality from his right arm to strike down through the air—
*Hummm—boom!*
A white moon was born inside the room.
A pale white moon rose, yet radiated the brilliance of a sun—sacred and irresistible.
Though powered by only one mote of spirituality, it was a whole size larger than the earlier scarlet moon. It possessed a grand and majestic dignity, yet surged with an intensely hazardous, explosive aura.
This was the new *Moon Cinder Holy Oath Slash*... fused with the properties of the Chen Fate Principle.
The next moment, the white moon descended.
"Not good!"
—The instant he released it, Bai Zhou was struck with regret.
Only now did he realize that this strike was liable to smash right through the floor.
The veils could conceal information, but they were never meant to block physical attacks.
Whoever lived downstairs might well be fast asleep in bed. If the falling white moon chopped their head off...
It was hard to imagine what kind of storm the Special Control Bureau would raise over such an unfortunate soul!
—Fortunately, both the endangered floor and the life of the poor soul downstairs were saved by Crow's timely intervention.
*Hum!*
The great web of shadows expanded once again, ensnaring the white moon.
Yet brilliance flared from the white moon, making the shadowy net sizzle loudly. In the blink of an eye, it burned the shadows full of holes.
"Hm?"
Crow furrowed her brow.
More shadows swarmed over immediately in an endless wave, finally extinguishing the white moon.
Only then did Bai Zhou breathe a sigh of relief, cold sweat breaking out in hindsight.
He had truly not anticipated that channeling a single mote of spirituality could yield such immense power, exhibiting even greater explosiveness and destructive force than the *Moon Cinder Holy Oath Slash* driven by all seven motes before his advancement!
What a ferocious "moon"!
The *Moon Cinder Holy Oath Slash* unleashed through a secret art mark was on an entirely different level compared to before!
He suddenly recalled what Crow had told him when introducing the Adventurer pathway:
"Equally skilled in offense and defense, fearless in exploration."
"Among the Twelve Pathways of Destiny, foremost in battle."
Every pathway had its strengths: some were exceptionally bizarre, while others were notoriously troublesome.
The Adventurer, however, was rather straightforward.
—It was simply exceptionally good at fighting.
One could only imagine what it would look like if he ignited all fourteen motes of spirituality at once in a full-power burst...
—At least fourteen times the explosive power!
On the other side, Crow gazed thoughtfully at the shadows on the ground, riddled with holes and slowly knitting themselves back together.
"It seems that combining the secret art with the traits of your Chen Fate Principle possesses a counter effect against shadow-type supernatural phenomena... Not bad!"
"As for other traits, they remain to be seen through further observation."
With that, she looked at Bai Zhou, a faint trace of admiration showing between her brows along with an almost imperceptible smile.
"It appears you have successfully stepped onto the path you firmly chose."
"Congratulations—"
"Destined Bai Zhou!"
Nine days!
Today was August 25.
On August 17, Bai Zhou had arrived at the Special Control Bureau.
From an ordinary person awakening a Fate Principle to becoming a Destined—with no fundamental difference between him and her.
Bai Zhou had taken merely nine days.
If counting only the special training, it was even shorter.
Initially, Crow's estimate had been that after a month of special training, becoming a Tier 1 Hunter would already be quite an achievement...
Yet it was fortunate that it had taken only nine days.
Because right now, less than three days remained before the Blood Worship Cult's invasion.
Yet aside from her, no one else would know
that this youth with near-zero presence in the Special Control Bureau had quietly grown up, earning the right to face any storm head-on.
Having watched Bai Zhou's rapid transformation with her own eyes, how could Crow not feel deeply moved?
"It's because you're a good teacher," Bai Zhou said, waving his hands modestly.
Crow shook her head. "With your talent, any teacher would yield the same result."
"Besides, you aren't walking the Hunter pathway. What I can help you with is negligible."
"—How could that be?"
Bai Zhou would never take such modesty seriously; his gratitude came straight from the heart.
As high-spirited as Bai Zhou felt right now, his gratitude toward Crow's presence was just as deep.
Under the guise of a transaction, this "ghostly" girl whom only he could see had fundamentally rewritten his fate.
If going from an ordinary person to an Extraordinary was already an unimaginable leap in destiny,
then what was becoming a Destined—blessed by knowledge and favored by fate?
...Of course, compared to high spirits, Bai Zhou felt more of a grounded sense of relief.
After all, ever since arriving at the Special Control Bureau, he hadn't enjoyed a single relaxing day, spending every waking hour on edge with his nerves taut.
Until today.
He felt, vaguely, that he could finally breathe easy for a moment.
Ever since encountering the Blood Worship Cultist last time, he had reevaluated his own strength.
And now, his power had undergone an earth-shattering transformation!
...At the very least, Section Chief Liu was probably no longer a match for him.
Yet Section Chief Liu was already considered part of the base's junior leadership, holding notable status and extraordinary prowess.
Although the battle in three days was fraught with countless unknown dangers, Bai Zhou had done everything within his power to the utmost.
Perhaps all that remained was finding the time to return to the Reflected Ruin Realm and deal with that damn fatty...
It was about time to go back and give it a surprise...
*Bang! Bang! Bang!*
Suddenly, rapid knocking sounded at the door.
The knocks were brisk and urgent, as if there were an emergency.
Bai Zhou snapped back to reality, glancing at Crow in confusion.
Crow shook her head as well.
"Someone must be looking for you. There is no way they could have detected any abnormality here."
Her confident words put Bai Zhou at ease.
The hidden veils instantly dissipated. Flames swept across the floor with a whoosh, vanishing all the ritual materials and bench leg fragments.
Even the battered iron desk chopped in two was incinerated into ash in a flash, leaving no trace behind.
The overhead light clicked on, illuminating the room.
In just the blink of an eye, the room was transformed.
Aside from the gaudy posters plastered all over the walls and the temporary absence of a desk, everything appeared completely ordinary.
Bai Zhou went and opened the door.
The person standing outside was a stranger to Bai Zhou, but the courier said nothing, merely handing him two letters in a rush before hurrying off.
Seeing that the man still carried a thick stack of envelopes, he was likely rushing to deliver mail to others.
Still...
What letters were these?
Bai Zhou didn't recall the Special Control Bureau having mail couriers.
With a soft click, he shut the door and examined the letters.
The contents of the first letter brought wonderful news that caught Bai Zhou completely by surprise—
An order for Bai Zhou's promotion to P3 Specialist, appointing him to fill the vacancy of Supervisor for Sector 3 of the Black Chamber, and directing him to requisition his potion at his earliest convenience.
Rank P3!
—Section Chief Liu's lobbying had actually succeeded?
Bai Zhou found it hard to believe.
So Liu had truly prepared a huge surprise for him!
Today was truly a special day: first, his successful ascension to Destined, followed immediately by the notice of his promotion to P3.
Two joys overlapping to bring Bai Zhou double the happiness...
Before today, he had never truly expected this to work out.
One could imagine how much effort Section Chief Liu had poured into making this happen!
...No, he ought to call him Big Brother Liu!
Full of emotion, Bai Zhou tore open the second letter.
Written upon it in black fountain pen was the following notice:
[With the heaviest of hearts, we inform you of a tragic and sorrowful loss:
Our dearest comrade-in-arms, the finest warrior of the Black Box Special Control Department, Section Chief Liu Zhen of the Black Box Maintenance Department's Inspection Section, tragically died in the line of duty tonight, August 25, at 8:00 PM.
Comrade Liu Zhen was the pride of the entire Special Control Bureau. Loyal, fearless, and selfless, he honored his oath to protect the Federation with his life.
His passing is an irreparable loss to us all, and a source of profound grief for our entire community.
To honor his heroic soul and mourn his passing, a memorial service is scheduled for tomorrow (August 26) at 14:00 at the base.
We sincerely request your presence to see off our bravest comrade on his final journey.
All Colleagues of the Special Control Bureau.
August 25, 2025]
With a sharp sizzle,
the overhead light flickered.
Bai Zhou's brain felt as though it had exploded, going completely blank.
Section Chief Liu...
Big Brother Liu... was dead?
—How did he die?!
Chapter 22