288: Chapter 288 The system doesn't recognize her, so she entrusts her life to Lin Yuan first.

"I want to stay."

A long blade was held horizontally in front of Grandmaster Ling Suzhen.

Lin Yuan did not approach.

"Finish your sentence."

The hilt in Grandmaster Ling Suzhen's hand turned half a circle.

"To stay at Tiangong No. 1, to stay by your side."

"For the sake of continuing the Ling Family Bloodline?"

"I have had that thought."

"For the crystal core, armor, and martial Dao resources?"

"I need these."

"And to continue placing yourself in the position of Shen Qingyue's birth mother?"

The hilt loosened by another half.

Outside the door, Tang Qiqi pressed against the observation window, her lips pressed into a straight line. Qin Yumo leaned against the wall with her arms crossed, not speaking up for the person inside.

Inside the testing arena, only the exhaust vents of the Eternal Light Martial Maiden were still venting gas.

Lin Yuan looked at Grandmaster Ling Suzhen.

"Tiangong No. 1 only accepts those who can bear the weight of their choices."

"If you want to measure this matter using your identity as a Ling Family Grandmaster, Shen Qingyue's birth mother, or a Capital executor, then put your armor back on now; the door is right behind you."

Grandmaster Ling Suzhen swallowed hard.

She lifted her leg and disengaged the left-side augmentation ring.

Click.

The right-side augmentation ring fell onto the maintenance table.

The power spine detached from her back, and the armor's waist guard, arm guards, and shoulder components were removed one by one. The sound of metal clattering rolled across the testing arena, finally coming to a stop in the corner.

The internal training suit clung to her shoulders and waist.

Old scars from years of ancient martial arts training crisscrossed her back. Without the armor's augmentation, and without her time Superpower to support her posture, she still stood straight.

Lin Yuan pushed the maintenance table over.

"Take out anything that is still connected to your old identity."

Grandmaster Ling Suzhen reached into her hidden pocket.

A black authorization card fell into her palm first.

Capital Special Execution Department.

Highest Operational Authorization.

The surface of the card was worn in many places, but the serial number on the back could still access the old Capital System.

She then unclasped a thin chain from behind her neck.

Hanging at the end of the chain was a Shen Family token. The character "Shen" was carved in the center of the square jade pendant, and its edges had been worn smooth.

Her thumb brushed over the character.

Once. And again.

Her breathing became shorter and shorter, yet the authorization card still did not fall.

Lin Yuan turned and walked toward the alloy door.

"If you can't bear to part with them, then take them and leave."

His footsteps did not stop. He gave no deadline and did not look back.

Grandmaster Ling Suzhen raised her hand.

The authorization card slammed against the chest plate of the Eternal Light Martial Maiden.

Clang!

The Shen Family jade pendant fell after it, striking the edge of the authorization card and coming to rest in a seam of the armor.

Lin Yuan walked to the door. Behind him, Grandmaster Ling Suzhen's voice rang out.

"Shen Qingyue is already dead."

"Your relationship with the Shen Family ended long ago."

"The Ling Family Bloodline, Capital missions, and martial Dao resources cannot make today's decision for me."

She placed the long blade onto the maintenance table.

The blade pressed down on the authorization card, covering the character "Shen" as well.

"The person staying here is only called Grandmaster Ling Suzhen."

Outside the door, Tang Qiqi's mouth hung open, and it took a long while for her to close it. Qin Yumo lowered her arms and straightened her posture.

Lin Yuan paused at the door.

The System showed no reaction.

As a player, Grandmaster Ling Suzhen's data was always in a shielded state. There were no calibration results for favorability, attributes, or the source of her abilities.

For such a woman to enter the core area was equivalent to placing an undetectable blade at one's side.

"My core circle has absolute loyalty as its bottom line."

Lin Yuan turned around.

"The System cannot see you. I also cannot confirm whether you will turn into someone else after the next Red Moon."

Grandmaster Ling Suzhen did not use her battle achievements in Wan City to defend herself.

She pressed the long blade completely flat.

"You can investigate me, watch me."

"If I cross the line, you can kill me."

"Today's choice does not need the System to prove it for me."

Lin Yuan walked in front of her. They stood one step apart.

"First, there must be no betrayal."

Grandmaster Ling Suzhen looked up.

"Accepted."

"Second, you must not use your identity as Shen Qingyue's birth mother, a Ling Family Grandmaster, or a Capital executor to interfere with the internal affairs of the Lin Family."

She paused for two breaths.

"Accepted."

"Third, you must no longer use loss of control, feigned weakness, or deception to fight for resources or positions."

Grandmaster Ling Suzhen glanced at the observation window.

Tang Qiqi immediately shrank her head down, revealing only half of her blue hair.

"Accepted."

After the three rules were stated, the System still provided no notification.

The alloy door rose. Behind the door lay the path to the B1 core member area.

The guard scanned Grandmaster Ling Suzhen's Rank authorization but did not grant access.

Lin Yuan raised his hand to modify the authorization.

The core passage lit up with a green light.

Grandmaster Ling Suzhen walked to the threshold, lifted her right foot, but paused in mid-air for a beat.

Her shoulders and back expanded, and her breath escaped along the collar of her training suit.

She stepped over the threshold.

Lin Yuan gripped her wrist, pulling her back close.

"After you go in, if you ever use your old identity as a fallback, I will destroy it with my own hands."

Grandmaster Ling Suzhen met his gaze.

"Those fallbacks have already been left outside the door."

She countered by gripping Lin Yuan's shoulder and arm.

She exerted force from her waist and back.

A Grandmaster's grapple pressed down against his elbow joint, her footwork cutting into the inside of Lin Yuan's center of gravity.

She was seizing the initiative, and it was also her final test.

Lin Yuan did not dodge.

His Undying Martial Body absorbed the pressure on the joint.

His arm reversed, and he thrust his shoulder forward.

Grandmaster Ling Suzhen's center of gravity was lifted off the ground.

Her lower back struck the training table; the entire metal table slid two meters, and armor parts rolled across the floor.

She braced herself against the table to stand up and lunged forward again.

A palm strike landed against Lin Yuan's ribs.

Lin Yuan took the blow, his hand pressing against her waist, pinning her back against the edge of the table.

"Are you conscious of what you are doing?"

"I am."

"Who made this decision?"

"Grandmaster Ling Suzhen."

She raised her knee to fight for space.

Lin Yuan blocked the attack, his strength pressing down along his shoulder and arm. The maintenance table screeched with friction, and the long blade slid off the edge, embedding itself into the floor.

Every time Grandmaster Ling Suzhen lost the initiative, she would steady herself again.

She wore no armor. She activated no Superpower. And she did not mention the Shen Family again.

With grapples, footwork, and close-quarters combat, she acknowledged her choice time and time again.

Outside the observation window, Tang Qiqi stood on her tiptoes, trying to see, but was grabbed by the back of her collar by Qin Yumo.

"Let's go."

"I am responsible for recording testing accidents!"

"There are no accidents."

"The table is about to collapse!"

Qin Yumo dragged her away from the corridor.

The alloy door closed. Two rows of lights in the testing arena went out.

The clash of strength continued into the resting area.

The Grandmaster air that Grandmaster Ling Suzhen had maintained for years was dismantled layer by layer, yet she still suppressed her voice, not using concession to gain leniency.

When Lin Yuan asked her again who she was, she grabbed his shoulders and back, her breath hitting his neck.

"Grandmaster Ling Suzhen."

No Shen Family. No Capital. Only her own name.

… One hour later.

Grandmaster Ling Suzhen put on her training suit and tied up her long hair again.

She did not ask for a title.

"I want to keep the title of Eternal Light Martial Maiden."

"I will continue to push for S-Rank."

"You may."

Lin Yuan returned the armor authorization to her.

Grandmaster Ling Suzhen pulled out the long blade embedded in the floor.

The blade sliced across the side of her palm, and blood dripped down her palm lines.

She drew three ancient martial arts secret runes on her chest.

The first represented the body. The second represented the will. The third represented belonging.

The patterns connected, and the blood was absorbed by her skin, leaving behind a dark red mark.

Grandmaster Ling Suzhen handed the hilt to Lin Yuan.

"It doesn't matter if the System doesn't recognize me."

"My life can recognize you first."