Yang Wenqing was about to make a move when he saw the gray-robed man raise a finger. A faint, almost imperceptible dark glimmer flashed at its tip and vanished.
HUM—
Yang Wenqing felt the scene before him ripple violently like the surface of water. The colors bled away, sounds faded into the distance, and the alley, streetlights, and high walls all disappeared. He felt as if he had plunged into a void filled with a faint gray mist.
"Yang Wenqing..."
A calm voice, carrying a strangely soothing power, echoed directly in the depths of his consciousness.
The mist ahead billowed, gradually outlining a hazy human figure. The silhouette was formed from faint light and shadow, its features indistinct, but he could feel a gentle yet profound gaze resting upon him.
"There’s no need to be nervous. This is just a friendly conversation."
The voice continued, "For a young man as gifted and resilient as yourself to be buried in a place like Qianjiao County, trapped within the rusty, rotten bureaucracy of the City Defense Bureau... it’s a true shame."
Hearing this, Yang Wenqing tensed. He tried to mobilize the Spiritual Power within him, only to find that while his Qi Sea of Spiritual Power was still present, his connection to it in this illusory space felt strangely sluggish, like throwing a punch underwater.
His expression remained unchanged. He simply stood his ground and responded with his mind, his mental voice deep, "Who are you?"
"My methods may be abrupt, but my intentions are sincere."
The voice of the light-and-shadow figure was unhurried. "We’ve been watching you for a long time. From your breakthrough to the Qi Cultivation Stage, to solving the Zhenyuan Mining case, and your recent promotion through the arena tournament—every step you’ve taken has demonstrated potential and wisdom far beyond your peers."
"What can the City Defense Bureau offer you? Tedious paperwork, petty infighting, limited resources, and a promotion track so slow and rigid it’s despairing?"
The mist rippled slightly as the figure’s voice took on a tempting cadence. "But with us, you can obtain a true legacy, a Secret Technique that leads directly to the Great Dao, and inexhaustible resources. With your talent, if you just nod, I guarantee you will reach the Entry realm within twenty years and shed your mortal coil."
As the voice spoke, the surrounding mist suddenly churned and transformed.
Yang Wenqing saw vivid scenes emerge from the mist. It was "him" cultivating with closed eyes in a secret realm suffused with Spiritual Qi, surrounded by piles of rare spiritual pills and medicines. It was "him" conjuring wind and lightning with a wave of his hand, effortlessly suppressing powerful enemies. It was "him" ascending a high platform under the reverent gazes of the masses to accept their worshipful praise.
The scenes shifted, finally settling on "him" standing unsupported in the air, the rhythm of the Dao flowing around him, resonating with the mountains and rivers. He was now a great Cultivator, capable of founding his own sect and receiving the worship of an entire region.
The vision was so real, so breathtakingly stirring, it felt like a future within arm’s reach.
"See? This is the path you should be on."
The figure’s voice seeped into his mind like the finest aged wine. "Break free from your shackles. Embrace true power and freedom. The City Defense Bureau can’t even clean up its own jurisdiction, and its internal affairs are a cesspool of corruption. Are they worthy of your loyalty? Join us. You will not only gain power, but you will also be able to truly change this stagnant, decaying world."
Yang Wenqing watched the illusory yet magnificent vision, but the depths of his eyes were as still and cold as a frozen lake in an ancient well. He spoke slowly, his voice clear and calm in this mental space:
"What’s the price for reaching the Entry realm in twenty years? Sacrificing my loved ones, like the Wang family did? Or becoming a manipulated puppet, like that Sea Monster?"
’I see now,’ Yang Wenqing realized. ’This person’s methods seem mysterious, but they can only cast this sort of ordinary illusion that doesn’t cause major Spiritual Qi fluctuations. They can’t harm me in the slightest. Their real body is most likely very far away.’
The silhouette of light and shadow seemed to fall silent for a moment at Yang Wenqing’s direct question, then it let out a low chuckle and said:
"The Wang family father and son? How could you compare yourself to them? They were merely necessary consumables. Their existence was to verify certain paths. When a tool gets old or broken, it naturally needs to be replaced or discarded. You are completely different. You are the one who wields the tools."
A condescending indifference laced the figure’s voice:
"What we seek is evolution—a true leap in the plane of existence. We seek to escape the shackles of this fragile flesh and these narrow emotions. Look at the teeming masses, trapped by worldly passions, limited by the cycle of birth, old age, sickness, and death. They live and die in mediocrity, turning to dust in a mere century."
"They are no longer the same kind of beings as we are. Why be bound by so-called ethics, family ties, and mundane responsibilities? Those are nothing but chains the weak use to console themselves, stumbling blocks that prevent us from touching a higher truth."
The mist began to surge violently. It no longer showed personal glory, but transformed into the turning of galaxies and the primordial cosmos. Countless stars were born and died, and against that profound, dark backdrop, immense, indescribable shadows intertwined with a brilliant yet cold radiance.
"This decrepit world is controlled by an old order, by old morals. It limits true potential. What we must do is break this cage, explore the boundless sea of stars, understand the true laws of the universe, and become higher-dimensional beings!"
"Your talent, your spirit—they shouldn’t be wasted on propping up this collapsing old house. Join us, and you will become a pioneer of a new world, not just a repairman for the old order. Power, knowledge, and even... the secrets of immortality, will all be open to you."
The figure’s voice was filled with infinite temptation. "Just think of it: when you break free from gravity and stroll among the stars; when you master the laws and can create or destroy a world with a single thought; when you transcend time and witness the rise and fall of civilizations—that is what life should be. That is the true ’Dao’!"