"Ah..."

"Ah-choo!"

With a sneeze, Gu Shen abruptly woke up.

In his last memory, there was a pitch-black expanse, endless garbled code, and a blurry figure... It seemed that the dream of the awakening was not completely shattered yet, as Chu Ling's spiritual connection with him was abruptly cut off, and he immediately fell into a deep sleep.

And after waking up.

The first thing he saw was a pair of sunglasses covering most of the facial features, still displaying an attractive face.

However, the owner of this attractive face was currently full of disgust, holding a knife and clutching the corner of his windbreaker, drifting away as far as possible.

Was it really necessary just because he sneezed... Gu Shen secretly flipped off the bad woman in his heart.

"Gu Shen, you're awake."

Hearing his senior sister's voice, Gu Shen fully regained his consciousness.

There was no concept of time in the dream world.

From comprehending "Awakening" in the dream to waking up now, how long had it been?

Could it be that he had actually broken the fastest record of the Judgment Hall...

"Senior sister." Gu Shen scratched his head. "How long... did I sleep?"

"Not long, only four hours." Luo Senior Sister casually brushed it off.

Gu Shen breathed a sigh of relief.

That's good, that's good.

"Little Gu." Zhong Senior Brother approached, concerned. "In that dream just now, what did you see?"

Little Gu... It had been a long time since someone called him that.

Gu Shen didn't mind. After thinking for a moment, he honestly replied, "I dreamt... that I went to a vast wilderness. The scenery there was beautiful, with lots of grass that stretched as far as the eye could see. Then... it started to rain."

Since he pretended to have spent four hours comprehending "Awakening," he needed to act a little foolish now.

Gu Shen was quite skilled at this.

He vividly described the scene of the "Awakening" dream, then ambiguously skipped over the details of his comprehension, pretending to be clueless and stumbled upon it.

After finishing his narration, Gu Shen showcased his achievement. "Senior sister... In that dream, it seems like I comprehended something extraordinary—"

The breathing technique of "Awakening" had already been deeply imprinted in his mind.

After speaking, Gu Shen followed the rhythm and cadence in his mind to breathe, and his entire aura instantly lowered. His eyes sparkled, and he could clearly feel his spiritual power condensing.

And there was also a faint warm and clear stream flowing slowly in the back of his head.

"Mm... Not bad." Luo Senior Sister nodded. "This is the 'thing' I want to give you. This breathing technique is called 'Awakening.' Remember, during the upcoming special training, you must make this breathing technique become your instinct. Whether you're eating, sleeping, or doing anything else, always maintain the breathing of 'Awakening.'"

So that's how it is.

Gu Shen secretly nodded. If he replaced his original breathing with the breathing of "Awakening," not only would his meager spiritual power become more stable, but it would also gradually increase.

He couldn't help but sigh. Gu Changzhi, who single-handedly created this breathing technique, was truly a rare genius!

Suddenly, Gu Shen thought of something.

If the duration of comprehension determined spiritual potential... then spending four hours might be a bit too long.

Gu Shen cautiously probed, "Senior sister... Did I sleep for a bit too long?"

Luo Senior Sister glanced at him.

"You're a smart person, you should have guessed that the duration of comprehending 'Awakening' is related to potential." She casually said, "Spending four hours to comprehend 'Awakening' should be considered the bottom in the spiritual department. Don't mention this matter to others."

Indeed... he slept for a bit too long.

Gu Shen bitterly smiled in his heart. He had successfully become the last one, as he had wished, and this feeling was not pleasant at all.

His senior sister, who wanted to see his potential, should be very disappointed now, right?

Unexpectedly, after Luo Senior Sister finished speaking, she hesitated for a moment.

She patted Gu Shen's shoulder, unusually gentle, and said seriously, "Since you have comprehended 'Awakening,' it means you still have talent. Don't compete with yourself... The duration of comprehending a mere breathing technique doesn't represent anything."

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Gu Shen was stunned.

Was Luo Senior Sister... comforting him? Was she worried about the upcoming assessment and the pressure he would face?

Due to the Transcendent incident, Luo Senior Sister's temper was unpredictable, but such gentleness was probably rare.

Only then did he realize that his senior sister's smile was quite cute.

"Alright."

The smile on Luo Senior Sister's face disappeared, and she said seriously, "The next task is still very demanding. We don't have time to waste."

...

...

"Boom rumble rumble—"

Above the abandoned construction site, which was tightly guarded by a security line, the helicopter's rotor blades spun, emitting a low rumble.

The security personnel all looked up, witnessing an incredible scene.

When it was about ten meters above the ground.

A man dressed in a gray-black suit, wearing gold-rimmed glasses, with a refined face, held a briefcase in one hand and forcefully opened the cabin with the other. He silently looked down at the black dots on the ground, his eyes cold and pitiful, as if he was watching a group of ants.

Then, he spread his arms and descended straight down like a bird—

"Boom!"

The ground erupted in billowing smoke and dust!

The man in the suit landed just outside the security line. For a moment, sand and rocks flew everywhere, and the security personnel coughed violently as they retreated. The captain of the security team prepared to sound the alarm, but his arm was suddenly restrained.

A deep voice sounded.

"They're our own people."

In the smoke and dust, the man in the suit stood upright. His voice was magnetic, like that of a demon, causing people to lose their senses.

The captain of the security team inexplicably lowered the hand that was about to sound the alarm.

"Put down your weapons and don't move."

The low voice reverberated in the smoke and dust.The security personnel from the Judgement Bureau, who were in charge of protecting the unfinished old building, put down their weapons in unison upon hearing the command. One by one, they stood in place, their eyes vacant.

The refined man nodded in satisfaction.

He adjusted his glasses and gestured to the helicopter above, signaling that it could leave.

The roar of the helicopter blades faded into the distance.

The entire unfinished building fell into silence, as if time had come to a standstill. Only the aimless dust was in motion. The refined man, carrying a briefcase, leisurely walked inside.

To him, all the caution tapes here were as good as non-existent, devoid of any meaning.

He headed towards the scene of the fire.

Even after 48 hours, the place was still well preserved... The man crouched down at the entrance of the staircase. He pinched the ashes of the burnt bones in the stairwell, examining them thoughtfully. Then, he squinted his eyes, focusing on the missing phalange of the skeleton.

Soon, he arrived at the rooftop.

The splattered blood on the ground had dried up. He dipped his finger in it, the hardened substance felt like weathered asphalt, carrying a stench. These bloodstains had been trampled on before they had completely dried.

Was it last night?

The refined man looked around, adjusting his gold-rimmed glasses again.

"Sidelight, activate."

The pupils of his eyes reversed their colors, reflecting another world on the rooftop—

Someone had come to the scene last night and was captured.

Two unidentified shadows were walking upside down on the rooftop. In the man's sidelight world, time flowed backward, revealing the "real scene" that had taken place here.

The truth was, more than two people had trampled on the bloodstains.

There was a third shadow.

The man stepped back, one step at a time, to the side of the stairwell. He returned to his previous spot, his gaze scanning inch by inch.

Now, something incomprehensible appeared.

"...Why would the third infiltrator squat here?"

Finally, the man's gaze rested on a pile of wooden planks in the corner.

He slowly squatted down, reaching out his hand, lifting one plank after another with patience, until the last layer was removed, and the truth was finally revealed.

Underneath the wooden planks, the ground was covered with a thin layer of dust, but a clean rectangular strip was exposed.

"He left something here, he came to retrieve it last night."

The length and width of the object were approximately...

Noted.

The man left the old building and returned to the caution tape. He helped the staff to put the caution tape back in place, meeting the confused and numb gaze of the captain of the guard.

Because of the command "Don't move", everyone was like a wooden puppet bound by the air, unable to move an inch no matter how hard they struggled.

"I'm sorry... It's just routine inspection, it's much easier for me if you all stay like this."

The man in the suit spoke alone in the silent dust, restoring the scene.

After finishing all these, he took out a business card from his briefcase, smiled, and made a brief self-introduction in front of the captain of the guard: "Judgement Bureau, Special Investigation Team, Han Dang."

"Thank you for your cooperation, my official duties are completed."

Han Dang put away his business card, bowed, and retreated.

As his figure disappeared, the final words echoed at the caution tape of the old building.

"Everyone... forget everything that just happened, pretend you've never seen me."