38: Chapter 38 Reborn Immortal Venerable Transforms Him with Tears in His Eyes

One month later.

Anomalous Creature Detention Center, East District, Cell Block 1, restroom.

" Whoosh — "

The pungent smell of disinfectant permeated the air.

Chen Beixuan expressionlessly poured a bucket of dirty water into the drain, then picked up a rag, crouched down, and began to wipe away the last bit of grime on the floor.

The gray prison uniform he wore had been washed until it was somewhat faded, and those eyes that once seemed to contain galaxies now held only numbness and emptiness.

In this past month, he had experienced a drastic psychological transformation from an Immortal Venerable to a prisoner.

Electric shocks, labor, and the endless recitation of legal statutes.

He had tried to resist, but the result was doubled electric shocks and a week-long confinement.

He had also tried to go on a hunger strike, but the prison guards would force-feed him high-concentration nutrient solution, making it so he couldn't even seek death.

Now, the proud bones of the Immortal Venerable Beixuan had long since been ground away completely.

" Prisoner 9528, hurry up! Didn't you eat? "

A prison guard holding an electric baton impatiently knocked on the restroom stall door.

Chen Beixuan's body flinched subconsciously, his movements immediately quickened, and he skillfully shouted, " Report, Officer! It'll be done right away! "

Once upon a time, with a single thought, he could cause stars to shatter; now, he trembled at a mere shout.

This immense disparity left him unable to even muster hatred, leaving only endless bewilderment.

Just then, a series of hurried footsteps echoed in the corridor outside the restroom.

" Where is number 9528? Deputy Director Gu wants to interrogate him! "

Chen Beixuan's mopping motion paused, and he slowly raised his head.

Gu Changan?

The man who had trampled all his dignity underfoot and caused his Dao Heart to become tarnished.

What does he want now?

Bureau of Anomalous Affairs, office.

Unlike the oppressive atmosphere of the prison, this place was bright and clean, filled with a sense of order.

Chen Beixuan stood awkwardly in the center of the office, the clean prison uniform he had just changed into making him feel completely out of place with everything here.

Gu Changan sat behind a large desk, not even lifting his eyelids, merely looking down to review documents.

The oppressive silence lasted for a full ten minutes.

Just when Chen Beixuan was about to be unable to stand any longer, Gu Changan finally put down the pen in his hand.

He picked up a photo from the desk and tossed it over casually.

The photo drifted down and landed at Chen Beixuan's feet.

" Do you recognize this? " Gu Changan's voice was calm and waveless.

Chen Beixuan bent down and humiliatingly picked up the photo.

After just one glance, his pupils suddenly shrank to the size of needle points!

The background of the photo was a patch of forest scorched black, and in the center of the forest, a single-legged, monster bird that resembled a crane and was covered in burning flames was looking up at the sky, emitting a silent cry.

Although it was just a static image, that scorching and tyrannical aura from the primordial era seemed to pierce through the paper and rush toward him!

" Bi Fang?! " Chen Beixuan exclaimed, the numbness on his face instantly replaced by immense shock, " The ancient Divine Beast Bi Fang?! How could this thing still exist on Earth?! "

Five hundred years ago when he left, Earth's Spiritual Qi was exhausted; let alone a Divine Beast, he couldn't even find a wild beast with any spirituality!

" It seems your memory is still of some use. "

Gu Changan leaned back against the chair, his fingers interlaced on the desk.

" Just half a month ago, areas with anomalous Spiritual Qi concentrations began to appear across the country, which we call ' Secret Realm 's. "

" In these Secret Realm s, not only is Spiritual Qi abundant, but some creatures that only existed in myths and legends have appeared. This Bi Fang was discovered in the Phoenix Mountain Secret Realm on the outskirts of Jianghai City. "

Gu Changan's gaze was like a scalpel, dissecting every subtle expression of Chen Beixuan.

Chen Beixuan's breathing instantly became rapid!

Secret Realm!

Spiritual Qi recovery!

Ancient Divine Beast!

Isn't this the Opportunity he had dreamed of? As long as he could enter the Secret Realm, even if there was only a sliver of a chance, he could find a way to break free from control and be reborn!

In his desperate heart, the flame of hope ignited once again.

He suddenly raised his head and said eagerly, " Let me go! Let me go to Phoenix Mountain! I am an Immortal Venerable Undergoing Tribulation, proficient in ten thousand techniques, and I even possess ancient beast-taming arts. I can help you capture it! No! I mean subdue it! "

To increase his bargaining chips, he even puffed out his chest.

" As long as you let me out, I can help you build an army of Divine Beasts! By then... "

" Very well. "

Gu Changan cleanly and decisively interrupted his passionate speech.

The rest of Chen Beixuan's words were instantly choked in his throat; he hadn't expected the other party to agree so quickly.

Gu Changan stood up, took a collar that shimmered with a cold metallic light from the drawer, and placed it on the desk.

" You want to perform meritorious service to atone for your crimes; the state can give you a chance. "

" But given your extremely dangerous thought and behavioral record, your mission this time is only to act as a technical consultant and assist in the capture operation from the sidelines. "

He tapped the collar on the desk, a cold arc curling at the corner of his mouth.

" And during the operation, you must wear this the entire time. "

" High-explosive sensor collar, the latest model. It connects my heartbeat and your Spiritual Qi fluctuations. As long as my heart stops beating, or your internal Spiritual Qi shows anomalies, it will explode within 0.01 seconds. "

Gu Changan added, as if he were introducing a new mobile phone.

" The power isn't that great, it's probably just equivalent to erasing you at the molecular level. "

Chen Beixuan's face instantly turned deathly pale.

He stared fixedly at the collar, as if it were not a collar, but a venomous snake ready to devour someone.

Putting it on was equivalent to handing his own life completely over to Gu Changan.

What humiliation this was!

But thinking of the dark, sunless prison, the cold toilet, and the endless " Fundamentals of Law, " his unwillingness and anger were ultimately overwhelmed by his desire for freedom.

After a long while, he squeezed two words through his teeth.

" I... agree. "

" Very good. "

Gu Changan seemed to have long expected him to agree.

Just as he was preparing to arrange the details of the operation, a mechanical voice that only he could hear rang in his mind.

[ Ding! System radar detected a new target! ]

[ Target type: Gourmet Hunter System host. ]

[ Location: Jiangnan Province, Jianghai City, Phoenix Mountain Secret Realm. ]

[ Violation: The target is in the core area of the Secret Realm, illegally starting a fire, and attempting to barbecue a national first-class protected Divine Beast (juvenile Bi Fang). ]

Barbecue?

Gu Changan's movements paused for a moment.

In his mind, an image instantly surfaced: a guy drooling while brushing barbecue sauce onto a little bird covered in flames.

This scene was just too criminal.

Gu Changan stood up, straightened his meticulous black uniform, and a cold glint mixed with speechlessness flashed in his eyes.

He walked around the desk, went to Chen Beixuan, personally picked up the collar, and fastened it onto him without a trace of emotion.

" Click. "

The cold metal pressed against the skin of his neck, making Chen Beixuan shiver all over.

" Let's go, Consultant Chen. "

Gu Changan patted his shoulder, his tone revealing no emotion.

" Your first mission begins now. "

" Come with me to Phoenix Mountain and let you witness what is called ' serving a life sentence on the tip of your tongue. ' "