55: Qualification upgrade, the threat of the Seven Deadly Sins!

In the dimly lit room, He Hong and the black-clad elder sat opposite each other, both silent.

The flickering wall-fire cast a faint and eerie glow, its flames dancing in the fluctuating air, sometimes bright, sometimes dim, like a phantom projecting moving shadows on the stone wall.

The parrot in the cage also seemed affected by the gloomy atmosphere; it sometimes drooped its wings, and at other times suddenly let out a few hoarse mumbles.

The sound echoed in the empty room, like deep sighs, sending shivers down one's spine.

He Hong gazed at the wall-fire, complex thoughts flickering in his eyes.

He hesitated for a moment, then finally turned his gaze to the black-clad elder beside him, his tone tinged with caution and doubt, "Do you think Ye Jinlan could be the one who leaked the prophecy's secret?"

Ye Jinlan, this name resonated like thunder within the Special Guard Team.

She is Ye Zhanying's elder sister and a crucial high-ranking figure in the Third Army.

Her status is noble, her authority prominent, and she is supported by the deeply rooted Ye Family, granting her supreme prestige throughout the Third Army, revered by countless officers and soldiers.

Upon hearing this, the black-clad elder's experienced eyes rippled.

"There's a possibility."

His tone, though as calm as water, could not conceal the deep worry within it.

"After all, besides her, all other high-ranking officials have been cleared of suspicion."

Before the prophecy was leaked, Ye Zhanying had already departed for the vast depths of the ocean on an extremely confidential mission and had not yet re-established contact.

Although the Dragon Country military mobilized vast resources for a thorough, carpet-like investigation of Ye Zhanying, and all people, events, and objects related to Ye Jinlan, everything showed no suspicious signs.

The black-clad elder took a deep breath, as if to calm the unease stirring within him.

A moment later, he said earnestly, "We must find out the truth as soon as possible. If it is indeed as you suspect, and the problem lies with Ye Jinlan, then we must be careful."

Upon hearing this, He Hong's face became as grim as iron, and he nodded solemnly.

Ye Jinlan comes from a prestigious Family, holds a high position, and has a bright future; the possibility of her actively leaking such an important prophecy is minuscule.

Then there is only one possibility.

She has fallen into the hands of an opposing force!

And the opponent used some means to extract those crucial pieces of information from her mind.

Ye Jinlan is an A-Rank Expert, whose overall strength ranks among the top five in the entire Special Guard Team. She also carried an extremely powerful diamond grade treasure chest for this mission.

Even an S-Rank Expert, standing at the pinnacle of the world, would find it difficult to capture Ye Jinlan, who is protected by a treasure chest, let alone extract any secrets from her mind.

It should be known that the brains of all high-ranking officials in the Dragon Country have been enchanted with a secret technique by an epic Divine Artifact.

This secret technique ensures that even if they fall into enemy hands, the confidential information in their minds will not be leaked.

For thousands of years, it has always been this way, without exception.

If any force could decipher this secret technique, it would undoubtedly touch upon the Dragon Country's most core interests.

This would inevitably trigger the Dragon Country's thunderous wrath and vigilance among its high-ranking officials, and would further prompt the entire national machine to quickly mobilize to investigate and respond to this threat comprehensively.

Consequently, not only would the domestic situation suddenly become tense, but the entire world would also be stirred by the Dragon Country's drastic reaction.

As an absolute high-ranking official in the Special Guard Team, Ye Jinlan possesses numerous top-secret pieces of information concerning the nation's fate.

If the source of the leak is confirmed to be her, then many of the Dragon Country's strategic deployments will need to be adjusted.

From military deployments and diplomatic strategies to the ancient national protection Formation that guards the entire Dragon Country, all will be forced to undergo significant adjustments to cope with the chain reaction triggered by this.

Realizing this, He Hong and the elder exchanged glances, both unable to hide their profound worry.

Suddenly, the air in the room solidified, and a heavy, serious atmosphere permeated the space.

The black-clad elder's gaze shifted, falling upon the exquisite birdcage in the corner.

He slowly rose, took a shimmering golden fruit from his sleeve, and offered it to the parrot's beak.

The parrot hesitated slightly but eventually began to chew meticulously.

After it swallowed the fruit, the elder's tone was calm but held a deep meaning as he asked, "Do you think the source of the leak is Ye Jinlan?"

The parrot seemed stumped, firststunneding for a moment, then flapping its wings and shouting, "I don't know! I don't know! Possibly! Possibly!"

Its ambiguous answer precisely reflected the baffling nature of the matter, making it even more inscrutable.

The elder slightly closed his eyes and sighed softly.

He took out another fruit and fed it to the parrot.

This time his question was sharper: "If it really is her, which force do you think is behind all of this?"

Upon hearing this question, the parrot suddenly lost control.

It frantically crashed around in the cage, feathers flying, its shrill cries piercing the silence.

After a struggle, its voice hoarse, it firmly and repeatedly uttered two words: "Eagle Country! Eagle Country!"

Upon hearing this, the black-clad elder frowned deeply, turning his gaze to the equally astonished He Hong.

He Hong's expression subtly changed, and he cautiously replied, "This... that's unlikely, isn't it?"

"Although Eagle Country competes fiercely with our Dragon Country, we have maintained deep cooperation in many Domains for hundreds of years. If..."

Listening to He Hong's analysis, the elder pondered deeply.

A moment later, he slowly nodded, indicating his agreement with He Hong's view.

He knew well that if Eagle Country truly targeted Ye Jinlan, it would be tantamount to openly challenging the Dragon Country's bottom line.

This would inevitably lead to the immediate collapse of the peaceful and win-win situation that the two countries had carefully maintained for hundreds of years!

Once war ignited, regardless of the ultimate outcome, both countries would pay a heavy price, suffering significant damage.

And those forces that have always coveted the status of a Superpower would certainly seize this opportunity to reap the benefits.

With these thoughts, the elder again picked up a fruit and offered it to the parrot.

"Besides Eagle Country, who else could it be?"

The parrot again crashed frantically within the delicate iron birdcage, hitting its head until it bled, feathers scattering.

After wildly flapping its wings for over ten seconds, it shouted an answer in a sharp and clear voice.

"Bear Country! Bear Country!"

Its words were so resolute, as if carrying an undeniable premonition.

"Bear Country?! How is that possible?!"

The elder's brows furrowed; Bear Country was even less likely than Eagle Country.

"Bear Country! Bear Country!"

The crow continued to cry out.

The elder felt a slight irritation, turning his head slightly, his gaze passing through the half-open window.

He gazed at the endless night sky in the distance, seemingly trying to capture the scent of conspiracy hidden in the shadows... "Besides them, who else could have targeted Ye Jinlan?!"

"Tell me, who else?!"

The elder asked the parrot again and again, tirelessly.

He Hong, holding a pen, meticulously recorded each of the parrot's answers in a yellowing notebook.

As time passed, more than a dozen different country or force names were clearly listed on the paper.

He Hong and the black-clad elder stood side by side, looking at the dozen names, both with deeply furrowed brows.

"Bear Country, Eagle Country..."

The black-clad elder spoke in a deep voice, and with a gentle flick of his pen, two names were instantly crossed out with thick ink lines.

"If they truly harbored schemes against our country, our spies embedded there would not have failed to hear even the slightest rumor."

A cold flash of confidence glinted in the elder's eyes, an absolute trust in his own intelligence network.

"As for the Treasure Chest Alliance and the Hunter Association..."

He Hong interjected, "Their possibility is also small. Even if the two of them joined forces, they couldn't threaten Ye Jinlan."

Globally, Ye Jinlan, wielding a diamond grade treasure chest, is absolutely a top-tier expert.

Aside from the three Superpowers and a very few top organizations, it is almost impossible for other forces to capture her alive.

The elder pondered for a moment, then decisively crossed out those two names.

"Black Alien Society, Maritime Alliance..."

The black-clad elder scrutinized the remaining names one by one.

While analyzing, he mercilessly erased them one by one with the tip of his pen.

As the ink marks on the paper grew denser, the worry on their faces deepened.

"All of them have been ruled out..."

The black-clad elder stared at the disfigured notebook, lost in deep thought.

Suddenly, the confusion in his eyes was replaced by a flash of insight.

His gaze quickly swept over the names that had already been negated.

"What about the Seven Deadly Sins?!"

The elder slapped his thigh abruptly, his voice imbued with astonishing force.

"Why didn't the Divine Parrot mention the name of the Seven Deadly Sins?!"

As these words were uttered, the air seemed to solidify instantly, and even the parrot's cries abruptly ceased.

He Hong's pupils contracted upon hearing this, clearly shaken by this sudden discovery.

Indeed, the name Seven Deadly Sins had not appeared in any of the answers given by the parrot.

In fact, neither of them had previously considered the possibility of the Seven Deadly Sins.

The black-clad elder impatiently took out a shimmering golden fruit and quickly walked towards the birdcage.

He eagerly offered the fruit to the parrot, his voice trembling yet resolute as he asked, "Is there any possibility that the Seven Deadly Sins made a move against Ye Jinlan?!"

However, after swallowing the fruit, the parrot exhibited a strange reaction.

Its eyes suddenly turned crimson, like two burning coals.

Then it frantically shook its head left and right, repeatedly screaming, "I don't know! I don't know!"

The shrill cries echoed in the empty secret room, sending shivers down one's spine.

Faced with the parrot's abnormal behavior, the black-clad elder did not give up.

His eyes gleamed with determination as he forcefully stuffed several golden fruits into the parrot's mouth.

However, no matter how he pressed, the parrot's answer remained consistent.

"I don't know! I don't know!"

"What's wrong with it? This is the first time I've seen the Divine Parrot like this." He Hong was utterly astonished, rushing towards the birdcage.

He saw that the parrot, usually with glittering wings and lively eyes, now had blood-red eyes, as if ignited by an unknown evil fire, exuding a strange and terrifying aura.

The black-clad elder did not respond to He Hong's astonishment, his profound gaze, like that of a hawk, fixed intently on the mutated parrot.

It restlessly flapped its wings in the cage, emitting sharp, piercing cries, as if struggling against some invisible restraint.

Watching this bizarre phenomenon, the elder's fingers trembled slightly, yet he tried his best to control it, then clenched his fists, attempting to conceal the turmoil within his heart.

After a long while, the elder slowly spoke, his voice low and filled with worry.

"The Seven Deadly Sins... might be even more terrifying than we imagined!"

...Sunlight slanted across the entrance of the Third Hunter University, casting a golden glow.

Han Fei quickly walked out of the school gate, heading directly towards the waiting courier.

"Mr. Han, your package!"

"Thank you."

Receiving the exquisitely packaged express box, Han Fei was overjoyed.

This was precisely the Superpower Aptitude Enhancement Potion sent by the Special Guard Team.

His impatient mood drove him to quickly return to his dormitory.

Closing the door, Han Fei immediately opened the express box.

Inside the box were five bottles of potion neatly arranged.

Two bottles of silver grade potion with flowing silver light, and three bottles of bronze grade potion with a cold luster.

Han Fei took a deep breath and solemnly took out a bottle of bronze grade Superpower Aptitude Enhancement Potion.

He unscrewed the cap, and a rich, bitter medicinal fragrance instantly permeated the air; just smelling it made one feel refreshed.

Han Fei unhesitatingly tilted his head back and swallowed it.

The liquid slid down his throat, bringing a strong stimulating sensation, as if a ball of fierce flame was burning within his body.

Immediately after, a warmth rose from his abdomen, like spring sunlight breaking through ice, quickly spreading to his limbs and bones, immersing his body in a warm and comfortable atmosphere.

This state lasted for about half an hour before gradually fading, leaving only a faint lingering warmth resonating within Han Fei's body.

After adjusting his state, Han Fei immediately began to Cultivate his Cleaning Superpower.

He closed his eyes, concentrating fully on sensing the Superpower vortex in his palm, attempting to accelerate its rotation through Cultivation.

However, despite his Superpower Aptitude being enhanced, he still felt a powerful obstruction during Cultivation, like a giant rock blocking his path, making his Cultivation unable to advance even an inch.

Han Fei frowned slightly, thinking to himself, "It seems my Aptitude hasn't broken through to D-grade yet."

Unable to undergo the company's precise physical examination, Han Fei could only rely on his feelings during Cultivation to judge the improvement of his Aptitude.

Another bottle of bronze grade Superpower Aptitude Enhancement Potion was drunk by him.

Half an hour later, Han Fei tried to Cultivate again, but the resistance was still like a mountain, clearly still unable to Breakthrough to D-grade.

Then came the third bottle, with the same result.

"It seems the Breakthrough probability for bronze grade is indeed very low."

The bronze grade Superpower Aptitude Enhancement Potion only has a less than 10% chance of enabling an E-grade Aptitude to Breakthrough to D-grade.

Han Fei had already anticipated this result, and then he decisively picked up a bottle of silver grade Superpower Aptitude Enhancement Potion.

Upon entering his mouth, the potion's effect was immediate, several times stronger than the bronze grade potion.

A scorching energy surged into his body like a tide. Han Fei immediately felt as if his whole body was surrounded by raging fire, the blood vessels under his skin seemed to be boiling, and rolling heat waves impacted every cell.

Sweat instantly poured out from his pores, soaking his clothes, as if he was wearing heavy winter clothes in a sauna, the stuffy heat nearly suffocating him.

Time seemed to stretch endlessly at this moment.

An hour later, Han Fei finally escaped from this scorching torrent.

He gasped for breath, sweat pouring down like rain, his entire clothing so wet it could be wrung out.

Even without attempting to Cultivate yet, Han Fei could clearly feel that his control over his Superpower had made a qualitative leap.

The power flowing in his Bloodline felt within reach, incredibly intimate and powerful.

He slightly raised his right hand, and with a thought, the miniature trash can quickly appeared, much smoother than before, by an immeasurable degree.