After spending five thousand yuan to buy a new phone and replace his SIM card, Chen Xiang immediately called his second brother.
While on the call, he made his way toward the Giant Academy, arriving at the school gate just as he hung up.
This was his second visit to the Giant Academy; the grand entrance was still bustling with people. Looking up at the bronze gate, he felt completely different this time.
Last time, he was an ordinary person with no self-defense capabilities, but this time...
He could easily take down two martial artists without issue.
"Chen Warrior!"
A sweet, ringing voice sounded out, and a flash of silver stood out in the crowd.
The silver-haired girl waved her small hand cheerfully, and Chen Xiang smiled:
"Classmate Wei Qi, you're quite early."
"I told you, I'm Wei Qingqiu!"
Wei Qingqiu rolled her eyes dramatically, looking adorably annoyed. Who would have thought this girl was an extraordinary being on the path of the supernatural?
The two walked side by side toward the school, sunlight filtering through the swaying branches, creating a brilliant path beneath their feet.
The boy and girl laughed and chatted in the morning sun, resembling a couple.
Though the topic of conversation was somewhat off.
"Was last night's incident related to you?"
"Impossible," Chen Xiang quickly denied.
Wei Qingqiu seemed to ponder:
"I also think it's unlikely. A Celestial Envoy is a globally significant figure... But you still need to be cautious."
She warned him:
"According to my intel, the Secret Investigation Bureau has already intervened. They may come after you, and although this matter doesn't concern you, if they find out about Hei Yan, it'll be a big problem..."
"What's the Secret Investigation Bureau?"
"The full name is the Secret Investigation Bureau, the largest violent organization in the Great City, responsible for investigating extraordinary events. The director is the second most powerful person in the Great City, surpassing even the Celestial Envoy in terms of terrifying existence."
Chen Xiang's heart sank—surpassing the Celestial Envoy!
He remembered the terrifying pressure he felt while staring at that massive ghost last night. Even from a thousand meters away, it felt like his soul was freezing.
This was due to the mirror blocking most of the pressure...
For example, Wu Jinlu, a cunning old fox who had been hiding for who knows how long, had also embarked on the path of the extraordinary, yet in front of that terrifying ghost, he was merely an ant.
If even the remnant soul of the Celestial Envoy was so formidable, how about a being that surpasses them?
Lost in thought, they entered the castle complex where ancient mysticism was studied. Wei Qingqiu turned her head:
"There's a secret doctrine class at eleven o'clock, discussing the Old Council... I'll wait for you in the classroom."
After a pause, she added:
"The lecturer for the secret doctrine class focuses on theoretical research and has no real combat ability. As an assistant with a practical focus, he'll probably treat you like a guest of honor."
Chen Xiang glanced at his new phone and nodded enthusiastically:
"Alright, see you later."
"Mm."
After parting ways, Chen Xiang followed the directions to find his office.
The office was quite spacious, filled with desks but not feeling cramped.
Chen Xiang estimated there were about twenty to thirty workstations, each with at least seven or eight square meters of independent space.
After locating his designated spot, he hadn't even sat down when a middle-aged woman turned her head:
"You're the new assistant, Chen?"
"I am." Chen Xiang politely nodded. "This is my first day; I look forward to your guidance."
The middle-aged woman wore a strange expression and shook her head slightly:
"I can't guide you."
As she spoke, she quickly turned away, as if avoiding a plague.
Not just her, but nearby assistants also exhibited a sense of distance, some even scooting their chairs further away from Chen Xiang...
What's going on?
Chen Xiang furrowed his brows. He hadn't offended any of these unfamiliar colleagues, had he?
Suppressing his confusion, he sat down and quietly flipped through books on Mystic Arts and Spirit Navigation. Everything about mysticism was brand new to Chen Xiang, akin to a fresh world.
He eagerly absorbed the new knowledge.
While browsing through the Mystic Arts textbook for freshmen, Chen Xiang felt a stir of curiosity. Was the junior or senior level material more detailed?
Would there be a comprehensive system documented?
He looked around and finally settled on a seemingly approachable girl, approaching her politely:
"Hello, I'd like to ask where I can find the senior-level Mystic Arts textbooks?"
The girl blinked, standing up in shock, and instinctively backed away a few steps, pointing to a nearby bookshelf:
"Uh... they're in there!"
Chen Xiang thanked her politely, rummaged through the bookshelf until he found the corresponding book, hesitated for a moment, then returned to the now startled girl:
"Sorry, we shouldn't have met before, right?"
"You... what are you doing?!"
The young girl had just sat down when she suddenly jumped up again, retreating several steps.
"Of course we haven't met!"
Chen Xiang furrowed his brows:
"Since we haven't met, why does everyone act like they've seen a ghost when they see me?"
The others in the office turned to look, and the girl seemed on the verge of tears:
"Oh, could you please not talk to me..."
Chen Xiang's frown deepened:
"I'm just curious."
The girl nearly backed into a corner, biting her lip:
"News came early this morning that Instructor Lin was taken by the Secret Investigation Bureau... That's the Secret Investigation Bureau! Anyone associated with Instructor Lin will definitely be 'invited' in, and you're his assistant..."
Chen Xiang pondered:
"So you're worried about being implicated because of me? Is the Secret Investigation Bureau that terrifying?"
The girl's eyes were red:
"Bro, I'm really not targeting you. Can you please just not talk to me... I'm only twenty-one!"
Chen Xiang naturally wouldn't push a girl too hard. He gave an apologetic smile and turned back to his workstation.
"How could Instructor Lin be taken by the Secret Investigation Bureau..."
He was puzzled and a bit alarmed. The assistants in this office were all combat-oriented and not weak in vitality; even that young girl seemed to have reached the level of a Mystic Arts master. Yet, they were all afraid of him due to something that seemed almost impossible to relate to him.
Was the Secret Investigation Bureau really that frightening?
He suppressed his astonishment and opened a book, quietly reading.
The senior-level Mystic Arts textbooks were indeed much better, with the first few pages detailing a comprehensive system of knowledge!
The Mystic Arts had three thresholds: Master, Martial Artist, and Extraordinary Being. After reaching the level of Extraordinary Being, one would pray to the gods and accept the overwhelming flow of the extraordinary to become a *Transcendent .
The path of the extraordinary had four steps: the first step, *Choosing the Path , involved selecting a corresponding divine sequence; followed by *Glimpsing the Secrets , *Igniting the Flame , and the pinnacle of *Celestial Envoy ...
The latter three steps only had one term recorded, while *Choosing the Path was relatively detailed.
Chen Xiang perused the pages, his eyes lighting up. The book recorded the nine divine sequences and their corresponding *Outer Gods !
He quickly read each line, his heart focused.
There were nine Outer Gods, existing at a level above True Gods, described in the book as *Great Ones .
They were revered as *Travelers , masters of the Spirit Realm and Dimensions; known as *Singers , masters of Desire and Life; possessing boundless knowledge, referred to as *Thinkers , masters of Knowledge; and then there was the *Silencer , the God of Night and Silence...
The remaining five were: *The Wrathful , master of the Sun and War; *The Sleeper , master of Death, Dreams, and Hell; *The Void , master of Void and Anti-Reality; *The Forgetter , master of Forgetting; and lastly, the one Chen Xiang was most familiar with, the master of Destruction and Ruin— The Dancer .
These nine Outer Gods made up the nine divine sequences!
At the end of the book, Chen Xiang noticed a line. He read aloud:
"Outer Gods are Great Ones; above the Great Ones, there are even Greater Ones."
"The three pillars, as the greatest, overlook all."
"The Time Pillar governs Time, the Truth Pillar masters Truth, the Fate Pillar weaves Fate..."
Suddenly, he recalled the words of the little dwarves.
"The hourglass, the book, and the loom have rebelled!"
Chen Xiang's heart raced, his hair standing on end. He kept telling himself this was just a coincidence, just a coincidence...
But was it really just a coincidence??
He fell silent, the three pillars, the nine Outer Gods, and the three major traitors and nine minor traitors mentioned by the dwarves...
*Ding ding ding! Ding ding ding!!
His phone alarm went off; it was the clock he had set earlier.
Chen Xiang turned off the alarm. It was 10:55; he could go sit in on the secret doctrine class now.
The Old Council...
He felt as if he were caught in a massive whirlpool.