Xia Hanshi watched Su Chen, who was currently sitting cross-legged inside the Gravity Chamber, a black and red suit of armor clinging to his body like a living thing.

Dark red, lava-like patterns flowed across the Armor’s surface. Black and red electric arcs constantly shot out from among them, bursting and crackling like leaping electric snakes.

’This kid... he seems to have gotten a lot stronger again,’ Xia Hanshi marveled inwardly.

’Last time, when the kid had just advanced to Tier Four, I could only sense his approach after he had already entered the room.’

’But this time, he sensed me in advance from inside the Gravity Chamber. It’s truly a bit startling. Even though I didn’t deliberately hide my tracks, an ordinary Tier Five would probably have a hard time matching what Su Chen just did.’

’And this state...’ Xia Hanshi’s eyes narrowed. He had a faint, strange feeling about it.

"What’s this...?" Xia Hanshi didn’t hold back; his curiosity getting the better of him, he just asked.

’There’s no need to keep too many secrets from Old Xia. He doesn’t know the requirements for this profession, so he won’t overthink how fast I’ve progressed.’

Su Chen decided to just tell him. "I’ve acquired that profession Hongxuan mentioned."

"Professional Fusion?" Old Xia was quite surprised and sized him up carefully. His own Mental Profession was only at Tier Three, so it definitely couldn’t be fused; he hadn’t been curious about such a path before.

After a brief assessment, he said, "In this state, even Teng Liang might not be your match."

"He forced his way into a Tier Five Top-tier Profession, so his development level is fixed at 0%. But as it’s a Top-tier Profession, his actual strength is no less than a conventional Tier Five who has reached 30% or 40% development."

He hadn’t been back long. Watching Su Chen gradually grow stronger didn’t seem like a big deal at first, but when he considered the actual timeline, he couldn’t help but wince.

After all, Su Chen had only been with the Judicial Court for a little over a year, yet he had already reached this level.

A "conventional Tier Five" refers to a Professional whose Low-tier Professions are mostly of the Superior grade; the number of Top-Level or Middle and Lower-Level professions they’ve acquired doesn’t exceed half their Tier.

But then, Xia Hanshi sighed. "This Professional Fusion technique... it’s probably no secret in the Royal Court."

"It might even be the standard for every powerful Professional there. In the Royal Court, Professionals with only a single specialization are probably rare, and at an inherent disadvantage."

"What’s on your mind?" Su Chen got up, his Elemental Armor receding from the surface of his body. He followed Xia Hanshi to the living room, a bit puzzled as to why Old Xia would suddenly make such a somber remark.

"We have visitors from the Royal Court." Xia Hanshi didn’t keep him in suspense and came straight out with it.

"???"

Su Chen froze mid-step on the stairs and stared at Xia Hanshi in shock. It took him a moment to process before he said, "No wonder the Chief looked so grim earlier."

The news had indeed caught him completely off guard.

He fell silent for a long moment. Only after they reached the living room and sat down did he ask, "They’re here... it couldn’t be for..."

Xia Hanshi nodded, his voice grave. "The Great Venerable Red Flame Thunder Resonator."

’Of course...’ Su Chen’s heart sank. At a time like this, he couldn’t help but think of the Great Venerable.

"How could they know...?" Su Chen wondered aloud as No. Zero mechanically approached to refill their teacups.

The Royal Court had been kept in the dark for ten years. For them to find out right after he and Hongxuan had been acknowledged... it was too much of a coincidence.

"Apparently, a Bronze Ancient King sensed it the moment you were acknowledged," Xia Hanshi said.

"A Bronze... Ancient King?" Su Chen repeated, hesitating. He couldn’t help but glance upward. ’If the structure of this universe is anything like my previous life’s, just how far away was this Bronze Ancient King when he sensed it?’

’That’s monstrously powerful,’ he thought, a chill running down his spine.

"So what are their intentions?" Su Chen asked.

"To take away the Spiritual essence, and the people who were acknowledged." Xia Hanshi glanced at him, and Su Chen’s heart clenched. Then he heard the old man add, "They claim it’s to take you back for training."

’That’s a relief...’ Su Chen breathed a sigh of relief. He knew far too little about the Royal Court. The slightest move from this behemoth could have an incalculable impact on Red Thunder Star and on him personally. He had no choice but to be cautious.

"But if that happens, our original plan can’t be carried out. So, are they willing to deal with the Holy Banquet for us?" Su Chen asked hesitantly.

"No..." Xia Hanshi’s gaze turned distant. "They were very direct. They said this place is shrouded in Nether Fog, and dealing with it would be time-consuming and troublesome. Besides, this is just one occurrence. Even if they solve it now, there will be a next time."

Su Chen’s brow furrowed slightly. "So the Royal Court plans to just take them by force? How many people did they send? What are their power levels?"

Xia Hanshi gripped his teacup, his gaze slightly unfocused. "The one leading them is named Qing Cang. According to Chong Jingtian, he’s at least a Tier Eight Professional. He has promised to take all the relatives and friends of the various city leaders with them."

"That..." Su Chen felt a sense of helplessness. It was an obvious divide-and-conquer tactic. Once offered a way to survive, the leadership would immediately split into two factions, making it difficult for them to present a united front against the Royal Court’s envoys.

’They’re so strong, yet they still resort to such methods. Are they just being thorough? Or do they plan on taking these people away to use as forced labor?’

"Not only that, the Nether Fog also shortens one’s lifespan. He promised he could help solve that problem." Xia Hanshi went on to briefly describe the dangers of the Nether Fog.

"So it’s because of the Nether Fog..." Su Chen wasn’t particularly surprised; in fact, he felt it was only natural. ’By that logic, a Tier Seven Professional living for over four hundred years... that makes more sense.’

He was still young and had no worries about his own lifespan; this information simply resolved a doubt that had been nagging at him.

Then, Su Chen sighed again. "First the promise of a longer life, now the promise of safety... If this news gets out, I’m afraid many people will agree to their terms. They’d probably be willing even if it meant going to the Royal Court just to be a gatekeeper..."

"Clinging to life and fearing death is human nature," Xia Hanshi said, shaking his head with a dispirited air.

Su Chen couldn’t help but ask, "Then what was the leadership’s decision?"