At the southeast corner of the Wuyi Profound Palace Building sat a sky garden covered by a glass dome.

Lush green plants were everywhere. Two passive Consciousness Bodies monitored the soil moisture and the plants’ needs twenty-four hours a day, controlling the water supply.

A blend of virtual and augmented reality allowed the weather and light to be adjusted at will, creating diverse landscapes from different climates, seasons, and regions.

Right now, the area was a desert oasis. A man in an imported plaid suit stood at the edge of the oasis, watching a sandstorm rage in the distance.

He appeared to be in his forties, with a neatly trimmed beard and a strong, upright build. His well-fitting attire and temples tinged with gray gave him a mature, masculine charm. But his gaze held a hint of aggression. As he faced the endless yellow sand, his eyes even held an eager, provocative glint.

His hair and clothes were whipped about by the wind. Just as he prepared to face the storm, everything vanished. A lush green courtyard materialized before him. The clear chirping of birds and the babble of flowing water replaced the raging howl of the wind.

He raised an eyebrow and asked, "Hong Fu?"

Hong Fu’s voice sounded in his ear. "Assistant Ling, my apologies for the interruption. You said to inform you immediately if the student Chen Chuan completed his entrance evaluation. His data assessment is now available."

"Oh?" Assistant Ling said immediately. "Send it over. Let me see."

He was quite interested in this student. Chen Chuan had obtained an Unlimited Defense Certificate as a first-year and was one of the rare few from a commoner background. ’Perhaps he’ll make it easier for me to advance my plan.’

A breakdown of Chen Chuan’s score quickly appeared on the interface. However, the "potential assessment" category was missing. ’Did Hong Fu overlook it, or was it omitted for some other reason?’

"72 points..."

Assistant Ling frowned, slightly disappointed.

The score wasn’t bad for the academy, all things considered. After all, the Central Hospital’s students were all elites from across the land, starting at the Second Limit upon enrollment. The ones who achieved high scores at the Central Hospital were the absolute cream of the crop. Still, this score was far from his expectations and requirements.

He considered it for a moment, then asked, "Hong Fu, I recall he defeated Tan Wang, correct?"

"According to our analysis, the student may have taken some kind of special drug when facing Tan Wang. Since Tan Wang himself is in the custody of a government department, his testimony has not been released publicly. It is currently unclear if the student received any other assistance during the incident."

Assistant Ling grunted in acknowledgment. The explanation was actually quite reasonable.

After all, Tan Wang wasn’t particularly strong. Besides, when he returned, all of his Implants had been destroyed. He knew this had attracted some attention, as it was rare for a Fighter from Central City to return in such a sorry state.

’If Chen Chuan took a drug at the time, combined with a bit of luck or outside help, it’s plausible.’

He considered this for a moment before speaking slowly. "Regardless, his willingness to face a Third Limit Fighter shows a spirit and willpower worthy of recognition. If he can use drugs at critical moments, he can still serve as a combat asset. Let’s add him to the backup plan for now."

"Understood."

Assistant Ling stuck his hands in his pockets and walked to the edge of the courtyard. He deactivated his Realm Token and gazed out at the rows of skyscrapers through a glass wall entwined with delicate, thin branches.

He said, "The recommendation slots for the various Wuyi Academies are mostly monopolized by the powerful families below. This isn’t just a problem for us in Jibei Dao; other places are facing the same issue.

"Most of the Central Hospital’s students are Recommended Students. They serve the interests of their families and corporations, not the academy’s. The World’s Echo is intensifying. Before that happens, the academy is in desperate need of a revolution. A... magnificent revolution."

Hong Fu didn’t speak, but it seemed to be listening.

Back in his dorm, after finishing his afternoon combat practice in the training room, Chen Chuan ate a few sticks of Nutrition Paste. He returned to the living room and walked to the window, glancing at the dazzling neon lights that were already on. He drew the curtains, sat back down on the sofa, and started browsing the news and other topics he was following.

He was mainly looking for reports of abnormal incidents. However, he soon discovered that some of the information he’d found yesterday was suddenly gone. He searched several times but couldn’t find any trace of it.

’Was it scrubbed by someone?’ he wondered.

Although yesterday’s reports were gone, new commissions related to suspicious situations had appeared.

He went through them one by one, making notes. He planned to investigate them in person to confirm if these incidents were caused by "weird tales."

The medicine he’d received from the special operations team would only last until February. After that, he’d have to buy it himself. He had to figure out a way to make money soon, or he’d be left without a sufficient supply. He couldn’t afford to delay, so he decided to start tomorrow.

After browsing through those listings, he suddenly remembered something—a question that had been nagging at him for a long time. He searched for the keywords: "Maka People" and "The World’s Echo."

The search for "Maka People" yielded results quickly, even including a record of the incident in Yangzhi City where Maka traitors stole the Holy Leaf.

’Hm, so even Central City knows about it now. They’ve even added it to the official record. Director Liu should be pleased.’

However, searching for "The World’s Echo" was not as successful. He tried several times, using different but similar phrases, but nothing came up.

But that only underscored the topic’s importance. It was something he needed to keep an eye on.

He trained for a while longer in the evening, then washed up and went to bed at his usual time. The next day, he woke up punctually, washed his face, and went to do his daily training.

After nine o’clock, he changed his clothes. Just as he was about to head out, someone from the academy delivered the Central Hospital student uniforms. There were two complete sets for different seasons, including matching shoes, socks, gloves, and a scarf.

The uniforms featured cloud patterns formed from gold and silver threads. They weren’t ostentatious, but woven subtly into the base fabric, visible without being obvious, giving them a reserved aesthetic.

The uniform was woven from some unknown bio-silk. When worn, it would automatically adjust to provide a perfect fit.

He asked Hong Fu about it and learned that the material had excellent damage resistance, enough to keep the students’ attire intact during combat.

Even if damaged, it would self-repair under sunlight. It also helped filter out toxic fumes. The thread patterns weren’t purely decorative, either; they glowed faintly at night to help students see, and they improved the wearer’s connection to Hong Fu when outdoors.

The uniform was too conspicuous, however. He was going out to investigate today and didn’t want to attract attention, so he folded it neatly and put it away in his closet.

He left the dorm carrying the case that held the Snow Monarch Blade. Since it was the holiday break, the campus was nearly empty of students, save for security guards and the occasional maintenance worker.

Outside the Profound Palace Building, a city tram station was situated across the plaza. A tall information screen stood there. Using his Realm Token, he could see his current location, the tram schedule, and advertisements for nearby shops and restaurants.

The street was wide, but towering buildings in the distance dominated the skyline, their massive ad screens blaring with noise.

The people waiting at the station paid no mind to one another. They either stared blankly ahead or made subtle gestures with their hands, clearly immersed in the worlds presented by their Realm Tokens.

The streets were bustling with vehicles and pedestrians. He noticed at a glance that the vast majority of people had Implants, some obvious, some concealed. When viewed through a Realm Token, their clothes displayed unique custom appearances. These weren’t too exaggerated; on the whole, they were rather tasteful.

According to his Realm Token, it seemed a more grotesque style had been popular for a time, but that trend had since passed in favor of more reserved aesthetics.

He also discovered that whenever he observed someone who wasn’t a registered citizen, his Realm Token would alert him and display whether that person had a criminal record.

After a short wait, the tram pulled into the station. He boarded with the flow of people. On a holographic screen inside, a news anchor named Rocky was denouncing the inaction of the city’s security patrols in an exaggerated tone, mocking the inefficiency of the Administrative Affairs Department.

The tram started quickly. Chen Chuan looked at the scenery outside, observing the city. He couldn’t really see much that night, but now he could get a good look.

Looking past the dazzling holographic effects, the architecture was mostly robust. His first impression was of strength and stability. Another distinctive feature was the abundant greenery on the rooftops and intermediate levels of nearly every building. Even without all the fancy digital additions, it was a pleasant sight.

About ten minutes later, the light suddenly dimmed as the tram passed through a skyscraper. In a fleeting glimpse while passing by, he could see displays of various men’s and women’s clothing.

His Realm Token promptly displayed an information pop-up. This was the Cross-Bank Building, an asset of the Celebrity Clothing Company. A list of the company’s products appeared below the main text.

He swiped the notification away. As the tram emerged from the building, the car brightened once more under the sunlight. Light and shadow danced and flickered through the car as it sped along the tracks.

He switched to another line midway. A quarter of an hour later, he exited the station. After another ten-minute walk, he arrived near his destination for the day.

Two adjoined towers to his left were particularly eye-catching. They bore a crimson bird emblem, and lush greenery cascaded from their roofs all the way to the ground. Sunlight streamed through the gap between the buildings, cutting a bright swath across the dark tones of the ground and walls.

He checked his Realm Token and looked to the right. The location mentioned in the suspicious commission was two kilometers ahead of the towers. He crossed the street and walked toward it.

Just then, several dozen meters behind him, a group of people appeared. They watched Chen Chuan’s retreating figure but didn’t follow. They simply stopped, their gazes filled with malice.

One of them said, "Boss, that kid’s clothes don’t have any aura effects, and he took the tram. He’s obviously just arrived in Central City."

The one called "Boss" was a man with his hair dyed a Silver Frost color. He had a cigarette dangling from his mouth. He took out a lighter, lit it with a CLICK, took a drag, and slowly exhaled. His face, shrouded in smoke, turned toward the direction Chen Chuan had disappeared. He ordered the man next to him, "Call the boys. We’ve got work to do."

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