Chapter 63: Chapter 63: Profession Change? Su Chen exchanged a few pleasantries, invited him into the room, and got straight to the point. "What was that explosion a little while ago about?" "That’s exactly what I came to talk about." Fatty Sun glanced at Zhang Hengyu and made no attempt to hide the lingering fear in his expression. "I only found out today. They’re from Ying Feng. It wasn’t just those few Special Envoys—there was a Chief Judge, too." Zhang Hengyu’s eyes shifted slightly. "A Chief Judge?" Su Chen was surprised as well. That was a high-ranking member of the Judicial Court, someone who held a very high position in Ying Feng. "That explosion just now was the Chief Judge suddenly making a move on Zhou Xian," Fatty Sun added. "Hm?" Su Chen’s eyes lit up. ’As expected of a big shot from Ying Feng. Decisive when it’s time to act.’ ’Unlike that old bastard Zhang Hongbo with all his investigating and probing. What’s the damn point?’ "Unfortunately..." Fatty Sun’s tone shifted as he sighed. "That Zhou Xian is no simple character either. He actually managed to escape from the Chief Judge." ’He got away?’ Su Chen’s expression froze, a vein throbbing in his temple. He nearly cursed out loud. ’Don’t bite off more than you can chew!’ ’That old bastard Zhang Hongbo might be treacherous, but at least he’s cautious. He was watching Zhou Xian out in the open, which made it difficult for him to make any brazen moves.’ ’Now that they didn’t catch him, the enemy is in the shadows while I’m out in the open.’ Fatty Sun mused to himself, "Still, it’s basically confirmed that Minister Zhou is in deep trouble. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have gone this long without offering any explanation." "He’s the Minister of Internal Affairs. What more could he possibly want?" ’No, wait...’ Su Chen’s brow furrowed as a thought struck him. ’Could the Chief Judge be fishing, too?’ ’If he was serious about taking him down, he would’ve called Zhang Hongbo for backup. There’s no way he would’ve let him escape.’ Even with this suspicion, his mood didn’t improve in the slightest. ’He might end up as collateral damage in their little fishing expedition.’ "That Chief Judge... he’s not very careful, is he," Su Chen said, his voice laced with resentment. "Whoa..." Fatty Sun’s flesh quivered in alarm. He glanced left and right before hissing in a low voice, "Don’t let anyone else hear you say that." "What, are we supposed to speak no ill of a Venerable?" Su Chen retorted, annoyed. Fatty Sun paused, then shook his head and explained, "This Chief Judge isn’t like the others." "He’s the Sixth Judge of the Judicial Court, Xia Hanshi. I’ve heard he has a fearsome reputation. In the few cities he’s visited, the higher-ups fear him like the plague." "If he heard what you just said, he might actually kill you." "That ruthless?" Su Chen’s expression flickered. Zhang Hengyu looked as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, he remained silent. "Things might get messy in the city for a while, so be careful." After a few more words of warning, Fatty Sun left. "A time of troubles." Su Chen sighed helplessly. A casual move by one of the big shots could bring about his utter ruin. Now that Zhou Xian had gone into hiding with his identity exposed, he would likely be even more brazen. However, he’d need time to recover from his injuries and probably wouldn’t act for a while. His gaze fell on the silent Zhang Hengyu. ’I can’t afford to lose this Protective Talisman.’ ...... The door was shut tight. Su Chen looked at his panel and focused his spiritual will, touching the option to "Take Profession." The words dissolved into a fine stream of golden light. Su Chen’s body shuddered, and his mind cleared. His perspective gradually shifted, as if he were watching his own body from a third-person view, even seeing through his skin to the muscles, blood vessels, meridians, and organs within. It felt as if he could now control his body with much greater precision. [Wise Man] was also a support-type profession; it brought no physical changes, nor did he gain any wondrous knowledge. [Wise Man profession successfully acquired. Gained Professional Ability—Precise Control: Skill Proficiency acquisition rate increased by 50%.] Su Chen’s mind reeled. ’It’s the same ability as [Scholar]?’ ’Could these two professions have some kind of synergy?’ Su Chen wondered. There were many secrets to professions, and he currently understood only a tiny fraction of them. ’The two of them combined give a 100% boost. My training efficiency has doubled without any other assistance.’ Su Chen was in a great mood. ’It seems the boost from a forcibly acquired profession is even worse than I imagined...’ he couldn’t help but think. The 50% boost from [Scholar] was equivalent to raising one’s Talent from Brilliant Silver to Red Gold. And yet, Zhang Hengyu was nowhere near having a Red Gold Talent. ’With another 50% added on, I wonder if my Talent itself will see any growth,’ he mused. Below [Wise Man] was a line of small, crimson text: 365 days. ’It actually gave me a whole year to find the information for the last Top-tier Profession?’ Su Chen was surprised, then broke into a wide grin. "It really pays to have connections. This way, I don’t have to be in such a rush." With his new profession secured, Su Chen couldn’t wait to experience his newly enhanced training efficiency. Fog Demon. Spiritual Light into the Mouth. Five times gravity weighing on his body. The Gale Body Refining Technique circulated furiously. The torrent of energy rushing through his flesh and blood felt like sharp blades slicing through his muscle fibers. Su Chen’s knuckles turned white as he clenched his fists against the excruciating pain. The efficiency was indeed higher, but the agony was also far more intense. Veins bulged beneath his pale skin, tracing cyanotic patterns. ’Just as I thought...’ Amidst the pain, Su Chen carefully observed the process. The speed at which his muscles tore and regenerated was noticeably faster than before, and the activity of his Spiritual Power soared to new heights. But as he circulated the Void Spirit Meditation Technique, his thoughts and senses grew sharper, which only made the pain more acute. ...... The Southwind Outer City was not only home to the slums, but also to various manufacturing plants. Amidst the roar of machinery, Zhou Xian staggered into view. His face was deathly pale and his body was covered in blood. His right side was an empty space—his arm had been severed at the shoulder. The terror had yet to fade from his eyes as he stumbled toward the deepest part of the factory, where someone was already waiting for him. Seeing his wretched state, the person couldn’t help but startle, and hurriedly helped him into a hidden room. A man was waiting inside. He was burly and bald, with the mark of a Black Pupil on the crown of his head. "Priest." The man supporting Zhou Xian bowed his head respectfully before backing out of the room. "Priest, the one who came... it was Xia Hanshi!" Zhou Xian snarled, grinding his teeth. "But he would never have guessed that a backwater like Southwind City would have drawn a Priest here." "Letting me escape was the biggest mistake he’s ever made!" The Priest’s tone was impassive. "You’ve been exposed and the mission has failed. Next, I will sacrifice Southwind City. I will require some effort from you." "Sacrifice it?" Zhou Xian’s heart jumped. "We’re doing it now? We’re missing far too many materials, and the Sacrificial Array can’t be deployed." "I will summon the Holy Statue," the Priest stated flatly. Zhou Xian’s body trembled—whether from pain or fear, it was hard to say. "Do we really need to pay such a heavy price? Just for that... delectable Soul?" "You do not understand," the Priest said, offering no further explanation. Zhou Xian hesitated. "Then... what about my son?" "As I said, you have failed." Zhou Xian forced himself to speak. "Give me a few more days! The price of summoning the Holy Statue is too great. I will give you a confirmed target!" The Priest fixed his pitch-black eyes on him, and cold sweat beaded on Zhou Xian’s forehead. The Priest’s tone remained impassive. "I will continue the preparations. If you can bring me a precise target before the forced sacrifice begins, my previous promise will still stand." ...... At Southwind Academy, Xia Hanshi ascended to the top floor of the library. Using the supreme authority granted to a Chief Judge, he entered the core management room, accessed the administrative terminal, and pulled up the records. "Only borrowed twenty-six times in an entire year..." The virtual screen reflected Xia Hanshi’s gaunt face as he remarked coldly, "[Scholar] is such a precious profession, yet no one is willing to study it properly." "Hm? The imprint has been erased?" Closing the terminal, Xia Hanshi’s eyes shifted. ’This isn’t something a Tier Three Professional could accomplish. Looks like Southwind City really is hiding something big.’ ... 「Three days after the attack on the Ministry of Internal Affairs」 Even though Su Chen had been more restrained in his training during this period, he still made significant progress thanks to the influence of [Wise Man]. [Gale Hunter: 5%] [Secret Artifact Master: 83%] [E-level Gale Body Refining Technique--Skilled: 5%] [F-level Void Spirit Meditation Method--Mastery: 15%] Thanks to his innate Spirit Talent being stronger than his physical talent, after multiple enhancements, his progression speed for [Secret Artifact Master] was now even faster than it had been for [Sky Splitter Warrior]. ’At this rate, it won’t be long until I reach 100%. The Secret Scholar profession is just around the corner.’ Su Chen calculated, feeling incredibly motivated. He was about to finish his training for the day and go catch up with Zhang Hengyu. Zhang Yunqing had come by again yesterday, but after his previous act of resistance, Zhang Hengyu had clearly matured a great deal. This time, he refused to go back without a hint of hesitation, no matter what was said. Just then, however, the panel abruptly popped up. The [Black Tuo Followers] profession, which had been stuck in a "Brawling" state for a long time, finally showed a response. [...After a friendly exchange, the Black Tuo Followers have decided to abandon their original master and throw themselves into the host’s embrace. The profession has changed to—Believers.]