Chapter 6: Post-Operation Meeting

### Chapter 6: Post-Operation Meeting

9:45 PM, that same evening.

In a hidden underground base, variously dressed staff members were bustling around. Some operated large, complex machinery; others manipulated talismans, golems, and magical arrays; while a few stood hand-in-hand, eyes closed and heads tilted back, completely still...

Anyone unaware of the true nature of this place might think it was a secret gathering of anime enthusiasts. The bizarre attire and items resembled cosplay props more than anything else.

In reality, this was the Ningdong Branch Headquarters of the most mysterious organization in Auradon, the Vital Energy Cultivators Association, commonly known as the "Yuanxiu Association," officially recognized by the government.

In the base's meeting room, six people sat around a conference table, including the four who had apprehended the trench coat man in the mall earlier that day.

Sitting at the head of the table was an elderly man in his sixties with a dignified aura and a slightly balding head. Beside him was a forty-something man with a composed demeanor.

The elderly man briefly glanced at the report in his hand before tossing it on the table.

"Just platitudes. Hao Yong, give us the specifics of today. Get to the point!"

"Yes, sir." Hao Yong, the muscle-bound man who led the team, stood up. He was now dressed in formal attire, though the clothes seemed a bit small, stretched by his muscles.

"If your uniform doesn't fit, don't bother standing. Just report from your seat," the elderly man said, gesturing. Hao Yong sat down and began his report, his demeanor formal and cautious, a stark contrast to his earlier flamboyant appearance.

"Here's what happened. This afternoon, we received a tip about a suspicious Vital Energy Cultivator in the Qianyuehui Mall, showing signs of contamination."

He glanced at the middle-aged man beside the elder. "Captain Cheng sent our third team to investigate. You know our team member Lao Yang was injured in the last mission and is still recovering, so Captain Cheng arranged a powerful backup for us."

He looked at Ling Xin seated nearby. "Although this wasn't exactly by the book."

Captain Cheng nodded. "Yes, I asked Xiao Xin to assist."

"I'm aware of all this," the elder interrupted, tapping the table. "Focus on the capture details."

"Understood!" Hao Yong organized his thoughts. "When we arrived, the informant said they lost sight of the suspect but confirmed he was still in the mall. So, the three of us split up to search..."

"Three?" The elder raised an eyebrow, looking displeased.

"Apologies..." Ling Xin raised her hand. "I was delayed and didn't arrive immediately."

Seeing it was her, the elder's expression softened. "You're an external member. Helping us is already a favor. No need to apologize. Continue, Hao Yong."

"While we were searching, we suddenly heard someone shout 'human trafficker' from the fifth floor. I was closest and rushed over. I saw a young man kicked by the contaminated person, falling from the fifth floor."

"I engaged the suspect immediately. He had solid training at the Foundational Stage, but physically, he wasn't as strong as me. After a few moves, he fell down, and I followed, along with Xiao Meng and Sha Sha, to corner him. With no way out, he threatened us with the child. During the standoff, Ling Xin arrived and severed the suspect's arm from a distance, causing him to drop the child."

"At that moment, the young man who had been kicked off the floor suddenly emerged from the clothes pile behind the suspect, seized the child, and dodged several attacks."

"Wait!" the elder interrupted. "You said the young man was kicked off the fifth floor by the contaminated person and not only survived but then rescued the child and dodged attacks?"

"Absolutely!" Hao Yong confirmed with a nod.

The elder frowned. "Could he be a hidden independent cultivator?"

"No," Ling Xin replied firmly. "He's my classmate, and I've never sensed any Vital Energy fluctuation from him."

"He doesn't seem to have trained," Captain Cheng added. "We later reviewed the mall's surveillance footage. The boy fell and landed on the banners, slid down, and then fell into a pile of clothes. Pure luck."

He handed a tablet to the elder and continued. "He narrowly dodged the contaminated person's attacks through sheer luck. While his movements were nimble, avoiding the attacks was mostly luck."

Watching the footage, the elder's expression shifted. "No... not just luck!"

The others were surprised, but the elder projected the video onto a screen, slowing it down. "Look, in mid-air, he tried to grab the chandelier, failed, and then went for the banner. When the banner hook broke, he used the momentum to alter his fall and aimed for the clothes pile."

Following the elder's explanation, the group saw Luo Jun's actions clearly.

"Not a coincidence? He was actively trying to survive in such a dire situation?" Hao Yong was amazed. The athletic youth, Xiao Meng, couldn't help but exclaim, "Wow, even in that scenario, he managed to take action? Ordinary people, or even me, would have just tried to cushion the fall."

Ling Xin, meanwhile, watched Luo Jun's figure on the screen, her eyelashes trembling slightly, as if seeing her old classmate in a new light.

"But avoiding the contaminated person's attacks was indeed luck," the elder acknowledged as the second footage played. "The disparity in power was too great. Luck was his only ally."

"And then the suspect activated the World Tree leaf?"

"Yes!" Hao Yong nodded. "Ling Xin arrived and killed the suspect, but the boy was already trapped. In the end, he pushed the child out of harm's way."

After Hao Yong's account, the elder nodded, looking at the screen with a glint in his eye. "Brave, kind, resourceful, composed, physically fit, and exceptionally lucky... Such a young man is a rare find!"

"We must find him!"

As soon as he finished speaking, someone knocked on the door. A young staff member entered with a report.

"Sir, the detection results are in..."

The elder's eyes lit up. "Where does the black hole lead? Wulin? Manhuang? Or Lingyi?"

The researcher shook his head. "It's... Chaos."

The room fell silent as everyone gasped.

Ling Xin, sitting in the corner, trembled slightly.

The elder frowned in thought, then stood up. "Let's go to the site! Captain Cheng, check for the latest Chaos missions on the way."