Chen Xiang froze, turning to Lecturer Zhu, murmuring,"Emperor Titan?"
"Yes, Emperor Titan,"Zhu replied with a smile."According to The Old Council, this Emperor Titan once commanded the pillars of time, truth, and fate, leading nine outer gods and nine Elder Rulers... Isn't that absurd? How could that be possible?"
Chen Xiang didn't continue listening; he felt dazed. He had ultimately confirmed it. In a daze, he thought he heard layered, murmuring prayers.
"Great Emperor Titan..."
"Foundation of all realms, weaver of reality, eternal pillar..."
"Every ray of light is your thought; every shadow is your silence, defining the essence of the universe, determining the allegiance of all beings..."
He shook his head violently, dispelling the hallucinations, though his hair stood on end and his limbs felt icy, as if he had fallen into a frozen abyss.
Being Emperor Titan was definitely not a good thing...
...
"Report: This is the current investigation summary. The prime suspect is the Giant Academy's assistant Chen Xiang, followed by Li Dongyun, the leader of the Eight Rings' underground faction, Fire Gate."
The old woman received the report, reading it word for word, her expression serious:"Chen Xiang, an ordinary eighteen-year-old boy. Why is he the prime suspect?"
The inspector respectfully replied,"The suspicion lies in being ordinary... Here's a segment of the surveillance footage for your review."
The old woman opened the video, showing a confrontation between a young man and a burly man.
"The young man is Chen Xiang; the burly man is Mandong, the martial chief of the underground organization Crocodile Gate, a pre-transcendent level. Chen Xiang displayed power roughly at the level of a Mystic Arts master."
The inspector continued meticulously,"They chased each other into a secluded alley, where there was no surveillance. The outcome was Mandong's death, with Chen Xiang unscathed."
"Oh?"
Wu Mengling became interested, reviewing Chen Xiang's profile multiple times."Interesting; he was incredibly ordinary for the first eighteen years but suddenly exhibited the ability to kill a pre-transcendent."
Though she now stood very high, she knew the challenges of reaching the pre-transcendent level.
"Have you brought him in?"the old woman casually asked.
The inspector shook his head."No, Deputy Chief Wu. Haven't had the chance. Should we go capture him now?"
"No need; follow procedure and take it slow."
The old woman rose slowly."If this kid is truly related to the Ghosts of the Celestial Envoy level, we need to be extremely careful. I'll go see for myself."
"You're going personally?"The inspector was startled. Their leader was the second-highest among the four deputy chiefs, a third-level transcendent who had ignited the divine fire—a"Saint."
A Saint represented the pinnacle of humanity; beyond that was not human anymore.
"Involving celestial envoys and first-level disasters—there's no such thing as being too careful."
The old woman spoke calmly."Alright, pass my message down: everyone should be cautious!"
"Yes!"The inspector respectfully saluted and left, while the old woman glanced at Chen Xiang's profile before tearing through the spiritual realm, stepping inside.
Moments later, she pinpointed her location in the spiritual realm and emerged in room 208 of Building 47.
"Interesting."
The old woman glanced at the door blocked by the fridge and wardrobe, scanned the living room, and saw nothing unusual, so she began inspecting room by room.
"Very ordinary household—no residual transcendent energy, nothing out of the ordinary..."
She frowned slightly, closed her eyes, and when she opened them again, a vague, ethereal hue filled her gaze, seemingly able to perceive everything...
"A hidden chamber."
The old woman nodded and entered Chen Shaoyan's room, surveying the wardrobe for a moment with an imposing demeanor, as if issuing a decree:"Open."
'Click!'
The mechanism moved on its own, and the hidden chamber door slowly opened.
The old woman stepped inside.
...
The old woman emerged from the spiritual realm, glancing at the door blocked by the fridge and wardrobe, smiling:
"Quite interesting."
Her dark eyes discerned everything, and she found a hidden chamber.
She opened the door to the hidden chamber and walked inside.
...
The old woman emerged from the spiritual realm again, looked at the door blocked by the fridge and wardrobe, and smiled:
"Somewhat intriguing... hmm?"
She frowned slightly, feeling a sense of déjà vu:
"Something feels off."
After finding a hidden chamber, the old woman entered it for the third time and emerged from the spiritual realm for the fourth time.
Fifth, sixth, seventh times...
...
Until Chen Xiang walked alongside Wei Qingqiu through the bronze school gates, he was still in a daze.
"What's wrong with you?"
The silver-haired Wei asked curiously,"Did something scare you? How are you considering the invitation?"
Chen Xiang snapped back to reality, exhaling slowly:"I'll join."
"Really?!"Wei Qingqiu's eyes lit up, her smile radiant."I thought you'd refuse after hearing Lecturer Zhu's scary stories about the organization."
Chen Xiang steadied his emotions, temporarily pushing aside thoughts of Emperor Titan, and asked curiously,"If I refuse your secret organization, will I be silenced?"
"That won't happen,"Wei Qingqiu replied, her eyes twinkling."You'd just get hit with 099 and forget everything."
"099?"Chen Xiang paused, recognizing the name from previous encounters—like the maddening mirror 009 and the mysterious staff 011.
Wei Qingqiu nodded."Full name: Forbidden Object 099, the Pendulum of Forgetting. Forbidden objects often have incredible effects, but they come with severe costs…"
She paused before continuing,"The earlier the number, the stronger the object, and the greater the cost."
"Cost?"Chen Xiang's eyelids twitched."What do you mean?"
Wei Qingqiu grinned."For example, 099 can erase memories, supposedly linked to a 'true god' under the 'Forgotten Ones.' The cost is relatively light; overuse just leads to temporary memory loss."
"And if you overuse it?"
"You'd completely lose the ability to remember."
Chen Xiang nodded thoughtfully, pondering the implications of forbidden objects and their costs. Had the maddening mirror come with a cost? What about the staff? He had used the mirror twice without any apparent consequence. Was it because of... Emperor Titan?
The weight of his thoughts grew heavier. He didn't view the possibility of being the 'greatest' in The Old Council as a good thing. He was clearly from a world without gods!
Though his past memories were hazy, they were real. Besides... to put it bluntly, that so-called Emperor Titan was a failure. With nine outer gods above him and control over time, truth, and fate—how could he hope to turn things around?
If he were truly Emperor Titan, how could he hide?
Chen Xiang felt a chill. There was no escaping. The only option was to grow stronger—quickly.
He resolved to use the token and try to become a council member. There, he'd learn more. Danger often accompanied opportunity, and he was already deep in peril.
His thoughts shifted to Hei Yan and the concept of "authority fulfillment."
"What are you thinking?"A delicate hand waved in front of Chen Xiang, pulling him from his reverie. Wei Qingqiu was beaming."Now we just wait for me to report to the chairman, and you'll officially join The Old Council... don't worry, it's a sure thing."
"Do I really need to report to the chairman?"Chen Xiang asked, surprised.
Wei Qingqiu's tone was lively."The chairman is our boss's boss. And don't underestimate the Old Messengers; there aren't as many as you think—mostly sparks..."
"Today is the 7th, and tomorrow will be the 8th—the perfect time for the council meeting. After midnight, once the council approves it, your identity as an Old Messenger will be solidified!"
She paused, winking playfully."I'll also arrange for a spark to be assigned to you, directly under your command. Spoiler alert: you know this spark!"
"I know someone?"Chen Xiang was intrigued, his mind racing with possibilities.
Wei Qingqiu stretched and looked at the bright sunshine."Alright, I'll bring you the documents and the spark's profile tomorrow. Plus, there will be benefits!"
Chen Xiang nodded with a smile."I'm moving tomorrow; the police station assigned a villa to my brother, and I'll also pick up a child who has a disability."
"Call me after you move!"
"Sure."
They parted ways at a fork in the road, Wei Qingqiu getting into her sky-blue sports car."The inspectors might come looking for you soon; be careful not to be noticed."
"Got it."
Chen Xiang watched her car drive off before hurrying home.
...
In Building 47, Room 208.
The old woman stepped into the hidden chamber for the seventy-seventh time, emerging from the spiritual realm for the seventy-eighth time. She looked at the door blocked by the fridge and wardrobe, smiling.
"Interesting...!!"
Her eyes were bloodshot, her smile frozen, her expression one of horror.