"Finnley, you bastard! You're ruthless enough to want to kill even us!"Finnley hurriedly hid behind his father, crying out his innocence, "It wasn't me! My birth date is among them, and so is my father's. If you want to know who it is, just look at whose birthdate isn't there."Then, Mercer spoke up, "Who else could it be? Of course, it's missing the birthdates of Matias' family!"As soon as these words were spoken, the room fell into a deathly silence.The three Ward brothers were the eldest, Matias, the second, Mercer, and the third, Mika. The three brothers were highly influential in political and business circles and ruled the three northeastern provinces!However, they were cousins. Mercer and Mika's fathers had passed away long ago, while Matias' father had died five years ago.Just then, Mercer's phone rang. It was Matias!"Mercer, how's Uncle?"Mercer glanced at Mika beside him and sighed, saying, "I'm not sure yet, but the situation looks very bad.""Really! I'll be
"What are you all doing in Orcreek? The Cabinet is fine, but you seem to have too much free time?" Tenan, sitting authoritatively in the grand master's chair, sternly rebuked his former students, subordinates, and disciples.Finally, his gaze fell on Matias."And you, a minister, dare to run around? Is this how you usually work?""Uncle, I'm sorry! I heard that you were critically ill, so I—" Matias instinctively tried to explain but stopped mid-sentence.He saw the other Wards family members kneeling on the ground, not daring to rise, and a dead fox lying there.He quickly turned to look outside the living room. He saw endless wheat fields through the courtyard gate but no sign of his guardian spirit. The dead fox on the ground was the same white fox that had just run out to play.Tenan glanced at the six men. "Why are you still standing there? I need to handle some family matters. You can leave now!"Tenan dismissed those six esteemed dignitaries like children.Matias watched
Finally, Tenan cried out in anguish, "And you dare to conspire with the Saffronesians to harm me?!"Mercer could not hold it any longer and shouted, "Uncle, this has nothing to do with me or Mika. It was all Matias' idea; he arranged everything."Mika also chimed in, "Yes! He said that if you were dead, he could advance to become a minister."Matias suddenly stood up, tearing into them. "What do you mean it was all my idea? Don't pretend you weren't involved. Didn't you also want Uncle's shares in the Black Mosaic Group?"That statement instantly ignited a fierce argument, but Tenan quickly silenced them."Enough!"Tenan pinched the bridge of his nose and, after a long pause, looked at them coldly."You've all deeply disappointed me. Mercer, Mika, do you really think the Black Mosaic Group belongs to you? It belongs to the country, understand?"Mercer and Mika were stunned, and then they panicked.Tenan's next words drove them to despair."I've already donated my shares. The
Tenan glanced at Chad and motioned to Weldon, who immediately understood and cleared the room, leaving only Chad, Tenan, and Third Grandpa Fox.Once the doors were closed, Tenan turned to Chad and said, "I was strongly against sending your sister away back then. A little girl going to the celestial realm was a death sentence. But the others agreed, and my opposition was futile."Chad was taken aback. He did not expect Tenan to reveal such a shocking secret before he asked any questions.Tenan said, "At that time, I saw that those willing to go were divided into two factions—the Descent Faction and the Survival Faction. The Descent Faction hoped that the so-called immortals would settle on earth so they could learn the secret to immortality from them."As for the so-called Survival Faction, they believed that if those immortals came to earth, they would slaughter humans indiscriminately. They wanted to get on good terms with the immortals, preparing to become traitors. "Along with
Perhaps in ancient times, the so-called celestial realm could indeed be seen in the sky. Otherwise, poetic sayings such as reaching out to pluck the stars would not exist.However, what Chad found hardest to accept was that, according to Tenan, his sister Snow was most likely dead.Chad, unwilling to accept that, asked, "Are you sure all those people are dead?"Tenan hesitated as if trying to recall something, then shook his head uncertainly. "Not exactly. In fact, only less than half can be confirmed dead. Many others are presumed dead because we received no feedback from their life chips."Chad said, "Maybe the chips malfunctioned. Those people might still be alive!"Tenan shook his head. "That's impossible. The chips were embedded in the cervical vertebrae, a very simple technology. They only needed to be exposed to electromagnetic waves from the satellite to be activated."Even if they were hundreds of meters underground, as long as the electromagnetic waves reached them, the
Waves of golden wheat rolled past the car window as Chad stared at the scenery outside, speaking as if to himself, "You were one of those sent to the celestial realm, and you came back from the firmament, didn't you?"Dark Phoenix was stunned for a long time, unable to answer. She had not expected Chad to ask such a question.Seeing her silence, Chad continued, "When all of you went, each of you had a life-detection chip implanted in the back of your necks. How did you manage to remove them?"Dark Phoenix felt like she was going crazy, unable to understand how Chad knew that, but she still did not speak.Chad's next words shook her even more. "The first ones who tried to remove the chips all died. Even those who succeeded didn't live long. Even if someone had the cultivation level of an earthbound immortal, they couldn't withstand the backlash from removing the chip."Dark Phoenix shuddered and instinctively moved closer to the corner of the car.Chad, still looking out the windo
"Got it!" Weldon said as he turned off the engine, got out of the car, and padded to Chad's side. After whispering something, Chad shook his head and refused. "It's not right for me. I'm leaving!"Watching Chad depart, Weldon returned to the car and asked Dark Phoenix, "Where to? Should I take you to the Bellenuite Tower or..." His voice trailed off as he smiled mysteriously, glancing at Dark Phoenix through the rearview mirror."Do you know who I am? Why don't you tell him?" Dark Phoenix showed no surprise. "Some are blinded by the authorities, while others see clearly from the sidelines."Weldon grinned broadly. "How do you know Dr. Jennings didn't see through it? And how do you know he isn't pretending? You have your secrets, and so does Dr. Jennings. I won't reveal them just yet because it's not time to expose everything."Dark Phoenix opened the door, exited the car, and said, "I'm here. You can go now."Weldon lowered the car window, glanced at Dark Phoenix, and then departe
Chad never expected Evergrow to infiltrate a psychiatric hospital.The car quickly arrived at Bloomington Psychiatric Hospital, where Chad saw security personnel surrounding the perimeter. In the distance, he also noticed numerous special agents' vehicles parked inside the hospital, with many undercover agents busy at work.After Chad got out of the car, he walked straight toward the hospital gate, where a crowd had already gathered. Those were relatives of the patients, but instead of causing a commotion, they silently watched."I hope he dies, so we don't have to be burdened anymore!""It's been over a decade, and we've done all we could.""Having a lunatic in the family is nothing but trouble. If he dies, we'll be relieved!"Such remarks from the patients' relatives made Chad feel uneasy. He could not help but glance back at Matilda, realizing she was genuinely worried about her mother and brother.Chad also understood the sentiments of the patients' families—a mentally ill p
As Chad sat in meditation on Decaying Peaks, a faint, glowing white immortal crown slowly appeared behind his head. When that immortal crown manifested, a quake occurred everywhere outside Mount Causabour. The frequency of those tremors was extremely high, and everyone could clearly feel them. The vast area they covered included the entire Hacniane. It was as if some ancient seal in the vast sky had been triggered.Chad opened his eyes in shock amid his breakthrough, realizing that the impending heavenly punishment seemed to be directed at him and the millions of mystical beings beneath Mount Causabour.Suddenly, a thunderous voice erupted in the sky, as loud as a bolt of lightning:"Cut off the road to the heavens, seal the underworld; a red banner halts a million immortals, and a red star exterminates ghosts and demons!"Sever Yggdrasil, raise the grand array; a handful of Evergrow blocks the celestial river, and the vast multiverse bows to humanity!"By decree, this is a real
Sir Holt anxiously looked up at the sky as the tribulation clouds suddenly began to churn violently.Crack! Crack! Crack!At that moment, the first bolt of heavenly punishment finally struck.However, that bolt of divine lightning fell upon the mirage of the Mystic Archive, where it disappeared without a trace. The entire Mount Causabour shook a few times, and everyone could feel a soothing sensation within the mountain.Anyone who felt this would experience a surge of confidence deep within, and any discomfort they felt in their bodies seemed to improve significantly.On Decaying Peaks, that sensation was even more pronounced, and more and more people began to manifest the immortal crown behind their heads. In just a few minutes, nearly everyone on Decaying Peaks, hundreds of people in total, had an immortal crown appear behind them.That included Flynn and Harvey, who were sitting on the outskirts of Decaying Peaks. They, too, had immortal crowns appear behind their heads.How
Sir Holt and Zayan looked up at the sky with expressionless faces, though their hearts were in turmoil. Within the rolling clouds, faint traces of multicolored light shimmered.As time passed, the colorful lights appeared more frequently, as if gradually consuming the clouds."Such intense ascension light—there must be tens of thousands ascending!""There are probably more. The latest statistics show that 264,777 people have entered Mount Causabour!""Over 260,000? How did so many people get here?"Zayan looked at Sir Holt in shock, and Sir Holt turned his gaze toward the winding mountain road leading into the area."There are still many more people outside trying to get in, but the place is already so crowded that they can't fit."Zayan looked with concern toward the entrance to the mountain. "Won't those stuck on the road cause a disturbance?""They won't!" Sir Holt said with certainty. "Unless they're fools, they've probably already started meditating where they are. Even if
Among the 250,000 people, quite a few were not actually autistic patients. After sleeping for two full days, Chad woke up and realized that possibility. He carefully considered the potential issues that might arise during the process and decided to issue an announcement."The treatment will begin shortly. Non-autistic patients are advised to leave the Mount Causabour area to avoid unnecessary complications."That announcement was broadcast three times through loudspeakers positioned throughout Mount Causabour. Finally, the loudspeaker voice declared, "The treatment will officially begin in one hour!"At the same time, Chad made his way to the Decaying Peaks, the summit of Mount Causabour, where an over-century-old pavilion stood.Entering the pavilion, Chad sat down in a meditative position. Soon, he noticed a dense crowd gathering around the pavilion, all sitting in meditation poses around him.As Chad glanced over those people, he recognized several familiar faces. The people ar
Mount Causabour Medical Center, built halfway up Mount Causabour, was a sizable palace-style complex with three courtyards. The center was constructed along the mountain's slope, extending all the way to the base of the Decaying Peaks. Flynn and Harvey were placed in the innermost courtyard, suggesting that their grandfather, Fenton Cooper, likely knew some inside information but had not shared it with his grandsons.On that day, the Hacniane Cabinet issued several announcements. First, they created separate legislation for ability users and cultivators to regulate their powers. Second, they planned to designate special zones in each city for ability users and Mystics, separating them from ordinary people. Lastly, they urgently introduced the Sixteen Temporary Rules for Ability Users and Mystic Practitioners to regulate their behavior.Those announcements seemed like they were aimed at restricting ability users, but in reality, they were meant to reassure ordinary people, ensurin
A massive leap in the realm could bring unimaginable fortune to the dragon vein, potentially altering Hacniane's fate.That was also Chad's grand gift to the two elders, using the sudden surge in the dragon vein's power to help Hacniane avoid the impending catastrophe triggered by the nuclear explosion of the firmament.Earlier that day, through Chad's Clairvoyant Eye, he saw Kennington shrouded in a faint gray-black mist. Chad did not know what it was but felt it resembled Evergrow, yet not quite the same.However, Chad was certain that accidents would surely happen if ordinary people were exposed to it in large quantities. As a Mystic, he could already feel its effects on his body.At that moment, Sir Holt got into the car, looking at Chad with a solemn expression. "Kid, give me the bottom line!"After careful consideration, Chad laid out his thoughts. Upon hearing them, Sir Holt began to tremble. According to Chad, he would need to mobilize at least 100,000 troops to ensure the
Having a Mystic Archive and unlocking a Mystic Archive were two different matters. Only a handful of people were recorded to have a Mystic Archive throughout history. There were only two earliest verifiable individuals with documented works still in existence.The first was Hugo Gerant, a renowned physician from an ancient empire, a practitioner of Mystic Therapeutics, and an alchemist. His surviving medical works include The Hundred Letters, Gerant's Emergency Treatments, and the famous Embracing Simplicity.After his death, several notable physicians throughout history have inadvertently inherited his Mystic Archive, but none have fully inherited it. It was said that Mystics knew the method to obtain Gerant's Mystic Archive a thousand years ago, but that knowledge had since been lost.The second individual is Damian Lotin, a figure from another ancient dynasty. He left behind many works, including one titled The Whisper of the Blue Plant.Aside from them, other people who possess
Chad gave them a cold smile. "Extract the immortal bone to cure the illness.""No! Absolutely not! I won't allow it!""Me neither. There's no way we can let that happen!"The entire room erupted into panic. Some even tried to attack Chad, but they were quickly subdued.Chad looked at them and said, "Then tell me the truth.""I'll speak! I failed my tribulation and fell from the celestial realm. I used to have nine crowns, but now I'm down to five...""And me! I also fell from the celestial realm after failing my tribulation. Now I only have three crowns...""I disguised myself as one of the wounded soldiers and was brought here. After losing all my cultivation, I've since regained two crowns!""I was brought back from the firmament by my husband. After we arrived here, I lost all my cultivation and never practiced again. We had a child later, and he was perfectly normal, but I never expected my grandson to..."As those people spoke, Zayan and Sir Holt were stunned! Those peopl
"You know the cause of the illness?"Zayan was shocked, almost in disbelief."Do you realize this child is the same age as you? Even your master examined him but couldn't find the cause!"Chad nodded and said, "But I do know, and I have a bold theory—that the cause of autism in all these children might be the same..."As he spoke, some thoughts suddenly flashed through Chad's mind, shocking even him, leading him to say, "And I suspect this might be related to the increasing number of ability users and cultivators over the past century!""Really?!"Zayan grabbed Chad's arm, hardly believing what he was hearing.However, Chad spoke with firm conviction, "It's very likely true, but I need to see more children with autism.""Wait here; I'll make arrangements right away!"Soon, Chad and his group arrived at the largest hospital in Kennington, the Ninth Military District Hospital, and Xyder was also brought along. Chad saw hundreds of children with autism there!Before entering the