496: Chapter 496 Ominous Signs, Revelation, and the Development of the Illuminati

In the kitchen, the morning sunlight filtered through the window, spilling over two figures.

One stood in front of the kitchen counter, eyes lowered, gazing at the freshly washed porridge rice, with crystalline water droplets still clinging to her fingers.

The other held a water cup and leaned against the edge of the table, brows tightly knitted, seemingly deeply lost in thought.

The room fell silent for a few seconds, with only the monotonous ticking of the wall clock.

Lin Chuqiao took a deep breath, as if calming her heavy emotions.

"Although I cannot see that image clearly, based on conventional analysis, this is most likely a very ominous omen."

"It foretells that Fang Cheng has a slim chance of survival, sinking into darkness, leaving behind only that last sliver of light and a thread of life."

Having said that, she stopped what she was doing and turned to look at the person by the table.

"This situation... might not necessarily be an ominous omen."

Professor Ye Zhiren murmured in a low voice, trying to find a reasonable explanation to comfort her:

"Perhaps it was just subjected to interference, causing the image to be distorted..."

"Professor, stop lying to yourself."

Lin Chuqiao gave a wry smile and interrupted him:

"Ever since my Awakening, I have never encountered a similar situation."

"In the past, when predicting others' fates, even if variables existed, images with clear meanings would appear."

"The worst-case scenario was merely that the scene was relatively blurry, or obscured by mist, making details hard to see clearly."

"But it would never be this kind of... pure dark Void Realm."

She raised her eyes, staring intently at Professor Ye Zhiren:

"Now Fang Cheng's fortune has undergone such an extreme change, and you personally admitted just now that you didn't use the 'Formless Barrier' to conceal his heavenly secrets."

"Doesn't this precisely prove that that person... has already made a move?"

Seeing Professor Ye Zhiren remain silent, Lin Chuqiao intensified her tone, throwing out the most weighty argument:

"Especially after absorbing the blood rain on Miwu Mountain, my ability achieved a Breakthrough, and I am no longer what I used to be. Even when facing psychic ability users of the same rank, I can still glimpse a thing or two."

"Previously when you and Crow acted in that village, even with the 'Formless Barrier' concealing your whereabouts and appearances, I could still indirectly see the scene around the altar by predicting Xuanzhen, an S-rank psychic ability user."

"Therefore, the dark scene I saw when predicting Fang Cheng this time is definitely not as simple as interference."

Although Lin Chuqiao's voice was not loud, it exuded a sense of determination:

"This shows that the only variable, the only thread of life, lies with me."

"Perhaps only by actively entering the game myself can I help him break free from this predetermined fate line."

Hearing this, Professor Ye Zhiren fell into a long silence.

He took off his glasses and rubbed the space between his brows.

Facing Lin Chuqiao's rigorous logical deduction and that dangerous prediction result, his originally steadfast stance began to loosen.

"Professor."

Lin Chuqiao pressed her advantage while it was hot, lowering her posture:

"As long as you don't say it and I don't say it about this matter, Fang Cheng won't know."

"Once I perceive danger, I will immediately notify you and him. By then, thinking of a way to cope together will be much better than being unprepared and dealing with it passively."

Outside the door, Fang Cheng, having heard this, darkened slightly in expression, and his gaze flickered.

The fingers hanging by his sides clenched lightly, and he chose not to continue being a bystander.

He strode directly to the study door and reached out to push open the ajar door.

"Creak—"

A soft sound appeared exceptionally clear in the quiet corridor, instantly shattering the heavy atmosphere inside the study.

The two people talking inside the room instantly turned their heads at the sound.

When seeing Fang Cheng standing at the door, Professor Ye Zhiren's hand holding his glasses stiffened slightly, his expression looking somewhat awkward.

As for Lin Chuqiao, her eyes flashed with panic, and she instinctively straightened her body.

Like a child caught red-handed doing something bad behind their parents' back, her fingers twisted together unnaturally.

"Brother Cheng... You're back from your morning exercise?"

Fang Cheng walked into the room, his body still carrying the slight scent of evaporating sweat.

He first glanced at Professor Ye Zhiren, then his gaze fell on Lin Chuqiao.

There was no reprimand, nor any interrogation, just a calm gaze fixed on her.

But this gaze carried more weight than any words, causing Lin Chuqiao's determined Aura from just now to vanish into thin air in an instant.

"Use you as bait to exchange for my safety?"

Fang Cheng slowly shook his head, his face sinking with a seriousness never seen before:

"What kind of method is this? Lin Chuqiao, you'd better completely cut off this thought right now."

"I am not being bait, I am confident..."

Lin Chuqiao still wanted to argue, but facing Fang Cheng's gaze, her voice grew softer and softer, seeming somewhat lacking in confidence.

"In the eyes of a monster who views humans as grass, the two words 'Family' are not much heavier than a piece of waste paper."

Fang Cheng walked up to her, the shadow cast by his tall figure enveloping her.

Then looking into her eyes, he said word by word:

"In this lifetime of mine, Fang Cheng, I have not yet fallen to the point where I need my own woman to stand in front and bear the risks."

"You are a member of the Illuminati, my companion, not a bargaining chip used for sacrifice, understand?"

Those five words, "my own woman", without any fancy embellishments, were like a heavy hammer, instantly shattering all of Lin Chuqiao's psychological defenses.

Her originally tense body instantly softened, her heart beat violently in her chest, and two uncontrolled blushes flew onto her cheeks.

A bellyful of rebuttals she had prepared could not utter a single word at this moment.

Fang Cheng didn't look at her again, instead turning to look at Professor Ye Zhiren, his gaze carrying a hint of warning:

"Professor, I don't want there to be a second time for such absurd proposals in the future."

Professor Ye Zhiren smiled bitterly as he put his glasses back on, replying:

"Rest assured, President, Chuqiao is my Junior, and I don't want her to take risks either. Since you've spoken, this matter naturally ends here."

Just now he was also talked into a corner by Lin Chuqiao and hesitated for a moment.

Seeing Fang Cheng's attitude like this right now, he instead breathed a sigh of relief in his heart.

Seeing Professor Ye Zhiren express his stance, Fang Cheng's expression finally softened a bit.

Only the atmosphere in the room remained somewhat stiff.

Lin Chuqiao lowered her head and twiddled her fingers, her expression impossible to tell whether it was shy or fearful, completely lacking her usual poise and generosity.

To break this awkwardness, Professor Ye Zhiren gave a light cough and took the initiative to comfort her:

"Actually, the situation might not be as terrible as Chuqiao thinks."

"Based on my understanding of that person, his personality is extremely arrogant. In his worldview, unless you are recognized by him as a 'formidable enemy' equal to him, he couldn't even be bothered to look at you straight."

"This failed operation, in his view, is perhaps just a trivial accident."

Professor Ye Zhiren paused, analyzing from a rational perspective:

"Just like being tripped by a pebble on the road; although it would be annoying, it's merely kicking the pebble away, and he would never deliberately stop to study its composition for the sake of this pebble."

"Therefore, even if he wants revenge, there is a high probability he will only dispatch other experts under his command to settle accounts."

"After all, that person boasts of being a god among men; gods do not easily descend for Mortals."

Fang Cheng nodded slightly, noncommittal about this.

"Although it's said that way..."

Lin Chuqiao raised her head, although she no longer insisted on the previous plan, the worry in the depths of her eyes did not completely dissipate:

"However, Utopia is full of hidden talents, and even the experts dispatched must definitely not be underestimated."

"Let soldiers come, block them with generals; let water come, earth blocks it. For me, the so-called crisis might not be a turning point."

Fang Cheng's lips curved slightly, revealing a meaning outsiders could not understand:

"Right now, I also need a few hard enough 'whetstones' to hone my skills."

His gaze swept over the two people in front of him. Although his tone was calm, it exuded a calm and powerful self-confidence:

"As leaders of the Illuminati, are you guys unwilling to trust me, this president?"

The skill Breakthrough during morning exercise gave Fang Cheng a deeper understanding of martial arts, and a brand-new understanding of his own potential.

As long as it wasn't that unfathomable Utopia leader arriving in person, he had the confidence to tangle with any other so-called elite cadres.

Lin Chuqiao opened her mouth, and the dissuasion that reached her lips was ultimately swallowed back.

Looking at the resolute face of the man in front of her, the anxiety and unease in her heart were inexplicably replaced by a sense of security.

Since he had already said so, if she insisted further, it would instead be a lack of trust in his strength.

"I believe you..."

Lin Chuqiao lowered her head, her voice somewhat muffled, and the blush on her cheeks still hadn't faded.

Fang Cheng didn't want to keep entangling on this topic, and raised his head to look at the bright sunlight outside the window.

Then he said in a deep voice:

"After observing these past few days, the Chen Family Manor has remained calm and peaceful, indicating that the other party has no plans to make a move for the time being. We should also get ready and set off back to Dongdu."

"So urgent?"

Hearing this, Professor Ye Zhiren said with slight surprise:

"The situation here has just stabilized, shouldn't we observe for a bit longer?"

"There are still many things to handle over in Dongdu, and furthermore... we can't just linger here waiting passively."

Fang Cheng walked to the window, his gaze piercing through the lush treetops, as if able to see that massive Chen Family Manor in the distance.

"However, before leaving, there is one last matter to settle properly."

He turned around, his gaze becoming sharp, and his tone exuded the decisiveness of an overlord:

"The loose ends of the Chen Family must be cleaned up. We must not only help Second Young Master Chen Xuan firmly secure the position of Family head, but also take this opportunity to reorganize the underground forces of the entire Tiannan Province and completely transform it into the first sphere of influence of our Illuminati."

"After all..."

The corners of Fang Cheng's mouth curved into an arc:

"He is our 'Illuminati' future money bag; this cash cow must never fall, nor can it grow crooked."

Professor Ye Zhiren nodded deeply, a flash of sharp light passing behind his lenses:

"Actually, when I came over today, I also wanted to discuss with you, President, the specific bylaws for subsequent in-depth cooperation with the Chen Family."

"Since you proposed building a base in Tiannan Province, the rules must be established in advance."

Lin Chuqiao looked at Fang Cheng, who was currently strategizing and settling the overall situation, and her originally hanging heart temporarily let go.

She took a deep breath, recovering her usual competence:

"Understood, I will go contact Second Young Master Chen Xuan right now to finalize the meeting time and the final handover matters."

Having said that, she walked quickly toward the living room, preparing to make a phone call.

Looking at the graceful figure turning to leave, Fang Cheng sighed silently in his heart.

Although he was not sensitive enough in matters of affection, he was not a block of wood either.

Lin Chuqiao's heavy-hearted feelings of willingly risking herself for him were noted down by him.

But right now, the most important thing was not romance, but continuing to grow stronger.

Only by becoming stronger could he live up to this trust and protect the people around him.

In the study, only two people were left.

Fang Cheng turned his head to look at Professor Ye Zhiren, who was picking up his water cup to drink, a hint of inquiry added to his gaze:

"Professor, after returning to Dongdu, there are some matters regarding spiritual Cultivate that I would like to consult you about."

Hearing this, Professor Ye Zhiren was slightly stunned and put down his water cup.

Although somewhat curious why Fang Cheng suddenly brought this up, he still nodded without hesitation:

"Of course, if the President wants to learn, whatever little inventory is in this old bag of bones of mine will definitely be taught without reservation."

Fang Cheng nodded slightly and didn't say much more.

The reason he made this request was because he recalled the prophetic image Lin Chuqiao had described earlier.

That boundless dark Void Realm where only a solitary star burned.

For Lin Chuqiao, it might seem like a bad omen.

But for Fang Cheng, this felt more like a revelation.

Some Cultivate puzzles that once troubled him perhaps needed a change in mindset to try out.

If he could unlock the mystery within, it would have an incalculable impact not only on Fang Cheng's own martial arts, but even on the future development of the Illuminati.

...

Over the following four days, Cui City looked calm and peaceful on the surface, but undercurrents were actually surging.

Under the invisible deterrence of the "Illuminati's" military force, Second Young Master Chen Xuan used thunderous means to quickly clean up the last bit of noise inside the Family.

Those collateral factions and hostile families who were originally still watching from the sidelines instantly became as docile as sheep after witnessing a few thorns mysteriously disappear.

At this point, the turbulent situation of the Chen Family in Tiannan Province completely settled.

In the underground world of this border province, the moniker of Second Young Master Chen Xuan as the "iron-fisted Family head" spread far and wide.

Yet only a very few people in the core circle knew what kind of terrifying shadows stood behind this position of Family head.

After dealing with all the loose ends, it was time for Fang Cheng and the others to leave.

At noon, inside the vacation villa.

The luggage had long been packed properly and neatly stacked at the entryway.

The living room, which was originally full of the atmosphere of life, appeared somewhat empty at the moment.

Everyone sat on the sofa, the atmosphere slightly gloomy.

According to plan, they should have set off for the airport half an hour ago to fly directly to Dongdu.

But right before stepping out the door, Second Young Master Chen Xuan suddenly called, his tone sincere and urgent, pleading with them to stay a little longer.

He said he wanted to come over in person to see them off, and had a meager gift to present.

This wait lasted forty minutes.

"Tch, what kind of trick is this Second Young Master of the Chen Family playing?"

Pan Wendi slumped listlessly in the single sofa, raised his wrist to glance at that limited-edition Patek Philippe, and couldn't help complaining:

"If we don't leave soon, even the private jet will have to re-coordinate its flight route. What is there that can't be said over the phone, why do they have to pull this pretentious courtesy of seeing someone off for miles?"

"Probably reluctant to part with us."

Bailing sat cross-legged on the carpet, holding Pan Wendi's mobile phone to play a game, and replied without raising her head:

"After all, we saved their entire Family's lives; it's only normal for them to want to thank us in person."

"Thank my ass, I think he wants to take the opportunity to hug the Illuminati's thighs again."

Pan Wendi curled his lips, grabbed an apple from the table, and took a fierce bite:

"These aristocratic Family disciples love playing power politics since childhood to fight for power and profit, they have tons of scheming tricks."

Hearing these words, it sounded as if he had forgotten that he himself also belonged to an aristocratic Family.

Fang Cheng sat upright on the sofa, holding a magazine with both hands, his expression calm.

He didn't pick up Pan Wendi's conversation thread, only calculating in his heart the many things that needed to be implemented after returning to Dongdu.

(End of Chapter)