219: Chapter 219 is ready.

"The [Revelation] would naturally not be wrong."

He Jun waved his hand and said, "Furthermore, if Chu Xuan really were a Clone of the Azure Dragon, there would be absolutely no need for him to go to such great lengths. Doing so would only draw more attention, rather than serving as a way to slip away unnoticed."

"It seems I was overthinking it."

Xu Shuya couldn't help but ask, "In that case, Director He, why do you still feel that Chu Xuan is untrustworthy?"

Instead of answering directly, He Jun asked, "You should be very clear about my Talent, right?"

Xu Shuya nodded. "Of course. Director He, your Talent is [Nether-Communion]. You are extremely sensitive to the fluctuations of a Specter's aura and can perceive their presence within a certain range. The ghost-hunting compass was developed based on your ability..."

At this point, Xu Shuya's voice suddenly trailed off.

Tan Ziming also realized something, and his expression changed slightly.

"Exactly. The reason I don't quite trust him is that just now, when the blood-red lightning fell and formed various Evil God patterns and marks, I vaguely sensed the fluctuations of a Specter within his body."

He Jun's gaze was deep. "That special fluctuation wasn't a Specter in disguise; rather, it's like the members of the Resurrection Society, who exist in a symbiotic state with a Specter."

Tan Ziming gasped. "But Director He, you just said it was impossible for Chu Xuan to be the Azure Dragon. Moreover, last night he captured twenty-four members of the Resurrection Society, led by Xinyue Fox..."

"Being in a symbiotic state with a Specter doesn't necessarily mean one is a member of the Resurrection Society. Besides, not everyone in the Resurrection Society is irredeemably evil; most are victims who were deceived. The key is to see if they've developed subordinates and if they're willing to turn over a new leaf."

Xu Shuya mused, "With his Nether-Communion Talent, Director He can perceive the presence of Specters below B-Rank. Even if they haven't entered a supernatural state, he can still sense them, including Specters in symbiosis with humans. And the closer the distance, the clearer the perception. But..."

Xu Shuya looked at He Jun and asked tentatively, "You just said you only vaguely felt the Specter's fluctuations when the Evil God patterns appeared. That is probably the real cause for concern, isn't it?"

"Correct." He Jun's tone was grave. "The fact that I didn't sense it before means he is in symbiosis with at least an A-Rank Specter, or perhaps... even an S-Rank!"

Hearing this, Tan Ziming and Xu Shuya both gasped simultaneously.

"According to the records of the Night Demon Incident at the pharmaceutical university dormitory, when they were about to escape, it was suspected that the Night Demon was controlled by an S-rank Specter that worshipped the Final Phantom God. Afterward, that S-rank Specter never appeared again..."

He Jun's eyes flashed brilliantly. "I suspect it's inside Chu Xuan!"

"Symbiosis with an S-rank Specter? Can such a situation really exist?" Xu Shuya was dazed.

"The Gloom converges, and its rules are ever-changing; what we currently understand is just the tip of the iceberg! Regardless, the Specter inside Chu Xuan is at least A-Rank, that much is certain!"

After a pause, He Jun added, "Furthermore, I discovered Specters inside two other people: Luo Xiaotian and Zhao Hongchan's newborn infant. Regarding Luo Xiaotian's situation, Zhang Qiang is clearly aware of it. As for the infant, Zhao Hongchan, being the mother, obviously knows as well."

Tan Ziming and Xu Shuya looked at each other, speechless.

"Combining the Specters inside Luo Xiaotian and that infant with our prior knowledge of the Resurrection Society's methods, I deduce they were the Azure Dragon's way of monitoring Zhang Qiang and Zhao Hongchan. Since the Azure Dragon is dead and these two have Zhang Qiang and Zhao Hongchan to look after them, we don't need to worry too much. We can afford to turn a blind eye to these small details."

He Jun said in a low voice, "The key lies with Chu Xuan! For now, although Chu Xuan is still under control, an S-rank Specter is too terrifying and highly unpredictable. No one can foresee what will happen in the future. There's no telling when Chu Xuan might lose control, or if he has already been subtly influenced by the Specter within him."

"An S-rank Specter..."

Tan Ziming muttered, then suddenly shuddered. "In that case, not only can we not move against him, we can't even provoke him. If he goes crazy, he might let that S-rank Specter out."

"That is exactly why I'm giving you this warning in advance."

He Jun instructed, "Because of this global upheaval, Headquarters has decided to launch the Seed Project early. With your backgrounds, you should have some understanding of this project. You were barely able to participate because your families put in a lot of effort."

"So, I hope that when you learn that both Chu Xuan and Tang Zheng are on the selection list, you won't provoke them needlessly due to psychological imbalance or other reasons. If you do, you'll be the ones to suffer, and I won't be able to help you."

Xu Shuya crossed her arms, her expression remaining normal.

Tan Ziming, however, gave an awkward smile. "Director He, are we really that pathetic in your eyes?"

He Jun glanced at him and said flatly, "Actually, my focus is on reminding you. Including Shuya was just to save you some Face."

Tan Ziming felt even more awkward and quickly guaranteed, "Director He, what are you thinking? I'm definitely not that blind! Besides, given their combat records, I wouldn't have dared to offend them anyway. Now that I know Chu Xuan might have an S-rank Specter inside him, I certainly won't go looking for death."

"That's for the best." He Jun nodded.

Xu Shuya then asked in confusion, "Director He, has the matter regarding Chu Xuan not been reported to Captain-General Yang Yu?"

He Jun sighed softly. "A Gloom area spanning hundreds of kilometers suddenly appeared in the central region of our country. Captain-General Yang led a team to investigate immediately and cannot come personally. That's why he requested that I first take both him and Tang Zheng to the Capital under the name of the Seed Project—both for surveillance and for their protection."

After speaking, He Jun warned the two, "It's enough that you two know about this. Do not reveal it to anyone."

The two quickly gave their word.

Meanwhile, Chu Xuan had already returned to his residence with Tang Zheng.

Over the past few days, due to the matter with the Azure Dragon, his spirit had been constantly strained under the pressure of life and death. He hadn't been able to rest properly, even timing his sleep down to the minute.

Although a long time had passed in his dreams, in reality, he had only slept for a few minutes. Not only did he not get much rest, but because of the successive deaths in his dreams, he felt even more mentally exhausted.

After killing the Azure Dragon, he had gone to capture Xinyue Fox that same night. He thought he could sleep early upon his return to recharge and prepare to enter the Purifier sequence, but the sudden global upheaval once again gave him a sense of restlessness.

Fortunately, the Specter incidents in Haicheng had stabilized, and this night wasn't too affected. After informing Zhang Qiang, Chu Xuan returned to the villa.

Everything was ready; he was going to enter the dream.

He would attempt to become a Purifier and completely resolve the hidden danger of the Phantom Demon!

"It's almost five o'clock. I can still sleep for an hour, which is enough."

"It's just a bit strange. The world has undergone a massive change, and people like Zhang Qiang are all extremely concerned, asking if I've received guidance from the Heavenly Secret, yet He Jun seems to have ignored my ability..."

As Chu Xuan pondered this, he entered the foyer.

Wang Ruozi wasn't there; she had been working overtime at the Research Department these past few days.

Xu Zhiyou and Lin Tong had long since vanished.

Surveillance footage showed that around the time the explosion occurred at the helipad, the two of them had left the Research Base together, their final destination unknown.

Only a hunched figure walked tremulously from the kitchen, holding a bowl of white porridge in both hands.

"Son... eat..."