Chapter 142: Undercurrents Surge 【holy Hand】 Power
According to Bu Siqi’s deduction, when Chu Xuan died, Wei Yinshuo was likely overwhelmed by a blood sacrifice situation and subsequently lost contact, thus having no opportunity to learn of the event.
“What’s his condition now?” Su Chen couldn’t help but ask.
“I don’t know, probably undergoing emergency rescue. After all, he’s a Chief Judge.” Bu Siqi shrugged, saying ‘enraged’ was just an emotional outburst, “The Chief Judge definitely won’t let him die.”
Speaking of which, he sighed with emotion, “This is what it means to be a Chief Judge. Even if he caused two cities to be sacrificed due to his own mistake, it probably won’t amount to much.”
“When will Teacher return?” Su Chen asked again.
Bu Siqi shook his head, “It’s said that those few Chief Judges have found many clues and are pursuing them, so they probably won’t be back anytime soon.”
Su Chen frowned, feeling disappointed.
“Wei Yinshuo…”
………
The Medical Department within the Court of Justice is located in the southeast corner, quite secluded.
Thanks to various potions, the robust recovery abilities of professionals, and the internal security of Ying Feng, the main force of judges rarely suffers major injuries.
Its presence in the Court of Justice is not significant, and few people visit on a daily basis.
But today was different, with judges from the Disciplinary Department standing guard at the entrance.
In the top-floor medical room, Wei Yinshuo’s body was suspended in the pale green liquid of a cylindrical medical pod, with countless fine bubbles rising along his damaged torso.
His injuries were horrific; there was almost no intact flesh on his entire body, and black blood continuously seeped out.
The repair fluid formed a vortex over the wounds, and new granulation tissue interwove and reconstructed at a visible speed. The circulation system on the side of the medical pod continuously replaced the liquid’s color.
Whenever the green liquid became too turbid, the filtration device would light up with a blue glow, drawing out the liquid and injecting new repair fluid.
On either side of the pod stood four medical professionals, their foreheads beaded with sweat, emitting green light from their hands. They sketched and interwoven in the liquid, converging on Wei Yinshuo’s fragmented limbs to reconstruct them.
Suddenly, Wei Yinshuo’s condition, which had just begun to improve, worsened again, and the seemingly repaired wounds tore open.
A large amount of black liquid gushed out, dyeing the repair fluid a dark brown.
Drip–drip–
The real-time detection device outside the medical pod continuously refreshed its data stream, while Wei Yinshuo’s eyelids twitched, as if he had finally regained consciousness.
“Stop…” the Head of Medical Care hurriedly shouted. The four of them simultaneously ceased their actions, and a mechanical arm suspended from the ceiling lifted Wei Yinshuo out of the pod and placed him on a nearby bed.
“Thankfully… thankfully…” he wiped his sweat, looking at Wei Yinshuo, who was slowly opening his eyes.
“How is it? How has the repair progressed?”
As soon as he walked out, he was questioned by Chong Jingtian. Jiang Shumo and You Shan, rubbing their temples, stood behind him.
Nearby, several anxious-looking Senior Judges were present, including Xue Fei.
“He’s awake…” Facing several Chief Judges, the person in charge felt immense pressure. “Judge Wei’s injuries are too severe, and his body still contains extremely corrosive Strange God Power.”
“Before, he had no self-awareness. Forcing the repair would only turn his body into a battlefield, thus harming him.”
“Fortunately, Chief Judge You just repaired his Spirit Body. Now that he’s awake, we can use more methods.”
Hearing this, Chong Jingtian breathed a sigh of relief. Confirming that Wei Yinshuo could now communicate, he led Jiang Shumo and You Shan inside.
“Chief…” Seeing Chong Jingtian enter, the somewhat dazed Wei Yinshuo attempted to sit up but was met with sharp pain.
“Just lie down,” Chong Jingtian waved his hand, asking with concern, “What exactly happened? How did you get so badly injured?”
A bitter smile appeared on Wei Yinshuo’s drawn face. “It’s all my fault. Because of personal grudges, I disregarded Xia Hanshi’s warning, which led to this great disaster.”
“Two cities were sacrificed by Heituo Followers, and I was severely wounded. I fled for months before I barely escaped.”
Chong Jingtian’s eyes flickered slightly. He naturally knew about the cities being sacrificed; he needed to know the details, so he continued to ask:
“Heituo usually prefers twisted Spirit Bodies, but according to the information we’ve gathered, it seems the Heituo Followers didn’t inflict much torture before performing the blood sacrifice.”
“That’s right…” Wei Yinshuo’s expression turned solemn. “It was precisely because of this that they caught me off guard. This blood sacrifice is very strange. They seem to have stored the evil substances formed from Flesh and Blood and Spirit Bodies, rather than directly offering them to the Strange God as usual.”
“Stored them.” Chong Jingtian’s expression darkened slightly.
Jiang Shumo then asked, “Old Wei, where did you escape from?”
“…The High Priest of Heituo pursued me all the way. I didn’t dare to approach any cities along the way, I just kept fleeing numbly.” As he spoke, Wei Yinshuo’s face turned pale, and he coughed incessantly, black blood oozing from his lips.
“His Spirit Body was almost shattered. I managed to repair it, but it will take a long time for him to fully recover,” You Shan explained.
“Chief, the Cult of the Strange God is making a major move. We cannot afford to be careless,” Wei Yinshuo said urgently.
“I know. You should rest well for now,” Chong Jingtian sighed. He turned and saw several Senior Judges standing at the doorway; they were all Wei Yinshuo’s students, their expressions filled with concern.
Suddenly, he seemed to recall something, his gaze drifting somewhat. He turned back with a helpless expression, “Old Fourth, there’s something you need to be mentally prepared for.”
Wei Yinshuo, pale and writhing in pain, looked even more bewildered upon hearing this.
“Chu Xuan… is dead,” Chong Jingtian felt a sense of shame even as he said it.
“Chu Xuan…” Wei Yinshuo’s face froze. His weak voice carried disbelief, and then his voice rose a few octaves, “Dead?”
Wei Yinshuo even thought he had misheard. Chu Xuan was not only his student but also a Core Seed of the Court of Justice, with Ink Jade Talent.
He was the heir he had placed high hopes on, a potential seed who could compete for Chief Judge. How could he be dead?
After the disbelief, a sense of absurdity filled his chest, making him momentarily think Chong Jingtian was joking.
“Chief, this…” Wei Yinshuo didn’t even know how to ask, his head throbbing faintly. “What on earth happened! Who… who killed him!”
“I bear the primary responsibility for this matter,” Chong Jingtian said gravely. “The person who killed him was Meng Qi.”
“Meng Qi?” Wei Yinshuo recalled a timid figure in his mind, the young man who often followed Chu Xuan.
“He dared to kill Chu Xuan?” Wei Yinshuo was still incredulous. “He could kill Chu Xuan?”
“He is a kind of…” Chong Jingtian thought for a long time before saying, “a special lifeform, related to the Faceless Ghost. We didn’t see it at all.”
Wei Yinshuo fell silent, then began to cough, spitting out large mouthfuls of black blood. After a long while, he stopped, his voice extremely weak. “Where… where is he?”
“Dead,” Jiang Shumo, seeing Chong Jingtian’s awkwardness, answered for him.
“He’s dead too?” Wei Yinshuo was stunned, not expecting so many things to have happened after he left.
“Mhm,” Jiang Shumo nodded. “Killed by Teng Liang.”
Teng Liang… Wei Yinshuo paused, Xia Hanshi’s student.
“The whole thing can’t be explained in a few words. Your students are all waiting for you. Let them tell you,” Jiang Shumo gestured for the Senior Judges outside to come in.
Chong Jingtian and the others told him to rest well and then left the room.
Wei Yinshuo was helpless; he couldn’t blame Chong Jingtian.
“Teacher…” Several Senior Judges stood by, their expressions worried.
“Uncle…” Xue Fei’s eyes were red.
“Xue Fei…” Wei Yinshuo fixed his gaze on his nephew and said angrily, “What exactly happened? Didn’t I tell you to keep an eye on Chu Xuan?”
Xue Fei’s eyes flickered, and he showed a complex expression. He explained helplessly, “…Uncle, it’s not that I didn’t watch him. This matter is truly…”
He explained word by word, from Chu Xuan’s combat with Su Chen, to his death, then Meng Qi’s death, and finally the trial of Teng Liang.
“…He actually died in the Court of Justice… and Heituo Followers identified him…” Wei Yinshuo truly didn’t expect things to be so complicated.
“Teacher, this matter is really strange. Teng Liang is still detained in the Adjudication Department. Do you want to personally investigate?” Xue Fei said in a low voice. “As for Su Chen, if that battle hadn’t dealt a blow to Chu Xuan, perhaps he wouldn’t have died.”
Wei Yinshuo remained silent for a long time, his gaze sharp. “Who told you to say that?”
“This…” Xue Fei faltered, then said awkwardly, “These are all facts. Many people can testify.”
“Get out,” Wei Yinshuo said coldly.
“Uncle,” Xue Fei called out.
“Scram!” Wei Yinshuo snapped, coughing repeatedly.
“Please don’t be angry, I’m leaving.” Xue Fei looked terrified and quickly turned to leave, a glint of malice flashing in his eyes. “Old guy!”
Wei Yinshuo was left alone in the entire medical room. He looked at the ceiling, his eyes lost.
“…This is your Court of Justice. Such a good student, dead just like that… and died in the Court of Justice…”
A voice suddenly sounded in his ear, but Wei Yinshuo was not surprised. He responded in his mind, “You say, have I fooled them?”
The voice replied, “More or less. You’re so badly injured, the suspicion will only remain within a certain limit. Moreover, I exist within you in the form of residual power, and no one can detect any abnormality.”
Wei Yinshuo asked, “Can you contact the Heituo Followers in Ying Feng and ask them why they identified me, and how Chu Xuan really died.”
“You will have a long and enduring life. A student is just one, there will be many in the future. Why bother caring?” The voice did not agree, only saying:
“It’s even better that he’s dead now. Those few high-ranking officials won’t test you further because of this matter.”
Wei Yinshuo sighed, “What a shame. I could have sacrificed him to Heituo. After all, he had Ink Jade Talent, worthy of tasting.”
This statement silenced even the voice.
“I didn’t expect Su Chen to be so powerful. No wonder your deity has taken an interest in him…” Wei Yinshuo added, “I hope Your Excellency will keep your promise.”
“Don’t worry, after success, you will not only survive but my Lord will also bestow upon you a life so long that you yourself will find it tiresome.”
……
“Old Wei, should be fine, right?” Chong Jingtian emerged from the Medical Department, looking at the two beside him hesitantly.
You Shan said, “His Spirit Body shows no abnormalities, and it was almost shattered, truly on the verge of death. I feel it should be fine.”
“On the verge of death, but still didn’t die. We can’t rule out a Ruse of Self-Injury,” Jiang Shumo shook his head. You Shan frowned.
Jiang Shumo added, “However, his injuries won’t heal anytime soon, so we don’t need to worry too much.”
“I plan to trace back from where he appeared to see if I can find any clues. Also, the people from Yuan Du will be here soon, so I’ll go to meet them as well.”
“Mhm,” Chong Jingtian nodded and instructed, “Be careful.”
……
The news of Wei Yinshuo’s serious injury upon his return caused quite a stir in the Court of Justice. Many people went to visit him, surprised by the severity of his injuries.
At the same time, Chu Xuan’s death was mentioned again, with many sighs and laments.
There were even rumors that when Wei Yinshuo, in his severely injured state, went to see Chu Xuan’s corpse, he shed tears on the spot and nearly fainted.
The lively atmosphere of Yuan Qing Festival quietly passed, and another half a month went by in the blink of an eye.
In the gravity chamber, Su Chen’s brow was furrowed. His entire body was suspended in mid-air, his hair floating upwards against gravity, as if immersed in an invisible ocean of energy.
Azure electric snakes writhed wildly around him. On his left side, a grayish-blue air vortex swirled, the airflow condensing into a mixture of ice crystals and dust. His right side burned with a flame ranging from crimson to gold, with the core continuously exploding, scorching the surrounding air into distorted ripples.
These elemental powers interwove and converted with each other, eventually merging into one and gradually calming down.
【 Mystic Arts Master Profession Development progress reached 50%, gaining Profession Ability–Holy Hand: Extract all mental power to strengthen the next used Profession Ability. 】
It was indeed the Profession Development reaching 50% that awakened a new Profession Ability.
Su Chen slowly descended from mid-air, let out a breath, restrained his surging mental power, and carefully examined the newly awakened ability.
“Extracting mental power to strengthen attacks…” Su Chen felt curious and immediately attempted it.
Upon trying to activate the new ability, he immediately felt his mental power being continuously drained and gathered in a certain part of his body, transforming into a special kind of energy.
However, he soon felt his head grow dizzy, which was a sign of his mental power being depleted.
It was just that he had often experienced this feeling recently to complete the requirements for the 【 Reverse Yuan Practitioner 】 profession, so he could still hold on.
“This damn thing, my head’s already swimming, how can I fight?” Su Chen persisted, wanting to build up his power, but in his current state, he feared losing control and making a fool of himself.
He simply activated the Indestructible Gang Thunder Armor, and instantly, the strange power formed from his mental energy exploded.
Su Chen’s body was almost enveloped in blazing lightning radiance, then rapidly converged, transitioning from a scattered state to a condensed one.
The electric light was forcibly compressed into liquid plasma, flowing rapidly along Su Chen’s muscle and vein network.
These blazing white energy streams instantly cooled upon contact with his skin, solidifying into a crystal coating with a metallic sheen.
Interlocking armor plates, tightly fitted like dragon scales, rapidly formed a thunderous armor covering his entire body. Each piece of armor contained flowing thunder patterns within.
“It has indeed strengthened a lot.”
Su Chen endured his fatigue, looking at the thunderous armor covering his body. To intuitively perceive the ability’s changes, he had not applied the ability to his scale armor.
