"But, Master Shen..." Zhong Huiyun was a little panicked.
Given the current situation, the enemy likely held tens of thousands of hostages. If they tipped him off, the consequences would be unpredictable.
"I will find him, confirm his identity, and then strike. I won't give him any chance to fight back," Shen Yun interrupted Zhong Huiyun without hesitation. "If you have another way to find him, speak up. If not, leave it to me."
Zhong Huiyun was left speechless, the words choking in her throat. She had been stationed here for half a month without finding a single missing person. In fact, if it hadn't been for Shen Yun, they would still be completely in the dark about the Gu bugs. What other way could they possibly have?
After delivering his ultimatum, Shen Yun walked straight to the door and left.
"So... so badass," Miao Yun murmured, her lips parted slightly and a hint of envy in her eyes. With something this massive at stake, he had simply stepped up and said, "Leave it to me." She knew that if she were in his shoes, she definitely wouldn't have the courage to take responsibility for so many lives.
"If every Golden Core Cultivator were like you, Advisor Lu, things would be much easier," Zhong Huiyun said with a bitter smile.
Miao Yun's expression dimmed slightly. In the past, she might have been happy with such praise. Now, however, she couldn't help but feel that it just highlighted her own uselessness. She sighed inwardly and touched the small bell tied to her wrist. She wondered if Master Leiting would be able to resolve this.
Meanwhile, Shen Yun was brimming with confidence.
Xiao Jiu had just told him that she seemed to have figured out how He Anhe was controlling the Gu bugs remotely. It was Spiritual Power. Xiao Jiu discovered that every single Gu bug contained a tiny trace of Spiritual Power within its body. Spiritual Power was different from Spiritual Qi. Spiritual Qi existed in the natural world, while Spiritual Power was the unique energy formed when a living being absorbed and refined Spiritual Qi within their own body.
This meant that the range of this remote control depended entirely on the reach of the user's Divine Thought. Even Xiao Jiu couldn't cover the entire city with her Divine Thought, let alone this mastermind in the shadows.
"Xiao Jiu, how exactly are the cultivation stages divided among Cultivators?" Shen Yun asked. He had never quite understood this. Aside from knowing that those who survived the Thunder Tribulation reached the Golden Core stage, he was completely clueless about anything below it.
"According to the official terminology, it's actually divided into two major stages," Xiao Jiu explained. "The first stage involves absorbing Spiritual Qi through training, gathering Spiritual Power, and filling and strengthening the body. Once you cultivate Divine Thought, you can break free from the physical body's limitations and house your Spiritual Power within your Divine Soul..."
Listening to Xiao Jiu's explanation, Shen He finally formed a general understanding. There was no such thing as a specific Cultivation Technique. Even ordinary physical training methods could achieve success in the first stage. The only difference between an ordinary person and a Cultivator was whether they could condense that first strand of Spiritual Power. The second stage, however, relied entirely on an individual's comprehension of the Heavenly Dao—something highly abstract and deeply esoteric.
As for the Golden Core stage, it was achieved after enduring the tempering of the Celestial Tribulation. The Cultivator's Divine Soul would condense into a single point, essentially forming a core. However, this core was formless and intangible; it wasn't a literal, physical golden pill sitting inside the body.
The path of cultivation was a long and arduous one.
Shen Yun walked alone down the street. Since he wasn't currently wreathed in lightning, few people realized that this friendly, handsome young man was actually the legendary Master of Thunder. Even so, he still drew quite a few stares. Many looked at him with sheer envy. Anyone who could stroll around so casually right now had to be a Cultivator. Several young women were already wondering whether they should go hit on him. If they could snag a powerful Cultivator for a husband, they wouldn't have to squeeze into the refugee camps anymore.
But just as a few of these women were gathering the courage to approach him, a soft voice called out from nearby.
"Fellow Daoist—"
Shen Yun turned his head. Unsurprisingly, it was Master Miaoyun. The youngest Golden Core Cultivator was barefoot. With a light tap of her toes, she drifted gracefully to Shen Yun's side like a falling feather, bringing with her a faint, floral fragrance.
"Why did you follow me?"
Even though she was undeniably a cute, gentle girl, Shen Yun remained completely unmoved. He didn't want to get too close to other Golden Core Cultivators. There was always the risk that they might see through his disguise.
"I wanted to see if I could be of any help to you, Fellow Daoist," Miao Yun said, her large, clear eyes looking up at him. It was obvious that she meant every word.
But Shen Yun just found it exasperating. Did this girl really grow up in an isolated Daoist temple? In such a cynical age, it was a miracle someone this naive and kind-hearted hadn't been scammed yet.
"I don't need any help," Shen Yun replied coldly.
He already carried a girl around with him, after all. If his own little maid started throwing a jealous tantrum, it would be a real headache. Besides, while Miao Yun was certainly pretty, she couldn't hold a candle to Xiao Jiu's peerless beauty and perfect compatibility with him.
"Oh... alright, then."
Miao Yun looked a bit crestfallen, but she didn't pester him. She obediently stopped in her tracks while Shen Yun continued walking alone. The young women who had been observing the exchange instantly abandoned their plans. If he could reject a gorgeous Cultivator with legs like that, they definitely didn't stand a chance.
Hmph, the guy must be gay.
Shen Yun had no idea he had just been arbitrarily labeled as a homosexual. Seeing that Miao Yun was no longer following him, he breathed a sigh of relief.
"Master," Xiao Jiu's voice suddenly echoed in his mind. "That elderly street cleaner at your three o'clock is an expert who has cultivated Divine Thought. Plus, he has quite a few Gu bugs inside his body."
"Is it He Anhe?" Shen Yun asked, a surge of joy in his heart. Had they really found the mastermind this quickly? If he took the guy out now, he could just go home.
"No," Xiao Jiu denied, her tone tinged with gravity. "His Divine Thought is... very unfocused. I'm sorry, Master. I might have guessed wrong. Controlling those Gu bugs doesn't necessarily require He Anhe himself. It can be done by a subordinate acting as a proxy."
"Doesn't that make things... extremely bad?"
Shen Yun fought the urge to look over, continuing his slow pace as if nothing had happened. He absolutely could not alert the enemy. However, he instantly felt a headache coming on. If there was more than one person who could control the Gu bugs, then even if he found He Anhe and instantly killed him, the remaining subordinates could still detonate the bugs inside the hostages.
Just what kind of miraculous inheritance had this He Anhe stumbled upon? To think he could apparently mass-produce Divine Thought Stage experts!
Shen Yun's mind raced, and he suddenly stopped walking.
Not far away, the street cleaner's heart skipped a beat. Had he been discovered?
But Shen Yun simply turned his head and waved at Miao Yun, who was still standing right where he had left her. With another light tap of her toes, the white-clad Miao Yun flew over.
"Do you have Director Zhong's phone number?" Shen Yun asked.
"I do." Miao Yun nodded and pulled a white, elderly-friendly brick phone out from under her skirt.
Shen Yun didn't even have time to process the fact that she was using a senior citizen's phone. The real question was, where exactly under her skirt did she pull it out from?
"I actually do need your help," Shen Yun said, his mouth twitching as he forced a smile. "That street cleaner on your right should be He Anhe's subordinate, a Divine Thought Stage Cultivator. Do not turn your head to look. Text Director Zhong and have her assign a sniper to monitor him remotely. Make sure they don't spook him."