Chapter 58: Chapter 58: The Determination to Become Stronger
"Everyone, there’s a reaction from the Spirit Realm."
Li Yu’s voice was level, but his words landed in the conference hall like a bomb dropped into a lake, instantly sending shockwaves through the room.
Countless members of the organization shot to their feet, their faces ashen as they stared at Li Yu without a word. It wasn’t that they didn’t want to speak—they were simply too stunned. The silence stretched until Liu Ming was the first to break it.
"Elder Li Yu, are you saying the Spirit Realm’s descent has begun?"
The moment Liu Ming’s words were out, the crowd’s faces went deathly pale. If the Spirit Realm’s descent was premature, it meant all the pre-war preparations they had worked on for so long would be rendered completely useless.
The Capital City would be plunged into a brutal war, possibly with massive casualties already. Countless civilians with no ability to fight would be caught in the disaster, and the fragile peace the special organization had maintained for so long would shatter like glass.
"It’s not that serious yet."
Li Yu waved his hand, signaling the standing members of the organization to sit back down.
Hearing Li Yu say, "It’s not that serious yet," the members felt the color return to their faces. They sat down one by one, filling the room with the sound of scraping chairs and shifting bodies.
To them, as long as the Spirit Realm’s descent wasn’t happening prematurely, the situation was still salvageable.
As Li Yu watched everyone take their seats, the frown on his brow didn’t ease. His fingers tapped a rhythmic beat on the table—TAP, TAP, TAP—a crisp, repetitive sound that only ceased when he suddenly let out a sigh.
Li Yu looked up, cleared his throat, and spoke.
"While the Spirit Realm hasn’t begun its descent yet, we probably won’t have to go to the Capital City."
"What do you mean?"
Some of the slower members asked out of reflex, not yet piecing it together. Many others, however, seemed to have already connected the dots. They whipped their heads around to stare intently at Li Yu, anxiously awaiting his next sentence.
"According to an investigation by the special organization in the Capital City, the Spirit Realm’s original anchor point has vanished."
"This information was only relayed yesterday afternoon. The Director-General of the Capital City’s special organization contacted my father—the Director-General here in Cang City—and informed him personally."
While this news wasn’t as catastrophic as a premature descent of the Spirit Realm, it was still a major blow. It meant that most of their strategies centered on the Capital City were now void. The conference hall immediately broke out into a flurry of discussion, until one member raised their hand to ask a question.
"So... Elder Li, where did the anchor point for the Spirit Realm’s descent run off to?"
The question plunged the conference hall into silence once more. Clearly, the answer was of the utmost importance to everyone present. Li Yu rubbed the bridge of his nose, shook his head, and said,
"That’s what’s been troubling me."
"Because we haven’t been able to detect where the Spirit Realm’s anchor point has gone. This means we have no way of observing when or where its descent will occur. This is a monumental test for all of us."
"The special organization in the Capital City has already issued a notice for all regional branches to prepare for battle and guard against a sudden emergence of the Spirit Realm."
Hearing Li Yu’s words, many of the members from northern Cang City fell silent. They had just won a minor victory up north and had expected their work in the south to be easier. But with this news, they now knew their lives were about to become even more arduous and exhausting than before.
Most importantly, this enemy was... completely unknown, and incredibly powerful!
The members native to the south, on the other hand, were taking it better. Perhaps because they were already locked in a relentless, ongoing struggle with the Spiritual Sect, they were more mentally prepared for this kind of pressure.
"That’s all for now. Meeting adjourned."
Li Yu sighed and waved his hand, dismissing them. Most members, however, remained seated in a daze, as if they still hadn’t fully processed the information. After a long moment, people finally began to rise, trickling out of the hall while discussing what the future might hold.
Liu Ming was sitting closest to Li Yu, and as he stood up, Li Yu’s eyes fell on him. He called out to stop him.
"Ming, your brother broke through to the fourth rank. Is he doing all right?"
"If you can, tell him to show a little responsibility. He needs to stop picking fights all day and start handling some of the organization’s affairs. We only have a few fourth-rank fighters as it is; we can’t keep running to the old masters for every little thing."
Hearing this, Liu Ming scratched his head. Li Yu was, for all intents and purposes, his direct superior. After a moment’s thought, he replied:
"Elder Li Yu, you know how it is. I can’t control my brother. That’s just the kind of person he is."
"But, Elder Li Yu, you can rest easy on one account. My brother has found a new target recently, so he probably won’t be bothering you for a while."
"A new target? Who?"
Li Yu’s interest was piqued. He knew Liu Chang was only interested in true geniuses; he wouldn’t deign to challenge anyone ordinary. That was precisely why he, Li Yu, who had once been considered the most talented member of the special organization, had been Liu Chang’s primary target for harassment.
But now, he had actually found a new person to pester.
"Actually, ’found’ isn’t quite the right word, since we don’t even know who he is. He’s that mysterious expert there have been rumors about within the organization. My brother has been investigating him lately, hoping to challenge him to a fight."
"A mysterious expert... Fine. Let your brother keep looking."
Li Yu narrowed his eyes, seemingly scheming something. Then he said, "All right, that’s all. You can leave now."
"Okay."
With Liu Ming’s departure, the conference hall fell silent once again.
Li Yu stood up and walked alone to the large glass window. The golden light of the setting sun washed over him, dyeing the hair that had gone white with anxiety a brilliant gold. He pressed his right hand against the pane, fingers splayed, and stared blankly into the distance, as if pondering the path ahead.
...
[Sword Dao Points: 13]
’I can finally have a breakthrough.’
Su Xing breathed a sigh of relief. He gazed at the Sword Dao Points on the system panel as he headed into his room.
Four days had passed since he brought Su Yu home. In that time, nothing out of the ordinary had happened. Su Xing attended his classes, practiced his sword, and bantered with his younger brother, just like always. And yet, a heavy sense of unease had been weighing on him.
It was because of the information he had learned about the Spirit Realm from Su Yu.
The news wasn’t just a jolt to the special organization; it was a jolt to Su Xing, too.
The Spirit Realm could descend on Cang City, or a nearby city, at any time. When it did, he wouldn’t be able to stay uninvolved. He, Su Xing, would have to face the threat of the Spirit Realm head-on.
But...
’The bastards from the Spiritual Sect are already enough of a headache,’
’and the Spirit Realm is the homeland of their masters. The beings who live there are bound to be a hundred times more troublesome than the Spiritual Sect!’
Su Xing clenched his fists. ’I have to get stronger!’
