172: Chapter 172 Who exactly is it?

June 14th, 7:00 AM.

Chu Xuan sat up from his bed.

During these three-plus hours of sleep, he hadn't thought about anything, completely emptying his mind and casting aside the pressure of death and the approaching crisis.

Upon waking again, he felt much more refreshed and relaxed throughout his body.

"Next, it's time to formally face this killing tribulation..."

Muttering to himself, Chu Xuan pulled back the curtains, opened the window, and breathed in the fresh air. Gazing into the distance, his mind was filled with a thousand thoughts.

According to the hints from [Future Tang Zheng], his incident occurred around 4:00 AM on June 20th. Counting it down, there were less than six days left.

In the upcoming dreams, besides continuing to try and leave Haicheng, he also needed to do his best to uncover the true identity of that mysterious powerhouse. Otherwise, staying this passive was simply too dangerous.

If he could confirm the other party's identity, whether it was taking the initiative to attack or seeking a countermeasure through [Future Tang Zheng], he would have a better chance of winning.

Chu Xuan's fingertips unconsciously tapped on the windowsill as his gaze swept over the increasing number of pedestrians on the street below, his mind quickly calculating.

"Smoke, fire, Heart Bewitchment..."

Chu Xuan muttered in a low voice.

So far, that "mysterious powerhouse" had displayed two talents and one sequence skill, along with a talent ability suspected to be Captain Ming Xiucheng's [Marking].

Who exactly could it be?

Zhang Qiang, Zhao Hongchan, Ming Xiucheng...

Among them, Zhang Qiang and Zhao Hongchan corresponded to the two talents of Smoke and Fire, and since these two would become Strange Creaturess in the future, they naturally held the greatest suspicion.

Next was Ming Xiucheng, who corresponded to the Marking talent. In [Future Tang Zheng]'s description, although the possibility was low, he couldn't be ruled out either.

Furthermore, based on the mysterious person's performance in the third dream just now, the other party knew that an S-rank Specter had escaped during the Night Demon Incident, but they just didn't know it was inside his body.

This could explain why, assuming Ming Xiucheng was the mysterious powerhouse, he didn't wait until he had marked Chu Xuan ten times in the future before triggering the S-rank Specter to come out and be killed.

As for the Transcendent Skill Heart Bewitchment displayed by the mysterious powerhouse...

Thinking carefully now, Chu Xuan realized this didn't necessarily mean much. After all, even he had more than one Transcendent Skill, so why wouldn't that mysterious powerhouse?

Besides them, Old Mo and Bai Yunfei, who would go missing in the future, were also somewhat suspicious. It wasn't impossible that they were the mysterious powerhouse in disguise.

Finally, there was Azure Dragon.

This person was also a suspect because he had destroyed the Dark Place in Yinshan Village and killed the White-haired Village Chief, Usher's Puppet. Chu Xuan might have already drawn his attention.

Furthermore, in the third dream, Xinyue Fox had revealed that she and Azure Dragon were both in Haicheng.

What made Chu Xuan suspicious was whether the mysterious powerhouse was one person with multiple abilities, or multiple people acting in concert.

Or perhaps one person was the leader, with others assisting?

Why had they targeted him specifically?

In the third dream, Chu Xuan still remembered the other party saying one thing—

"What a pity, I wanted to try a few more times... Since you've already decided to leave, I can't keep you any longer..."

What was the other party trying to do?

Countless thoughts intertwined in his mind as Chu Xuan kept his eyes tightly shut.

He discovered that as his Mental Energy increased, although his thinking had become much more active and his memory was super-strong—to the point where he could recall many things forgotten since childhood in an instant—it also meant many thoughts arose simultaneously, and all sorts of possibilities surfaced.

But the known clues were currently too few. Relying solely on speculation and empty thought to find a clear thread within the countless tangled strands of his mind was not that easy.

"You seem to be troubled by something? As they say, stones from other hills may serve to polish jade. Speak it out, perhaps I can help you and broaden your perspective..." the Phantom Demon's voice echoed eerily.

"No need."

Chu Xuan's expression was indifferent.

He said that, but he had to admit the Phantom Demon's words held some truth. It was just that... his first choice for that "other hill" was not the Phantom Demon.

At this moment, Chu Xuan thought of someone.

That person who was similar to him, who had used every trick in the book back in the dormitory to gain his trust in order to find a slim chance of survival. He wondered how that person was doing now...

Right then, his phone rang. It was Luo Xiaotian calling.

"I'm at the entrance to Tang Zheng's house..."

Luo Xiaotian had arrived early in the morning with several military pickup trucks to help Tang Zheng move.

Chu Xuan and Tang Zheng didn't need to worry about the details during the process; relevant staff members handled everything. The two of them enjoyed privileged treatment and headed to the base with Luo Xiaotian first.

First, they went to the Logistics Department to collect their standard Night Watcher uniforms, blades, and firearms, then to the Armory for other guns and ammunition.

Luo Xiaotian introduced, "This black trench coat is waterproof, fireproof, and stab-resistant. Although its protection against Specters is limited, it's better than nothing. Also, there are buckles installed on the back for carrying a long blade, which is very convenient."

Chu Xuan nodded slightly, but his attention fell on the long blade.

It was similar to a Han Dynasty ring-pommel saber, but slightly longer, with a total length of about 130 centimeters.

The edge gleamed coldly, and the blade was straight and narrow. It was engraved with a bird with an extremely long tail feather that ran through the entire length of the blade, resembling a Vermilion Bird.

"This blade is made of special Materials with a certain amount of Uranium-235 added. Its damage against Specters is somewhat stronger than ordinary blades. It has a certain level of radioactivity, so only official members can use it."

Luo Xiaotian explained, "But the most powerful part is that you can infuse spirituality into it. Both its sharpness and toughness will jump to a whole new level, far beyond what ordinary blades can compare to."

While speaking, Luo Xiaotian drew the long blade from his waist with a 'clack'.

The blade suddenly emitted a piercing light. With a light downward stroke, it easily sliced through a steel plate two fingers thick.

"Once your Mental Energy reaches 20 points, you can freely control your stamina and spirituality to infuse them into the blade. Roughly 1 spirituality value can maintain it for about 30 seconds."

As he spoke, the piercing light on the long blade in Luo Xiaotian's hand dissipated. He smiled and said:

"In just that short moment, I consumed 1 spirituality value. Of course, if your spirituality value is high enough, you can infuse more at once, and the power will naturally be greater. However, according to various combat data statistics, it's best not to infuse more than 10 points within 1 minute, otherwise, the blade risks being damaged."

Luo Xiaotian reminded them, "This is one of the most important achievements developed by the Research Department specifically against Specters. This single blade alone cannot be measured by ordinary money; the cost is immense. Each Night Watcher is only issued one. If it's lost or damaged, it requires 100 points to be redeemed again."

Tang Zheng asked curiously, "Is this Vermilion Bird engraved on it some kind of special rune?"

"There are no such things as runes."

Luo Xiaotian shook his head with a smile. "Back in the Early Stage of the Specters' appearance, the authorities arranged for searches for talented individuals everywhere, especially from the Buddhist and Taoist sects, hoping for some runes or Spells that could restrain Specters—particularly to resolve the mental pressure Specters exert on humans at close range. But it was completely useless."

With a soft sigh, Luo Xiaotian brandished the long blade in his hand with a complex expression:

"China has had a tradition of the Vermilion Bird warding off evil and calamities since ancient times. Engraving it on the Night Watchers' standard blades is more of just a beautiful sentiment."

"So, did you guys give this blade a name?" Tang Zheng asked again.

Luo Xiaotian sheathed the blade, the sound ringing out as he spoke five words:

"Great Xia Dragon-Sparrow Blade!"