Chapter 119

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Chapter 119: Title

The Special Bureau has now been in existence for nearly six months, with the headquarters receiving fresh recruits almost every month.

This pattern holds true across its regional branches as well.

Over three months have passed since the nationwide cultivation initiative began. Given Zhongxia’s immense population, numerous extraordinary individuals have emerged, demonstrating remarkable progress in their cultivation.

Yet they still pale in comparison to the ancient practitioners. Internal Special Bureau projections suggest that extraordinary forces across Blue Star—including Zhongxia—will require at least six months to a year before matching the strength of those ancestral cultivators.

For ordinary people, cultivation remains a journey of steady accumulation leading to natural breakthroughs when conditions mature.

Those without genius-level aptitude should abandon fantasies of mimicking prodigious cultivation patterns.

—True geniuses exist in a league of their own.

With Blue Star currently classified as a Tier One world, many gifted extraordinary individuals have attained Tier One status. However, expanding these ranks depends on nurturing talents from the second and third tiers.

Elites remain the minority in any society. Since the Awakening of Spiritual Energy, true geniuses have been rare, while most practitioners linger below sixth- or seventh-rank thresholds.

Through persistent cultivation, modern practitioners—though latecomers—might yet bridge the gap with their ancient counterparts given sufficient time.

“Yu Yue, what brought you to the Special Bureau?” Wen Renyi inquired with curiosity.

As part of the inaugural class from the Bureau’s training program, Wen Renyi held quasi-senior status in the eyes of her two juniors.

Though technically classmates through her association with Jiang Yan, the demure Yu Yue presented a stark contrast to the brash young man.

Tang Tong rested her chin on a palm, amusement dancing in her eyes. “At least you’re not following Jiang Yan’s example—his recruitment story remains unmatched nationwide.”

“Failed ideological evaluation… re-education… Special Bureau enrollment to understand patriotic devotion…” Each syllable widened Tang Tong’s grin.

“You people begged me to come!” Jiang Yan retorted through clenched teeth. “I’d never have agreed otherwise.”

“Odd, I recall someone petitioning for this transfer.”

The youth fell silent.

He’d rather join Division 2 than endure Comprehensive Section 5—at least there his technical skills would shine among IT elites.

“I… actually joined because of the red-clad senior. She saved me once…” Yu Yue’s cheeks colored slightly.

“You’ve met her?” Wen Renyi’s posture straightened with sudden interest.

Every Bureau member knew of the legendary red-clad senior. During the organization’s infancy, countless recruits dreamed of working alongside her, Taoist Priest Chen, and the fox spirit Hu Mei.

Yet after the first training cohort graduated, these iconic figures gradually withdrew from daily operations—present within the Bureau yet rarely seen.

“How did she rescue you? Tell us everything!” Wen Renyi’s eyes sparkled with gossip-hungry enthusiasm.

“It was during a high-speed train journey. An extraordinary individual took hostages… The red-clad senior intervened. Without her…” Yu Yue shuddered despite the months that had passed.

“Is her True Form truly as stunning as they say?” Jiang Yan feigned concentration on his meal, ears angled toward the conversation.

“Since when do you care about appearances?” Tang Tong teased. “She embodies noble elegance yet moves with unconstrained grace—a living paradox of refinement and boldness.”

Yu Yue’s motivation wasn’t unique. Many joined hoping to approach their saviors or repay spiritual debts to the world.

As their discussion continued, cheerful voices spilled into the cafeteria with the arrival of a boisterous group.

"It’s Young Master Leng and the others. Haven’t seen them in ages," Wen Renyi observed, her keen gaze first identifying the group’s leader before sweeping across the entourage. "Not just Young Master Leng – there’s Miss Youyang the musical cultivator, our super-strong little girl Lu He, and Bai Wei, the young mistress of the Bai Family…"

Though Wen Renyi spoke softly, every ear in the room caught her words – particularly those belonging to the subjects of discussion. Leng Xingwen turned toward the voice at the mention of his name, offering a cordial smile that made Wen Renyi abruptly look away. Even after occasional encounters at the Special Bureau, Young Master Leng’s devastating charm remained disarmingly potent.

The group had long since transcended mortal needs like sustenance, yet abstinence differed from distaste – especially when accompanied by Lu He, whose passion for earthly delights defied her cultivation achievements. The petite figure skipped toward the food counter, her youthful appearance belying an age that would make grandmothers feel juvenile.

"One of every meat dish today!" Lu He summoned a food box with a wave, beaming at the server. When Brother Leng declined her half-hearted offer to share, she cheerfully declared, "More for me then!" Her eyes sparkled as portions piled up – a display of appetite belying her frame, typical of body cultivators. Any buffet owner witnessing this would likely post "Lu He & Canines Prohibited" signs through tears.

Youyang stood serene in azure robes, her usual zither replaced by a jade flute at the waist. "You’ve worked hard these days," she said to Lu He, her voice radiating warmth. Nearby, Bai Wei adjusted her fitted blue attire. "I should check on Bai Ye – promised to guide him after this mission. Join me? Your music could stabilize his awakened bloodline."

With Youyang’s nod, they took their leave. "Go on then," Leng Xingwen sighed, fan tapping his palm. "People might mistake me for the one driving lovebirds apart." Youyang’s crescent-eyed smile answered his jest as they departed.

Observing them, Leng Xingwen pondered their century-old relationship – more than friendship yet less than romance, defying typical cultivation partnerships. His musings ended as he materialized behind Lu He, fan tapping her head. "Master Lu Zhou says you’re eating through training time."

"Just don’t snitch and he’ll never know!" Lu He giggled, clinging to his arm with her food box. To observers, they made a picturesque pair – vivacious girl and handsome cultivator strolling together.

The cafeteria crowd found their sweet and sour ribs curiously tart today, perhaps from excess lemons… or emotions. "Finished!" Jiang Yan rose with a boyish grin, his tiny fang peeking out. "Ladies enjoy your meal – data won’t sort itself."

Wen Renyi’s eyebrow arched as she noted Chief Liang’s absence. "Does Division 2 overwork children? He’s fourteen going on forty."

"Youthful cunning," Tang Tong countered, defending their long-known colleague Liang An. "Probably escaping awkward chats."

Division 2.

“Is this the divine record you compiled?” Jiang Yan accessed the backend of the Spiritual Network, his eyes scanning the streams of data.

“This is the *Ancient Deities Scroll: Catalog*—jointly curated by multiple nations and updated in real time. Prevents people from accidentally offending deities during encounters,” answered a voice around a lollipop.

“The latest entry… concerns India’s deity.”

“Hmm.”

Blue Star hosted numerous ancient civilizations, their myths and legends as vast as they were varied. Scholars had once debated the shared threads among these tales—even those of nations that lacked their own myths and resorted to stealing others’.

Compiling the divine registry had been speculative work before deities manifested. Post-Awakening of Spiritual Energy, prior mythological studies became mere footnotes. Reality now diverged sharply from lore.

Take the East’s supreme deities: the Emperor of Heaven and Empress Nuwa. Their existence was corroborated by spirit cultivators, whose millennia-preserved ancestral memories held infallible truths about such beings.

India’s recent absurdity topped all—nearly detonating a nuclear bomb over an abyssal creature, only to discover their revered Hindu god wasn’t the deity who descended, but an older primal entity.

Jiang Yan knew the chaos surrounding India’s divine belief crisis. Neh, witness to Prithvi’s manifestation, had exposed how their higher-ups now acknowledged Hindu deities’ degeneration into evil gods.

*—Still imprisoned, but for how long?*

Once, India would’ve buried such revelations. Now? Withholding risked isolation when those malevolent entities eventually broke free. Not that sharing guaranteed allies.

The *Catalog*’s purpose was clear: document confirmed deities. Humanity already reeled from one abyssal invasion. The next? Unthinkable.

…Perhaps only divine intervention would suffice then.

The registry also subtly ranked national influence. Deities might ignore mortals, but mortals craved divine patronage.

“What’s my role here?” Jiang Yan asked.

“Start with data categorization. Should suit your talents,” the lollipop-sucking figure mused.

“Agreed.”

“I’m Jiang Yan, by the way.”

“Lan He.” She produced a lollipop from her coat, smirking. “No introduction needed. Division 2’s prodigy arrival? Office gossip travels fast.”

The division’s labyrinthine corridors held many offices. Though Jiang Yan had wandered them for days, this marked his first entry into the Spiritual Network’s maintenance hub.

*

“Bai Ye’s absent?” Bai Wei’s brow arched as she turned to Hu Mei. “His whereabouts? Estimated return?”

“Poor timing, Bai Xiao Ge,” grunted Yang Xingyu between weight lifts. “Left yesterday on some distant mission. Heard it’s high-risk—no ETA.”

"Alright, I’ll come back when he returns," Bai Wei nodded.

"Youyang, care to join my livestream?" Hu Mei’s voluminous tail swayed behind her, vulpine eyes crinkling with deceptive innocence.

"We could perform sword dances with musical accompaniment. I’ve trained extensively with Taoist Priest Chen," the fox spirit declared, springing upward to snatch a long sword from its stand with fluid grace.

Youyang’s serene smile conveyed tacit agreement.

As Hu Mei whisked the guqin player away, Bai Wei took her leave with polite nods.

Yang Xingyu had been drilling alone for forty minutes when the training room door hissed open, revealing Qiao Feiyu’s broad frame.

"Old Qiao! What kept you?"

"Unavoidable business."

The swordsman leaned on his practice blade, curiosity overriding protocol. "Must’ve been critical to delay cultivation hours."

"New mission requiring partner selection," Qiao Feiyu replied without preamble.

"Another assignment? We’re barely recovered from Hanzhou City!" Yang Xingyu’s eye twitched at the mention of their recent painful past.

Their original objective – purging abyssal worms from municipal sewers – had devolved into chaos when Shen Yuan, the curse-afflicted magnate, enlisted their help capturing a rogue ginseng spirit. The anthropomorphic root, thick as a man’s forearm, had led them on a merry chase through Shen’s sprawling spiritual herb gardens.

Despite Yang’s determination to dissect the creature, the wily spirit invoked spirit cultivator protection accords. Instead of punitive measures, they’d somehow become its bureaucratic sponsors. Only the farewell offering of precious root filaments prevented Yang from testing its legendary resilience with spiritual fire.

"Destination?"

"Africa."

The single word hung between them.

"Africa? Since when does the Special Bureau operate there?"

"Investigation of anomalous phenomena." Qiao Feiyu’s tone brooked no argument. "The Bureau’s files reference tribal totem deities."

Yang Xingyu’s grip tightened on his sword hilt. Tier One cultivators like Qiao Feiyu weren’t deployed for mundane extraordinary individuals. This suggested something older, more primal stirring in the continent’s primitive jungles.

"Historical records indicate totem deities predate written history," Qiao Feiyu continued. "Young Master Leng confirms potential cultivation breakthroughs there."

The martial artist’s eyes gleamed with predatory interest. "Your outdoor livestream experience could prove useful in the African jungle’s wilderness."

Yang Xingyu suppressed a grimace. His streaming past involved scenic hikes, not survivalist challenges. Still, the swordsman’s competitive spirit stirred – what better stage to demonstrate true cultivation mastery than nature’s primordial crucible?

“Did they approach you for this mission?” Yang Xingyu inquired.

“Yes.”

If the Special Bureau had initiated contact with Old Qiao, the danger level couldn’t be too severe. Considering Old Qiao’s abysmal social skills that left him partnerless, Yang Xingyu resigned himself to playing the good Samaritan.

“Fine, I’ll team up with you.”

“When do we depart? Just the two of us?”

“No. Division 6 is keen on investigating Africa’s situation—they’ll likely assign researchers to accompany us.”

Yang Xingyu’s lips twisted downward. It wasn’t disdain for researchers, but even in this cultivation era, their combat capabilities remained lacking. How could academicians devoted to science suddenly master mystical arts and match mainstream practitioners?

“Seems we’re leading an expedition team this time.”

“Correct.” Qiao Feiyu nodded.

Yang Xingyu groaned inwardly. This Africa mission—jungle treks, scientific sampling—might stretch beyond ten days. Maybe even a month.

……

Analysis Section 3

“Your thoughts on the Red Sea plane disappearance?” Lin Jing addressed his deputy.

Ge Yun massaged her temples. “Inconclusive.”

“Before vanishing, the aircraft transmitted distress signals citing unexplained system failures—loss of balance, power decline, 95% crash probability.”

Ninety-five percent. A death warrant.

With thirty Zhongxia citizens vanished without trace, public scrutiny intensified. They still lacked plausible explanations.

“The captain’s final report suspected major structural damage,” Lin Jing mused, reviewing pre-blackout data. “No birds, storms, or turbulence detected. Chief, could this be… anomalous?”

“Ordinary humans can’t breach aircraft alloys,” Ge Yun countered.

“An extraordinary individual then?”

“We should scrutinize passengers with cultivation backgrounds.”

Lin Jing’s fingers drummed the desk. “To sabotage a plane at 10,000 meters then survive? More likely non-humans or ancient practitioners.”

“Tier Ones can’t achieve aerial flight. Higher tiers lack motives for terrorism.”

“Any progress on first-class cabin profiles from Division 2?”

Ge Yun shook her head. “Division 2—who brags about hacking CIA servers—hasn’t delivered.”

“Useless.” Lin Jing pressed his forehead. “We’re gridlocked. Meanwhile, foreign nations drown in abyssal invasions—ten more Daoist Priest Lis couldn’t salvage this.”

He glared at redundant reports. While Zhongxia stabilized domestically, their international aid stretched thin.

……

Two days later

Grand Sanctuary, Nine Sacred Mountains

Ye Linlang rarely inhabited her Yahweh persona nowadays. Divine energy suffused the borrowed form, warmer than thermal springs, mightier than collapsing stars.

She grinned. No—not “felt” mighty. She was mighty.

Beyond crystalline arches, Archangel Michael requested audience.

Yahweh’s gaze lifted. Sanctuary gates dissolved. The radiant archangel entered, bowing deeply before his living paradox of a deity.