Fang Taiping then regained his composure, his expression gradually returning to solemnity. He slowly said, "Brother Lingyun, there's no need for words of gratitude. You were recommended by Team Leader Xia Zhenxia as a trainee ability user. We've never met you before, but now that you've become a member of headquarters, we all have a responsibility and must do our best to save you. Although we only wasted our efforts, you don't need to flatter me. You got out on your own merit, it has nothing to do with me or Lao Zhou."
He paused, as if remembering something, and his voice became lower: "Brother Lingyun, you have proven with your actions that you are one of us. You not only saved us, but also the headquarters of superpowers. However, since it involves the core control of the headquarters' barrier, we need your cooperation. Can you tell us what happened after you were swept into the barrier by the vortex?"
Chapter 186 The Meeting at the Superpowers Headquarters (Part 1)
In a bright and spacious conference room of at least 100 square meters, a group of people dressed in the uniforms of the Superpower Headquarters sat upright around a 10-meter-long, 5-meter-wide, light yellow lacquered conference table. Each person sat ramrod straight, hands flat on their knees, their backs ramrod straight. If you looked at them from a row, you would be surprised to find that the distance between each person's back and the back of their chair was about 10 centimeters, and even the position of the chairs was in a straight line.
No one showed any expression, and the atmosphere in the conference room was quiet and solemn. Four instructors in black uniforms sat on each side of the long conference table, with Fang Taiping and Zhou Mulong prominently among them.
Three people sat on the side of the conference table closest to the window. They were also dressed in tight-fitting uniforms, but in a pale yellow color, which gave them a solemn and dignified air.
The man on the left was about fifty years old. Half of his hair was as white as snow, while the other half was shiny black and neatly combed. Apart from that, his appearance was very ordinary, like that of an ordinary worker. Only his two sword-like eyebrows slanted upwards, revealing a hint of authority that was not easily noticed.
The man on the right was also around fifty years old, with black hair, long eyes, a high nose, thin lips, and a noticeable scar on his temple. Although he was also sitting upright, his expression was that of someone who was half asleep, only occasionally blinking his long eyes casually, revealing a chilling glint in his eyes.
The middle man was the oldest, with gray hair and an aged face, appearing to be over sixty. His square face held a resolute air, and his eyes exuded an imposing presence. One could tell at a glance that he was a powerful figure.
Opposite the three sat an ordinary-looking young man, Ling Yun.
Although everyone present was far stronger than him, their gazes were filled with a piercing, burning intensity. The three elders opposite him, in particular, seemed to intentionally or unintentionally release an invisible, imposing force pressing down on Ling Yun's shoulders, yet Ling Yun remained seated calmly, as if he felt nothing. This couldn't help but amaze the instructors on either side. Under the collective gaze of the three deputy chief instructors and eight instructors of the Superpower Headquarters, even seasoned superpower users, let alone a trainee, would likely feel uncomfortable. This seemingly ordinary young man indeed possessed something extraordinary.
At this moment, everyone was in the fourth floor, representing the highest level of the Superpower Headquarters. Aside from meetings of mid-level and above and special orders, only those at the level of Deputy Chief Instructor or higher were authorized to enter and exit the fourth floor. The fourth floor was simply furnished and relatively small, with no space for cultivation. In fact, those whose power had reached the level of a Deputy Chief Instructor, comparable to a general in the Heavenly Eye Society, no longer needed external assistance for cultivation. Their focus was more on rest and recuperation, experiencing the higher realm of harmony between humanity and nature.
Aside from the residences of the chief instructor and several deputy chief instructors, the fourth floor of headquarters consists of only a multi-functional five-story octagonal building. The first floor serves as the main reception hall, while the third, fourth, and fifth floors each have special functions, accessible only to authorized personnel. Currently, everyone is in the conference hall on the second floor of this octagonal building. Thanks to the headquarters' protective barrier, there is no need to worry about the meeting's contents being leaked. Moreover, Skynet has been restored to control, making it impossible for an incident like Oswit's near breach of the entire superpower headquarters to occur again.
While on the outer plaza of the headquarters, Fang Taiping originally intended to dismiss everyone and then, together with Zhou Mulong, Xia Lan, Ye Feng, and several other group leaders, have a proper talk with Ling Yun. This matter was of great importance, especially since it involved the Skynet Barrier, the safest and most important safeguard for the Superpower Headquarters, and it was essential to clarify the situation.
Ling Yun was first sucked into the barrier by the vortex, then miraculously survived, and finally miraculously arrived in the core space. It was a series of twists and turns, but what was most surprising was that he was able to break out of the core space on his own without any external help, and at the same time, he unleashed automatically recognized heavenly lightning, causing heavy casualties to many of the powerful members of the Heavenly Eye Society.
In any case, this couldn't possibly be Ling Yun's own power. Although the young man seemed strong, he couldn't possibly be this ridiculously powerful. So, there's only one other explanation: the Skynet Barrier has malfunctioned, or rather, it has developed some kind of nascent human consciousness. The counterpart to this is a familiar term: artificial intelligence.
Anxious, Fang Taiping immediately realized what was happening and was about to take Ling Yun away. Just then, several deputy chief instructors and other instructors rushed back, naturally surprised to see everyone safe and sound. After Fang Taiping briefly reported the situation to the supervising deputy chief instructor, the top-level experts immediately decided to hold a secret meeting to discuss the problem with the SkyNet. Since Ling Yun was a direct witness to the changes in the SkyNet barrier, he was qualified to attend the meeting along with the instructors and other experts.
Since the head instructor was still on his way and had not yet returned, after reporting the matter to the strongest person via emergency communication, the meeting was chaired by the most senior deputy head instructor, Luo Panxi, who was sitting in the center.
Luo Panxi stared intently at Ling Yun, his gaze never wavering for a moment. Most superhumans would have become uneasy under such a commanding gaze, and even instructor-level experts would have felt a slight tension. But Ling Yun seemed completely oblivious to his almost tangible gaze. He simply sat calmly, as if he were the only person in the conference room.
"Your name is Ling Yun, and you're a new trainee ability user, right?" After a long silence, the oppressive atmosphere in the conference room finally broke through. Luo Panxi spoke slowly, and without any effort, his tone naturally exuded the authority of a superior.
Fang Taiping had introduced several of the deputy chief instructors and other instructors who had rushed back to Ling Yun beforehand. Ling Yun, possessing a photographic memory, naturally recognized this seemingly imposing and powerful deputy chief instructor. He bowed slightly and politely replied, "Yes, Chief Luo."
Since the Superpower Headquarters is considered a combat unit, subordinates address superiors as "Commander," but those at a higher level should be addressed as "Chief." If multiple Chiefs are present, their surnames should be added before the Chief's name.
A faint smile appeared on Luo Panxi's aged face: "Ling Yun, on behalf of the Chief Instructor and everyone in the Supernatural Abilities Headquarters, I would like to express my gratitude to you. It is thanks to you that the headquarters' safety was ensured. However, since you are also a part of the headquarters, maintaining the headquarters is also your duty. The headquarters has strict regulations and will reward you strictly according to your merits. But there's no rush. We can wait until the Chief Instructor returns. Tell me about your experience first. After all, the Skynet Barrier is related to the safety of the headquarters' barrier. If there is a problem, we must solve it in time."
Ling Yun knew it had finally come. Seeing the large entourage, he had anticipated this question. So, while he appeared calm and unperturbed, he was secretly strategizing how to phrase things appropriately. At the very least, he couldn't reveal that he possessed the key to the core space of the Skynet. This wasn't to deceive the older men who had become his superiors, but who knew what consequences might arise from telling the truth? Ling Yun was no longer the naive boy he once was; speaking his mind was merely a sign of immaturity. Even with close friends and family, some things needed to be left unsaid, not only to give himself more leeway but also to avoid unexpected trouble.
After a moment's thought, Ling Yun began to recount how he was swept into the vortex of the Heavenly Net. The beginning was unreserved, but when he mentioned entering a state of thoughtlessness, thus maximizing the simulation of non-living beings, all the instructors, including the three deputy chief instructors like Luo Panxi, couldn't help but show expressions of surprise. Some even nodded slightly, thinking that it was no wonder this young man could survive the immense pressure of the Heavenly Net; his choice was indeed the right one—not fighting against the suction force from the start, otherwise he would have been reduced to dust long ago.
Then Ling Yun recounted his strange dream, including the nameless behemoth he saw in the deep blue ocean and the tiny, jellyfish-like creatures. When he got to this part, he deliberately omitted the three-dimensional light patterns etched on the jellyfish-like creatures. All the details of his memory could be complete and flawless, but the crucial points absolutely could not be revealed.
Everyone frowned, lost in thought, imagining the unbelievable things in Ling Yun's dream. If everything Ling Yun said was true, then this so-called experience or dream seemed both absurd and real. In an instant, a sense of awe at the unknown swept through everyone's hearts, like the astonishment ordinary people felt after witnessing supernatural power.
If it were a group of ordinary people here, they would surely burst into laughter, or someone would stand up and accuse Ling Yun of lying. But those present were all powerful individuals at the instructor level or above. Each of them seemed to understand something after listening to Ling Yun's strange dream, as if they had gleaned something from it. Although none of them had ever been to the Skynet Barrier, in the world of superhumans, anything is possible. Judging solely from his described experience, he wasn't lying. Ordinary superhumans couldn't even concoct such a lie.
After a long silence, the deputy chief instructor on the left finally spoke up: "Ling Yun, you can continue."
Ling Yun glanced at the deputy chief instructor, recognizing him as Tie Li, a veteran expert: "Yes, Chief Tie. After crossing this ocean, I felt like I was sleepwalking, and ended up in a dark place..."
He then cleverly extended the dreamlike experience, so much so that his later journey through the Thunder Zone and the Energy Wind Space, including the most mysterious core space, was glossed over as if in a dream. His final exit from the core space was also inexplicable, and as for the automatically recognized thunder, he dismissed it all with a simple "I don't know." In just a few dozen sentences, in less than five minutes, he explained everything simply and clearly.
When he emerged from the core space, he blocked Oswit's attack that exceeded the limit. Because the scene was in chaos at the time, no one saw it, and Ling Yun easily bypassed it.
In short, from the moment he entered the Skynet Barrier, he fell into a state of consciousness separation. He was completely clueless as to why the heavenly lightning appeared outside the headquarters and automatically recognized and merged with it; everything happened unintentionally.
Chapter 187 The Meeting at the Superpowers Headquarters (Part 2)
Silence fell over the conference room once more. Everyone felt it was a bit abrupt; was it really over just like that? Ling Yun's description seemed too simplistic, and most importantly, he had simply been drifting along unconsciously. Even rescuing Fang Taiping and the other ability users left behind at headquarters was an unconscious act. From this perspective, this young man wasn't greedy for credit; his character was quite honest…
However, it always seemed like something was missing. Everyone remained silent, unable to pinpoint what it was. Ling Yun's words were impeccable, and more than one person had used their mental energy field to probe his heart and pulse; everything was normal, even the timing of each heartbeat was exactly the same. If he were lying, there would inevitably be some subtle fluctuations.
Ling Yun maintained a completely honest expression, but inwardly he found it amusing. He could certainly sense the subtle, barely perceptible mental energy field probes. If it were just an ordinary ability user or a junior officer standing here, they wouldn't be able to defend against or detect the probes from these powerful individuals. But Ling Yun was different. His perception was far superior to that of other ability users of the same level, and since being crystallized by energy, although other areas hadn't yet shown any abnormalities, his perception seemed to have grown uncontrollably. All the scans were cleverly deflected by his disguise, so the results the powerful individuals received were perfectly normal.
Luo Panxi frowned. He could sense that Ling Yun's words were somewhat untrue; many points were only mentioned briefly and not explained clearly, essentially just a bunch of nonsense. Apart from leaving behind a dream world that seemed like an incomprehensible scripture, there was nothing of value. Trying to determine where the Skynet was going wrong based on this was utterly meaningless.
He wanted to ask a few more questions, but Ling Yun had already blocked all avenues with the excuse of separated consciousness. The other person had already lost consciousness, of course they knew nothing; everything was simply letting nature take its course. What could he do?
He glanced at Ling Yun, his gaze lingering on the boy's deep, unfathomable eyes. Suddenly, a chill ran through him. In Ling Yun's clear pupils, a golden, almost transparent phantom seemed to stand there. Majesty, power, and an overwhelming aura emanated from the phantom, like that of a supreme deity!
Luo Panxi gasped, nearly standing up. A glint flashed in his eyes as his telekinetic powers coalesced. He was about to examine the boy closely when the boy suddenly lowered his head slightly. When he looked up, his eyes were clear and bright again, sparkling with distinct black and white, without any illusory reflections.
For a moment, even Luo Panxi couldn't determine whether what he had just seen was merely a fleeting illusion. At his level of power, every sensation was incredibly clear and certain, and even the slightest change couldn't escape his perception. Illusions were impossible, but with this young man, Luo Panxi felt a sense of astonishment for the first time.
Tie Li and the deputy chief instructor on the right looked at him with suspicion. The subtle changes in Luo Panxi's body naturally couldn't escape the eyes of experts of the same level, but since they were in front of many subordinates and talking to Ling Yun, they couldn't verbally remind him, so they could only ask with their eyes. The two deputy chief instructors were equally puzzled: What's wrong with Lao Luo?
Luo Panxi slowly settled into his chair. In just a few seconds, he had completely banished the doubts from his mind. Since he couldn't figure it out for the time being, he decided not to think about it. This was one of the essential abilities of someone in a position of power.
"Ling Yun, now that you've entered the core space, have you seen anything special...?" Luo Panxi asked casually.
Ling Yun's heart skipped a beat. He immediately thought of Xue Tong, Lao Hei, and Shen Gong Qianye, who were trapped in the core space. He had been thinking about how to cover up the fact that he had the key to the core of the Skynet, but he had forgotten about these three powerful figures from fifty years ago. It seemed that Deputy Chief Instructor Luo should know something. However, given his age, he was only a ten-year-old child fifty years ago. How could he know such a secret?
Ling Yun was unaware that the fact that Xue Tong and the other two were trapped in the core space wasn't exactly a top secret, as only the head instructor was allowed to enter and exit. Therefore, since Lu Ximing's death, only the second and current head instructor, Tang Tiejin, had been permitted entry. However, Tang Tiejin had never actually entered the core space; Lu Ximing had only casually mentioned it to high-ranking members of the Superpower Headquarters when he was alive. Due to the passage of time, only a few powerful individuals at the deputy head instructor level or above, such as Luo Panxi, vaguely knew about it.
No one can escape from the core space. Even the chief instructor who has the core key cannot take anyone out. Therefore, the fact that Blood Eye and the other two are trapped in the core space is tantamount to a death sentence.
However, no one expected that fifty years later, a young man would suddenly appear, not only mastering the core key of the Skynet barrier, but also unintentionally becoming the spokesperson for Skynet, thus engaging in a battle beyond limits with the three of them.
This matter had long been forgotten due to the passage of time, but upon hearing that Ling Yun had entered the core space, Luo Panxi suddenly recalled the three prisoners mentioned by the previous chief instructor and couldn't help but ask a question. However, he immediately realized his mistake. Since Ling Yun was in a state of consciousness separation, how could he possibly see those three legendary figures?