Chapter 365: Chapter 327: What Level Has His Realm Reached?

"Brother Chu, I heard all the Demon Hunting Squads in the various cities were attacked by men in black?"

Lin Yi said as he looked at Chu Zhengxiong.

At his words, Chu Zhengxiong nodded, his expression grave.

"The attacks are ongoing. They haven’t stopped. So far, eight captains have been killed, and nearly twenty-odd cities have been attacked!"

"Those damn men in black robes are coming right for our Demon Hunting Bureau!"

As he spoke of this, the hatred in Chu Zhengxiong’s eyes deepened.

Even though they weren’t all from the same city’s Demon Hunting Squad, they were still comrades-in-arms.

Captain after captain had died tragically at the hands of the men in black.

Among them were several he had been on good terms with.

Comrades from yesterday, now separated by death.

It would be hard for anyone to bear.

Lin Yi understood Chu Zhengxiong’s feelings.

They had known each other for quite some time, so he understood Chu Zhengxiong’s personality well.

He appeared to be a crude, boorish man.

But in reality, he was a thoughtful and emotional man.

He was always unfailingly devoted to his friends.

With all those captains meeting violent ends, it was a wonder he hadn’t had a complete breakdown.

Lin Yi gave him a deep look, offered a few words of comfort, and then continued, "Brother Chu, I don’t think those men in black are targeting just the Demon Hunting Bureau!"

"Huh? If not us, who else could they be after?" Chu Zhengxiong said, his eyes bloodshot.

"The entire New District!"

"Their targets seem disorganized, and the killings appear random, but in reality, they each have their own plans!"

"Just yesterday, Dragon Tiger Mountain was attacked by a large number of men in black!"

"The Demon Hunting Team in Dragon Tiger City, as well as the Left Guard, were also ambushed by men in black!"

"This proves they have a purpose, and they’ve laid out a plan!"

"They’ve even managed to infiltrate various departments!"

"What I don’t know is whether these infiltrators were planted from the start or turned later. Even among my master’s own disciples, there has been a traitor to our sect!"

"That’s what’s truly terrifying!"

"My master only has a handful of Direct Disciples!"

"And other than me, they’ve all been with Master since they were children. Their relationships are like that of a father and his sons!"

"Even with such deep, firm bonds, someone was still capable of betraying the sect!"

"So you can imagine, in other departments—whether it’s the Demon Hunting Bureau, the Martial Arts Alliance, or even the Town Martial Department—it’s highly likely they have moles!"

"That’s why I’m saying they started laying their plans long ago!"

"Only now are they setting the board in motion!"

After Lin Yi finished speaking, a glint appeared in Mo Yanfeng’s eyes. Lin Yi’s words seemed to perfectly confirm his earlier suspicions.

This was especially true regarding the man in black he had encountered that night.

Although he still hadn’t found out who that person was.

However, the inexplicable sense of familiarity remained.

It led Mo Yanfeng to suspect one thing: the person was from the Demon Hunting Bureau.

And someone he knew well, otherwise he wouldn’t have felt that way.

Chu Zhengxiong’s expression also grew serious.

He stroked his chin and nodded. "What you’re saying is more or less what Old Mo analyzed!"

"If it was just Old Mo telling me this, I might have been skeptical!"

"But now that you’re saying it too... I’m convinced!"

Mo Yanfeng: "..."

Lin Yi just smiled and said nothing.

Chu Zhengxiong then glanced at the others.

Since their return, many of the Demon Hunting Institute’s staff had also come back.

They had all returned to the institute to clean up the mess.

Xia Shiyu and Cui Ya had gone inside to help.

Chen Shuang hadn’t left. He was quietly sizing up Lin Yi from the sidelines.

More than two months had passed since they last met.

Today, Lin Yi seemed somehow different again.

It wasn’t a change in his appearance or physique.

Rather, it was an indescribable quality about him. Compared to two months ago, there was a new, ineffable feeling about him.

He couldn’t put his finger on what it was, but something had changed.

It was a significant change.

"Come on, come on, let’s go sit in my office. We can work this out before dawn!"

Chu Zhengxiong pulled Lin Yi along, heading into the Demon Hunting Institute.

Qin Zhaoxue, Wei Nan, and the others followed them in.

Just as Mo Yanfeng was about to enter, Chen Shuang hurried over.

"Brother Mo, did Lin Yi break through to another realm?"

Chen Shuang whispered.

Hearing this, Mo Yanfeng glanced back at him. "Hmm? What do you mean?"

"It’s just a feeling... his aura is different now!"

"It’s changed so much compared to two months ago!"

"Or rather... just by standing there, he has this imposing air, an authority that doesn’t rely on anger!"

"Anyway, don’t laugh, but I don’t dare meet his eyes. When he looks at me, my heart starts pounding for no reason. It’s pretty scary!"

"It feels like he can see right through you, read all your thoughts!"

"All in all, being around him is extremely uncomfortable!"

After Chen Shuang finished, Mo Yanfeng’s brow furrowed slightly.

He hadn’t thought much of it before.

But now that Chen Shuang had broken the silence on the matter...

...Mo Yanfeng realized he felt the same way.

The most direct manifestation was eye contact. Lin Yi’s gaze seemed casual, but it was deeply unsettling.

You didn’t dare meet his eyes.

He had encountered this feeling before, but only from someone who had reached the Star Tempering Realm.

Only the Star Tempering Realm could generate that kind of inexplicable pressure.

’Could it be... Lin Yi has already broken through to the Star Tempering Realm?’

The moment the thought occurred, Mo Yanfeng immediately dismissed it.

’How is that possible? Just how old is Lin Yi?’

’To have broken through all the way to the Star Tempering Realm?’

’Reaching the 6-star realm at his age already makes him a genius among geniuses.’

’If he really broke through to the Star Tempering Realm... that would be unheard of, wouldn’t it?’

"Perhaps it’s because the Elder Celestial Master taught him some special Cultivation Technique during his secluded training on Dragon Tiger Mountain this time!"

"It’s best not to pry into the affairs of the Daoist Sect!"

Mo Yanfeng muttered to Chen Shuang.

But his explanation seemed more like an attempt to convince himself.

Chen Shuang nodded but said nothing.

However, he was clearly not convinced by Mo Yanfeng’s explanation.

’What kind of Cultivation Technique could make someone feel so intimidated with just a glance?’

’Only a vast difference in realms could create such a sense of pressure.’

’So, rather than it being some special Cultivation Technique...’

’...Chen Shuang was more inclined to believe that Lin Yi’s realm had broken through yet again since two months ago.’

’He just wasn’t sure by how much.’

’Maybe 7-star? Or maybe... the Star Tempering Realm.’

’Whichever realm it was, Chen Shuang now knew one thing for certain.’

’The gap between him and Lin Yi had become insurmountable.’

’Even if he poured all of his family’s resources into it, consuming every kind of elixir, he would still find it impossible to catch up to Lin Yi.’

’He wouldn’t even be able to see his shadow.’

When the group arrived at Chu Zhengxiong’s office, there were more than enough seats in the spacious room.

Everyone took a seat on the sofas, and Chu Zhengxiong said with a serious expression, "Lin Yi, you kid, you’re full of clever ideas. What are your thoughts on the current situation?"

"Don’t be afraid to speak your mind. Let’s discuss it together!"

Lin Yi smiled at his words.

He turned and exchanged a glance with Mo Yanfeng, Qin Zhaoxue, and Wei Nan.

"Brother Chu, I’m just a student!"

"You and Brother Mo are the professional Demon Hunters. Why don’t you two share your thoughts?"

Chu Zhengxiong glanced at Mo Yanfeng and said bluntly, "It doesn’t matter who says it. If you ask me, my thoughts can be summed up in one word: fight!"

"I don’t care who they are or what they’re after!"

"If they dare to show their faces, we kill them on sight!"

After Chu Zhengxiong finished speaking, everyone else in the office fell silent.

No one laughed at Chu Zhengxiong’s bluntness.

Because in the current situation, there didn’t seem to be a better option than to kill them outright.

They couldn’t even take the initiative; they could only wait passively for the men in black to reveal themselves.

This was exactly like being led around by the nose.

But what better alternative was there?

After a moment, Mo Yanfeng spoke up. "I think Captain Chu is right."

"It’s a bit passive, but at least it will keep Songshan City from descending into chaos."

"The moment they appear, we eliminate them!"

"There’s one other thing: we have to be wary of everyone else."

"Right now, it’s impossible to distinguish friend from foe."

"My point is, we rely on ourselves and trust no one else—not anyone in the Demon Hunting Bureau, from top to bottom, and that includes Captain Meng..."

Everyone present nodded in agreement with Mo Yanfeng’s words.

There was no better solution.

They could only choose to react, not act.

Perhaps the men in black would be the first to lose their patience.

"Lin Yi, it’s your turn,"

"What are your thoughts? Just say what’s on your mind!"

Chu Zhengxiong’s gaze fell on Lin Yi once more.

The others also turned to look at him.

Lin Yi smiled. "Alright, I’ll add my two cents."

"If we want to deal with these men in black, we first need to understand their goals and motivations."

"We already have a rough idea of their goal: to control the entire New District."

"That much is clear from their recent actions."

"But beyond that main objective, I think their organization is also very clear."

"Each city has its own person in charge."

"And their tasks and objectives vary from place to place."

"I don’t know what the men in black in Songshan City are ultimately planning."

"Brother Chu, Brother Mo, you two need to leave. Leave Songshan City and create an illusion for them."

"The illusion that Songshan City is undefended, that the Demon Hunting Team is away on a mission."

"Only then might they feel brave enough to come out into the open."

After Lin Yi finished speaking, a glint flashed in Mo Yanfeng’s eyes.

Chu Zhengxiong stroked his chin, lost in thought.

After a long moment, both of them looked up at Lin Yi at the same time.

No one spoke; they just exchanged smiles.

"I get it. Lure the snake out of its hole, right?"

"In that case, let’s not rest. We should pull out now, before dawn breaks, right?"

Chu Zhengxiong smiled, a look of sudden understanding on his face.

But Lin Yi shook his head. "They probably already know you’re back."

"Even if you leave now, you’ll need a good reason."

"You returned before completing your out-of-town mission, abandoning your post. If Captain Meng were to find out, how do you think he’d react?"

Lin Yi said with a faint smile.

At his words, Chu Zhengxiong and Mo Yanfeng froze.

They immediately understood what Lin Yi meant.

With that, Chu Zhengxiong took out his phone and said, "Alright, I’ll call Old Meng first and give him a status report."

He then dialed a number.

After a few rings, Captain Meng’s voice came through the phone.

Chu Zhengxiong said with a laugh, "Hey? Captain Meng, did I wake you? What’s that? Who am I? It’s Chu Zhengxiong, captain of the Songshan City Demon Hunting Squad, Chu Zhengxiong! Ring a bell?"

Lin Yi and Mo Yanfeng: "..."

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