Chapter 68: Chapter 68: Changes from the Advancement ’The ways I can use my Spiritual Power are more powerful and diverse now. I don’t have to just use it as a sharp spike, which gives me more options.’ ’The Secret Artifact-related abilities all fused into one, probably because their affinities were similar?’ Su Chen mused. It was just as he’d expected: his control limit had increased by one, which was just enough to take control of the Cyan Scale Armor. As for the final Professional Ability, he couldn’t quite figure it out. He had known for a while that the Professional Ability gained by a Secret Scholar was different for everyone, depending on what they experienced in the Delirious Words Trial. But the description still surprised him. "Steal?" The image of the four-headed, twin-winged being surfaced in his mind again. ’Is it really a Deceitful God?’ Rubbing his hands together, Su Chen was eager to try it. With just a thought, his Spiritual Power surged and gushed forth. The air before him suddenly CRACKLED. A faint red bolt of lightning materialized from thin air, and a burnt smell filled the room. Su Chen’s heart skipped a beat, and he quickly dispelled the lightning. The ability was even stronger than he’d anticipated. Charging it for just a moment had drained nearly a tenth of his Spiritual Power. ’I can probably only use it once or twice, but its power is definitely impressive.’ Su Chen was astounded. He didn’t dare to rashly test it again and instead prepared to bring the Cyan Scale Armor under his control. After making his selection, Spiritual Power flowed out, gradually infusing the Armor that covered his entire body. He immediately felt as if it were an extension of his own body. Pulling aside his clothes, he saw the scales begin to shift with a crisp, metallic clinking sound. They even started to gather in one spot, stacking layer upon layer. The Cyan Scale Armor was, in essence, just a Tier Two Item. It was made with a lot of materials, but automatic equipping was its limit. Achieving this kind of targeted defense was impossible for the armor on its own. But with his control, Su Chen could do it with ease. Even in the middle of a battle, he could use Dual-tasking to adjust the armor and reinforce its defenses. ’With multiple layers of scales stacked, its defense is comparable to Tier Three.’ Su Chen thought. ’And it can be enhanced even further.’ At this thought, currents of cyan wind gathered and gradually adhered to the Cyan Scale Armor. Ripple-like patterns appeared on the surface of the scales as each piece of Scale Armor absorbed the Wind Element. The cyan scales turned a deeper hue, and faint cyan streams of light seeped from the gaps. These streams intertwined on the Armor’s surface, flickering intermittently. ’Raging Wind Barrier is stacked directly onto the Cyan Scale Armor, enhancing its defensive strength yet again.’ Su Chen patted the Scale Armor. ’No wonder everyone pursues Top-tier Professions.’ He once again felt the power of a Top-tier Profession. His Tier One Secret Artifact Master profession was still providing him with a powerful boost. And his own two Tier Two Professions both showed potential for an imminent transformation. "Hooo..." Su Chen let out a breath and massaged his brow. His advancement had just ended, and his Spiritual Power hadn’t stabilized yet. After running a series of ability tests, he felt a bit exhausted. ’Now, Tier Two Meditation Potions have to be put on the agenda. And a Meditation Technique... It seems this isn’t something Old Sun can handle.’ Su Chen sighed and decided to just go out and get a meal with Zhang Hengyu. Zhang Hengyu had a miserable look on his face, but when he saw Su Chen was finally taking a break, a visible flicker of excitement appeared in his eyes. The guy was too damn hardcore! He’d never seen someone grind this hard! ... The next day, Fatty Sun came to deliver the weekly ration of Fog Poison Potion, and Su Chen asked about Pan Yu. Fatty Sun pondered for a moment. "You mean about Pan Yu? Yeah, it’s still under investigation. A lot of people suspect his disappearance is related to the Deceitful God Sect, so the City Lord specifically formed an investigation team to see if they can find any leads." When he heard from Su Chen that the investigation team had already questioned him, Fatty Sun flew into a rage. "Are they nuts?" he snapped. "What are they investigating you for?" "The others might not know any better, but does Qin Cheng not get it either?" "Just routine procedure, routine procedure," Su Chen said, placating Fatty Sun instead. Fatty Sun muttered and cursed, saying he would definitely go back and settle the score with Qin Cheng. "Those guys must be pretty capable, right? Otherwise, they wouldn’t have been chosen by the City Lord," Su Chen said, as if making small talk. "I’ve heard of that Zhou Mingguang fellow," Sun Tai said thoughtfully. "He’s highly regarded by the City Lord—steady and methodical. He’s a Tier Two Upper Rock Guard, and his professional progression is already in its latter stages. He probably has a chance to become a Tier Three Professional." "As for Yu Xuan, he’s a pretty low-key guy with a good reputation. He handles matters fairly and is universally praised. He’s a Tier Two Upper Frost Cold Envoy, but his professional progression probably isn’t that far along." "And Qin Cheng?" Sun Tai sneered. "He’s only involved because Pan Yu was one of his subordinates. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be his turn to lead anything in the Inspectorate." "I see," Su Chen said, lost in thought. After seeing Fatty Sun off, he opened the metal box and couldn’t help but chuckle. "Brother Sun, you’re a true brother." The three vials of Fog Poison Potion from the original ration had mysteriously become four. This stuff didn’t have a regular market in Southwind. Never mind the black market; even when circulated secretly within the Inspectorate, a vial cost five to six thousand gold. Adding an extra one for him must have pained Fatty Sun’s wallet. ... That evening, a week after the joint investigation team’s last visit, Su Chen was surprised when Yu Xuan came looking for him again. "Surprised?" Yu Xuan knocked, looked at Su Chen with a chuckle, and walked right in without waiting for an invitation. Su Chen narrowed his eyes and closed the door. "Tsk, tsk. Nice place you’ve got here." Yu Xuan surveyed the room and remarked, "Let’s see, it’s only been a few months since you were a refugee eating relief meals, and now you’re the Deputy Section Chief of the Inspectorate’s patrol division." "You probably couldn’t have even dreamed of a life like this before, right?" Su Chen looked at the man’s triumphant expression, his own face remaining impassive. The man had come openly, completely unafraid of any potential surveillance outside. "I never thought the Faceless Ghost would extend its reach here..." Yu Xuan’s expression darkened, and his voice grew cold. "Hand over what you took. Otherwise, the status you’ve worked so hard to build will go up in flames." ’Faceless Ghost?’ ’He doesn’t see me as a Black Tuo Follower. Do they know I’m faking it?’ ’Judging from Yu Xuan’s tone, Black Tuo and the Faceless Ghost seem to be on the same level—both are Deceitful Gods. Are the different branches of the Deceitful God Sect fighting amongst themselves?’ Su Chen was inwardly surprised but remained silent, waiting to see what else the man would reveal. "Your ambitions are hardly small, so why interfere in our business?" Seeing his silence, Yu Xuan sneered. "To get yourself close to Yuan Chenyang, you actually used us as a stepping stone." "You clearly underestimate us." After thinking it over, Su Chen finally gave an all-purpose response: "What do you want?" "Hand over the power of my Lord that you devoured, as well as the Space Crystal you took. And finally, do us a small favor," Yu Xuan said in a low voice. ’He really thinks he has me cornered.’ Su Chen wasn’t surprised by the first two demands. "What favor?" he pressed. "Corrupt Yuan Chenyang," he said, his tone cold. "Zhou Xian is worthless now. You must compensate us with a new pawn." "That’s too difficult," Su Chen said, shaking his head. "That’s your problem. If you don’t agree, then we’ll have mutual destruction. Your identity as one of the Deceitful God’s Followers will be exposed. Trading my life for yours would still be a win for me." Yu Xuan gave a cunning smile and said sinisterly, "In order to infiltrate, you must be just a low-level Believer, retaining a significant degree of independent thought." "Think about the life you have now. Consider your options carefully." Yu Xuan didn’t demand an immediate answer. He patted Su Chen’s shoulder and left as if he owned the place. "Honestly..." Su Chen glanced at his left shoulder and muttered, "I happen to be a few ’friends’ short for my Path of the Hunter." The night was pitch-black. Su Chen skillfully slipped out the window and pulled out a pair of binoculars. A blurry dark figure was already far in the distance, seemingly carried by the wind. Su Chen had left a small spiritual trace on Yu Xuan—a refined application of Spiritual Power he had gained after his advancement. It allowed him to vaguely sense the target’s location, and although the range was only three to four hundred meters, it made tracking much more flexible. ’He’s heading toward the outer city again. Is he going to report to someone?’ Su Chen wondered, following from a distance. He discovered that Yu Xuan wasn’t heading home; instead, he deliberately took deserted roads, finally arriving near a factory. ’The factory district...’ Su Chen’s gaze swept over the area. It was vast and still brightly lit. ’Is he here to report? To whom? Zhou Xian? Or other members of the Deceitful God Sect?’ A series of questions popped into Su Chen’s mind. Attacking rashly was out of the question. It was time to use his old trick: call for backup! Su Chen stealthily contacted Fatty Sun, claiming he had another tip. Old Sun was thrilled, but Su Chen cautiously insisted that Du Jingming had to lead the team. Du Jingming was one of the Deputy Chiefs of the Inspectorate, Du Yu’s father, and also a Tier Three Professional. However, he was an Incomplete Tier Three. He was no longer young, and since it was impossible for him to meet all the advancement requirements, he had risked forcing the profession change and had barely succeeded. The failure rate for a forced advancement was very high. Even if successful, one couldn’t awaken a Professional Ability, and professional progression would stagnate, leaving no path forward. But at the end of the day, he was still a Tier Three Professional. Fatty Sun’s tone on the phone grew much more serious, and he repeatedly asked for confirmation of the situation. Su Chen was vague, not mentioning that Zhou Xian might be there. He only said the information came from a former refugee friend of his. After waiting quietly for two or three hours, Su Chen saw a patrol airship descending in the distance. Compared to last time, there were clearly a lot more people.