A training ground at the Investigation Bureau headquarters, where Jiang Tingqiu and the other five were already waiting.
"Our bureau cannot directly detect physique and spirit like Xin Huo, but testing punching force, pushing force, and sprint speed can still verify training results."
"Here is another set of data, the test results of investigators at headquarters before going to the Xin Huo base for training."
These included a hundred-meter sprint speed, punching force in pounds, and some physical examination data.
These were all planned by Yang Chang, who specifically had the investigators undergo tests before departure.
These data points were accessible to high-ranking officials of the bureau, and anyone could check them. Some of the high-ranking officials present recognized one or two of the investigator trainees.
"Tan Lin was previously under my charge. He hadn't touched upon awakening, and I never expected him to be an awakened person after a few days at Xin Huo. He even awakened an ability for explosive attachments? Not bad, not bad."
"But compared to awakened individuals, what needs to be tested now is the progress of non-awakened investigators, and whether it is significant."
"Hmm, I have an impression of Jiang Tingqiu. His physical fitness is among the best of the investigators. He seems to be one of the earliest investigators, but he has never awakened... Did he not awaken this time either?"
A high-ranking official of the Investigation Bureau even sighed for Jiang Tingqiu.
Given his qualifications, if he had awakened earlier, he might have been a high-ranking official in the provincial bureau by now, or perhaps transferred to a position in the headquarters.
But without awakening, and not being in charge of other affairs... he remained just a Level 1 investigator.
Even though his physical fitness was indeed formidable, and he was very skilled in investigating and handling mysterious incidents.
"I recall that this Jiang Tingqiu once exchanged a bottle of Physique Enhancing Elixir at the bureau."
"It was exchanged a while ago when we just completed the elixir trade with Xin Huo. He was one of the earliest investigators to exchange for it, I recall approving it myself, so I have a strong impression."
The high-ranking official continued.
His implication was that it was impossible for Jiang Tingqiu to have taken any Physique Enhancing Elixirs recently, and thus there was no possibility of significant improvement in his physique due to such elixirs.
The other high-ranking officials understood the implication.
Some remained unconvinced, while others were half-believing.
The high-ranking official who spoke came from the ranks of investigators, fought on the front lines, and had recently been promoted to a second-stage awakened.
After his promotion, he had continuously taken Xin Huo's 'Purification Potion' and 'Calming Potion', and had largely eliminated the side effects of the second-stage awakening in just a few days, which he found astonishing.
He remembered that at their headquarters, when Director Huang and other strong individuals broke through to the second stage of awakening, it took them a long time to recover from states of confusion, disorientation, and mental disturbance.
He, on the other hand, only took three days.
Anything produced by Xin Huo was bound to be a high-quality product, and the special training effects of Xin Huo... Since Deputy Director Yang said so, it must be extraordinary.
Four days to achieve significant improvement.
How much could it improve, could it increase his physique by 0.3 or 0.4 units?
Only then could it be considered significant. In terms of punching force in pounds...
"Before departing for the exchange and learning trip, Jiang Tingqiu's punching force was 749 pounds."
"Without awakening, with his physical condition, he has almost reached his limit. I don't quite believe he could improve further, but since Deputy Director Yang says it's possible, and even a significant improvement, then... could he break through 800 pounds?"
In four days, to go from 749 to 800 would indeed be a meteoric rise.
Eyes were fixed.
At this moment,
Jiang Tingqiu walked up to a punching force testing machine, took a breath in and out, his expression gradually becoming fierce, as if he wanted to vent his frustration from failed awakening onto this machine.
He twisted his waist and lunged forward with a punch.
Bang—!
The punching target vibrated continuously, and the displayed punching force flickered.
200 pounds!
400 pounds!
600 pounds!
The speed of the display was very fast, and in the blink of an eye, it exceeded his previous limit of 749 pounds. Even though the increase had slowed down, it was still jumping by dozens of pounds at a time.
The high-ranking officials watching dared not even blink their eyes. Only when the numbers stopped flickering did they rub their eyes.
1014 pounds!
"Hiss—"
"It's unlikely the testing machine is broken, but this result... He really didn't take any special elixirs, did he?"
"It's unlikely. There will be a physical examination later."
"Honestly, even with stimulants, it's hard to achieve such a significant improvement."
"If it's true, if it's true..."
A high-ranking official murmured, his face flushing red with excitement.
After Jiang Tingqiu, four ordinary investigator candidates successively underwent punching force tests, speed tests, and various other tests, followed by a full body examination.
After that, two awakened investigators made their appearance.
The all-round display highlighted one characteristic – almost no side effects!
Yang Chang spoke, "The other investigators are currently training at the Xin Huo student base. The base has signal and internet access. If any of you wish to know anything, you can contact those investigators yourself."
"However, the training missions at the base are quite intensive, so many may not have leisure time to respond to mobile messages. Generally, they only have some rest time after 11 PM."
This was quite reasonable!
After all, such significant improvement would naturally require intensive training... No, even if the training mission were ten times as intensive, such improvement would still be abnormal!
The senior high-ranking officials became even more excited.
Even Director Huang, who had prior knowledge, did not expect such an exaggerated improvement. And the awakened land... The special training was beyond imagination, and Xin Huo's methods for protecting awakenings were even more miraculous, which was exactly what their investigators needed!
They had to secure it!
"Regarding the student exchange and the awakening ceremony, I will negotiate further with Xin Huo to secure more spots."
"Yes, yes, if possible, we should let more investigators go to Xin Huo for exchange and learning."
"There are still quite a number of investigators and special-grade investigators who might reach the point of awakening."
High-ranking officials of the Investigation Bureau spoke one after another.
In this way, the goals of the Investigation Bureau became unified. But before that...
Director Huang said, "We need to tally up what bargaining chips we can offer, and how many student spots and awakening spots we can trade for from Xin Huo."
…
For the second large-scale transaction with the Investigation Bureau, Fang You did not personally appear and directly handed it over to Pei Hongjing to negotiate.
Chairman Pei was more adept at this than him, and for a single transaction, there was no need for him to overexert himself.
It was fine to delegate it to others.
Wasn't it the job of the worker to share the boss's worries?
He only discussed the bottom line with Pei Hongjing regarding the general price of the spots... He actually didn't intend to raise the price too much. The awakening enhancement from the heritage land benefited too many people, and he did need to invest some additional strange crystals to maintain the operation of the buildings and prevent the enhancement effects from declining.
But the cost was not too high.
He would not obstruct the investigators' awakening. It was just that the Investigation Bureau indeed had money, they needed to awaken, and he, Xin Huo, needed strange crystals. This was a win-win situation.
The price of strange crystals and mysterious materials fluctuated within a small range. Fang You instructed Pei Hongjing to focus the negotiation on the trade of military hardware such as transport helicopters and warships.
After all, Xin Huo also needed some means of transportation.
But it was only a moderate need.
Strange crystals were more important.
Strange crystals were needed everywhere, especially since the map area, which had now been upgraded to Lv6, was waiting for a large sum of strange crystals for the final upgrade.
These matters were being handled by others.
His gaze had already shifted to Europe, which would be the main battlefield for the coming period.
…
In the Nation of Waves.
A secret underground facility.
Researchers in white coats bustled about. In the depths, a number of deliriously insane cultists were being held.
"Another cultist died. The materials are getting scarce. Can't your Super Combat Department catch more?"
"Catch more? Do you think cultists are that easy to catch? These guys fight like they don't care about their lives. If we didn't have all sorts of high-tech weapons, we might not even be a match for the cultists."
A high-ranking official from the Super Combat Department said.
Among the cultists were even triple-awakened individuals, which sent chills down their spines. Fortunately, while firearms couldn't deal with the eerie and malevolent, they could deal with cultists.
After a period of exploration, they had gained considerable understanding of the cultists' fighting methods.
Now, they were able to capture some alive.
They had even captured a high-ranking cultist, a black-robed cultist.
Compared to their initial fear of cultists, the Nation of Waves was now filled with more excitement. They needed cultists, as they were excellent research materials!
The secret of awakening breakthrough must be contained within the cultists.
It was just a pity that cultists were becoming increasingly scarce, as if they were already almost wiped out or captured.
"Haven't you figured out the secret of cultist awakening yet?"
The middle-aged man in the white coat said, "There has been a slight breakthrough in research. Their blood very likely contains the code for awakening."
"But this requires more research materials."
The strong individual from the Super Combat Department nodded, indicating there was no problem.
Compared to those eerie and malevolent beings whose mere existence affected sanity, cultists? They were more like a gift from heaven.
Their Nation of Waves had accepted it.
…
At this time,
Outside the Nation of Waves, a certain location.
A faint gray mist swirled, and space seemed to subtly distort.
In a cold and eerie ancient castle, the sacrificer of the Scarlet Moon, 'Pukala', contorted his face and let out a cackling laugh.
He looked at the black-robed cultists standing with their heads bowed before him.
And a strange being wearing a tuxedo, resembling a butler, but with several wriggling tentacles on its forehead.
Pukala asked, "How is the ritual site being prepared?"
The tuxedo-clad butler from the strange realm replied, "My lord, three of the seven ritual sites have been prepared, and the other four are currently being set up. The attention of the native forces has already been diverted."
Sacrificer Pukala nodded,
"Good. Although the native forces are not worth mentioning, my ritual must not be flawed."
"Once I complete the seventh stage of awakening through the ritual and enter the mythical level, our clan's status will also rise, allowing us to better serve our great Lord."
"Continue to keep watch."
The seventh stage is difficult, incredibly difficult.
But with the abundant population, life, and blood of Blue Star, he had a chance!
A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!
In all the worlds he had seen, Blue Star's population was second to none!
Pukala's face turned manic, and he looked up, his gaze seeming to penetrate the layers of the strange realm.
He met the gaze of a figure.
That was his true self, a Level 6 Throne-level expert who would break through the world barrier of Blue Star through the ritual...
To descend!