Chapter 236: The Outcome Is Already Decided

"Roar!"One of the men had a ferocious giant bear phantom materialize behind him, his power surging abruptly as he forcibly neutralized part of the time-slowing effect.

Bellowing, he threw a heavy punch toward Su Zhan, carrying immense force.

The other man manifested a gleaming long blade phantom behind him, its sword intent sharp and lethal as it slashed toward the trajectory Su Zhan had predicted for his ambush, completely sealing off his attack path.

"Bang! Boom!"

Su Zhan's surprise assault was steadily blocked by the two working together.

The power from that bear Life Soul even sent his blood and energy churning, forcing him back half a step.

The gap was too large.

Both opponents were at the eighth stage of Stream Realm!

Meanwhile, Su Zhan's current Awakened form was only at the second stage of Stream Realm, and his Aberrant form was at medium-risk fifth stage.

Even using his Aberrant form, he couldn't possibly defeat both of them, let alone kill them quickly.

While blocking, one of the men didn't hesitate to fire a dazzling red signal flare into the sky.

"Whoosh—Pop!"

The flare screamed upward and exploded into a red glow against the night sky.

Su Zhan's heart sank completely into the abyss.

His last hope had been shattered.

The signal had been sent. Within moments, more pursuers, including Qin Bai himself, would arrive at this location at maximum speed.

He had no way to escape.

Su Zhan knew everything was already decided.

He dispersed the power of his Time Abyss Pupil and stopped his futile struggle.

The two Supervision Department members also withdrew their Life Souls, though they remained highly vigilant, flanking Su Zhan on both sides.

The team member with the bear Life Soul shook his somewhat numb arm. "Time Abyss Pupil... an SSS-grade Life Soul, truly living up to its reputation. Pity your realm is too lacking. Even the best Life Soul is useless with such a gap."

The other team member with the blade-type Life Soul scanned Su Zhan with his gaze. "Struggling when doomed is meaningless. It only makes your end more disgraceful."

Su Zhan remained silent, offering no response.

The victor becomes king, the loser a bandit—there was nothing more to say.

Not long after, less than two minutes even.

Several powerful auras rapidly approached.

Leading them was Qin Bai himself.

His face was dark as he instantly landed near the exit.

Following behind him were several other formidable Supervision Department team members.

Qin Bai's gaze swept around and settled on the restrained Su Zhan, smiling mockingly.

He walked slowly up to Su Zhan, looking him over from head to toe.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk... Run? Why aren't you running anymore? Weren't you quite good at running?

Did you discover that all routes were blocked? Do you feel like an idiot, that all your efforts were wasted?"

Su Zhan remained silent.

"I told you earlier to cherish your remaining time."

Qin Bai shook his head, putting on a regretful expression. "Why wouldn't you listen? You had to make things so awkward."

He waved his hand.

Two team members behind him immediately stepped forward, producing specially made shackles.

"Take him away."

Qin Bai issued the cold command without giving Su Zhan another glance.

...

Vermilion Bird Academy, Hunting Team office building.

This structure had a cold, hard architectural style, serving as the academy's violent authority specifically responsible for eliminating Aberrants.

Since Qin Bai was still the overall commander of the Vermilion Bird Academy's Hunting Team, he naturally had access to this building.

Inside an interrogation room, the lighting was dim.

Su Zhan and Wang Mingyuan sat separately in chairs.

Qin Bai sat leisurely across from them, with two expressionless Supervision Department members standing behind him.

"Su Zhan..."

Qin Bai tapped the table with his finger. "Originally, higher-ups gave you seven days, so I couldn't really move directly against you. But now...

You openly attacked official Supervision Department personnel, violently resisted law enforcement, and attempted to flee.

That charge alone gives me the authority to detain you for interrogation for five days. That's not excessive, is it?"

Qin Bai gave Su Zhan no opportunity to refute, then turned his gaze to Wang Mingyuan. "On this point, I think even Dean Ye wouldn't object. Teacher Wang, correct?"

Wang Mingyuan didn't refute, tacitly accepting this.

"Teacher Wang, I'm quite curious. That secret escape tunnel our academy sealed over fifty years ago—even many senior instructors don't know its specific location or activation method..."

Qin Bai smiled. "How did Student Su Zhan find and use it so accurately?"

"Commander Qin, I don't know what tunnel you're referring to."

Wang Mingyuan met Qin Bai's intense gaze. "As for the key... I did have a similar antique key, but I lost it long ago. I can't remember exactly when or where I lost it."

Qin Bai snorted coldly, clearly not believing him, then looked back at Su Zhan. "And you? Where did you get the key? Who told you about the tunnel?"

Su Zhan raised his head, his face now completely indifferent. "I found it. Just wandering around the academy, got lucky and picked it up. Thought it was interesting so I kept it. Who knew it would open some broken tunnel?"

He was already all in anyway.

Doomed regardless, he would never expose Wang Mingyuan.

"Found it?"

Qin Bai laughed in anger. "What excellent luck! Then how did you know that tunnel leads outside the academy? Did you find a map too?"

"It was on the key."

After saying this, Su Zhan simply closed his eyes and stopped responding, using silence as his resistance.

The interrogation room fell into a brief stalemate.

Qin Bai knew these two had conspired together, but he lacked direct evidence to prove Wang Mingyuan's involvement in this matter.

Wang Mingyuan was Ye Hongyu's student.

Without ironclad proof, he couldn't move against him lightly.

"Very well."

Qin Bai stood up, his eyes icy. "Su Zhan, you'll stay here nicely for five full days. Oh... wait, no, you won't make it five days. Four days from now, I'll pick you a nice burial spot with good feng shui."

Su Zhan remained outwardly unmoved.

It was currently the evening of the third day, meaning four days remained until the seventh day.

"As for Teacher Wang... you may leave."

Qin Bai looked at Wang Mingyuan. "However, I will continue investigating this matter. I hope your key... truly was just lost."

Wang Mingyuan gave Su Zhan a deep look, his eyes filled with pain and regret.

Finally, without saying a word, he stood up and left the interrogation room.

Su Zhan was left behind in the cold interrogation room.

Qin Bai leaned forward slightly, looking at the silent Su Zhan with closed eyes before him.

"Aren't you curious how I discovered everything so quickly? How I seemed to foresee everything and positioned personnel at all exits?"

Su Zhan's eyelashes trembled slightly, but he still didn't open his eyes.

Qin Bai didn't mind, continuing as if talking to himself. "I spread the word that I'd been watching you continuously for 72 hours, that I was mentally exhausted and needed rest... Did you think that was true?

That was deliberately said for Wang Mingyuan and you to hear.

I understand people like you too well. Once you sense an opportunity, you'll definitely take the risk.

In reality, I never rested. I just changed how I was watching you.

From the storage room on the top floor of the building opposite your dorm, using a high-powered spiritual energy telescope, I could clearly see most areas of your dorm window.

I noticed when Wang Mingyuan went to see you late at night.

So when he emerged and deliberately lured away and knocked out my two subordinates, I didn't immediately appear to stop it.

But it's a pity—Wang Mingyuan acted too discreetly. The surveillance didn't capture it. Sigh, even though I saw it, without evidence, and with Ye Hongyu protecting him, I can't do anything to him."