Chapter 274: The Discomfort of Being Secretly Watched Grew Increasingly Intense
Chapter 274: Chapter 274: The Discomfort of Being Secretly Watched Grew Increasingly Intense
In the monitoring room on the top floor of the Tower, the lighting was dim. Only a massive surveillance screen emitted a cold, white glow.
A middle-aged man in a Star Alliance military uniform sat upright in a chair. His posture was straight, his expression stern. He tapped his fingertips lightly against the desk, his gaze fixed on the screen as he watched Yun Sheng’s every move in the spiritual power testing hall.
He was Xu Chengyuan, an Admiral of the Star Alliance and a member of the Tower’s highest decision-making echelon. Holding the Tower’s core control authority, he had the right to access surveillance feeds from any area. This was why he could enter and exit the top-floor monitoring room at will and observe the entire process in the spiritual power testing hall.
Xu Chengyuan’s brows were slightly furrowed. With a scrutinizing tone, he asked, "Is she Yun Sheng, the daughter the Lin family just recently acknowledged?"
The subordinate standing behind him immediately bowed, reporting in a respectful and cautious tone.
"Yes, Admiral. She is indeed the young lady the Lin family recently brought back. Currently a Preparatory Guide for the Tower, she just returned from completing her training in Zone 10. Today, she is here to participate in the spiritual power retest."
Hearing this, a sharp glint flashed through Xu Chengyuan’s eyes, and his tone deepened.
"How did you deduce that her spiritual power is special?"
"Admiral, you previously ordered us to secretly monitor the White War God’s whereabouts. We discovered that after returning from Zone 10, the White War God personally took Yun Sheng to the First Research Institute for an examination. Afterward, he even brought her back to his private apartment.
"We sent someone to the institute to retrieve Yun Sheng’s examination report, but that report had already been extracted in advance by the White War God. No data or information was left behind."
Xu Chengyuan narrowed his eyes slightly, the cloud of suspicion in them growing denser.
The reason he had people watching Bai Ye was because, not long ago, Bai Ye’s spiritual landscape had suddenly collapsed, plunging him into a deep coma. The entire Star Alliance had been completely helpless. Everyone thought he would perish just like that. Yet, it wasn’t long before Bai Ye miraculously woke up, and his spiritual power showed absolutely no signs of declining.
This matter was too bizarre; it was absolutely no coincidence. Xu Chengyuan had always harbored doubts in his heart, so he secretly sent people to keep an eye on Bai Ye, wanting to uncover the truth behind his awakening.
Reining in his thoughts, his tone still laced with skepticism, he asked, "Even so, that doesn’t prove this Yun Sheng’s spiritual power is special, does it?"
The subordinate hurriedly added, "Admiral, the speculation regarding her special spiritual power wasn’t actually inferred from the White War God’s side, but rather, it spread from someone else."
Xu Chengyuan raised an eyebrow, a hint of interest coloring his tone. He turned to look at his subordinate. "Oh? Who?"
"It’s Miss Yue Yao," the subordinate answered in a low voice. "It was something she blurted out while drunk at a gathering with friends. She said Yun Sheng’s spiritual power is incredibly bizarre. Even though she was tested as F-level and has no spiritual body, her strength when fighting pollutants in Zone 10 was actually more formidable than Zhou Ying’s, despite the latter being a B-level Guide."
"Lin Yueyao..."
Xu Chengyuan repeated the name under his breath, turning his gaze back to the surveillance screen.
In the video feed, Yun Sheng stood in line with a calm expression. Aside from being rather pretty, she looked no different from any other ordinary Preparatory Guide; there were no anomalies whatsoever.
However, the more this seemed to be the case, the heavier the doubts in his heart grew. His fingertips tapped against the desk once more, his tone becoming increasingly grave and cold.
"Send someone to keep an eye on her around the clock. Report her every move to me immediately, even the slightest abnormality. Also, gather all her background information right now. From her birth and upbringing to every single person she knows—especially those close to her—do not miss a single detail. Deliver it to me as soon as possible."
"Yes, Admiral!"
The subordinate bowed and accepted the order, not daring to delay for even a moment as he immediately turned to arrange the relevant matters.
Silence returned to the monitoring room once again. Xu Chengyuan remained seated upright in his chair, his eyes locked onto Yun Sheng on the screen, the sharp glint in his gaze growing ever more intense.
He had a strong premonition that this seemingly ordinary daughter of the Lin family might be hiding a secret significant enough to shift the entire guide hierarchy of the Star Alliance. Furthermore, Bai Ye’s awakening was likely inextricably linked to her!
Meanwhile, in the spiritual power testing hall.
The noisy clamor of discussions continued to rise and fall. Yun Sheng’s furrowed brows had not once relaxed. The uncomfortable sensation of being secretly watched hadn’t dissipated; instead, it had grown even stronger.
Subconsciously, she scanned her surroundings once more. The trainees in the hall were either anxiously discussing the rules or keeping their heads down, silently reciting things to calm their nerves. Everyone’s expressions looked perfectly normal.
Yet, that probing gaze clung to her like a leech, firmly locked onto her.
Just then, Shen Tang’s voice rang out again, her tone stern.
"Quiet! Will the first group of trainees please gather in front of the testing pods immediately? The test is officially starting!"
The crowd instantly fell silent, and the already tense atmosphere grew even heavier. Following their assigned groups, the trainees orderly made their way toward the testing area.
Multiple testing devices lined one side of the testing hall, each corresponding to an independent testing pod. The transparent pods were surrounded by a faint blue glow. Staff members responsible for recording data stood beside them, making everything appear incredibly methodical and orderly.
This retest utilized a format of group testing, with the results to be released uniformly.
Soon, the first few groups of trainees successfully completed their tests. Most finished within five minutes, and the fastest ones took less than three.
Finally, a staff member called out the group containing Yun Sheng, Li Wen, and Cheng Nian. Exchanging glances, the three girls walked toward the testing area together.
They stepped into three adjacent testing pods. The staff sequentially closed the pod doors and pressed the start buttons. All three testing devices lit up simultaneously. A pale blue halo enveloped the pods, emitting a faint HUM.
Yun Sheng closed her eyes, focused her mind, and slowly released the spiritual power within her body.
Condensed spiritual power seeped from her fingertips, swirling around the testing device. Relevant data instantly popped up on the device’s screen. Both the concentration and fluctuation values were incredibly stable. Everything seemed to be going perfectly smoothly.
Listening closely, she could faintly hear slight movements from the adjacent pods and knew that Li Wen and Cheng Nian were also releasing their spiritual power normally. Her heart settled a bit. She figured she would be able to finish the test within five minutes, just like the previous groups of trainees.
However, as the seconds ticked by, five minutes quietly slipped away. Faint notification chimes—BEEP—sounded from Li Wen and Cheng Nian’s testing pods next door. The pod doors opened, and the two walked out one after the other.
Yet, on Yun Sheng’s side, the termination prompt on the testing device’s screen still hadn’t popped up.
Yun Sheng’s heart sank slightly. She didn’t stop, continuing to maintain the release of her spiritual power.
But even after a few more minutes passed, the termination prompt still didn’t appear.
The blue light of the testing device grew increasingly blinding, and its operational HUM seemed to grow louder, drowning out all external noises.
Fine beads of sweat gradually formed on Yun Sheng’s forehead, sliding down her temples. Sustaining the release of her spiritual power for such a long time caused a sharp, piercing pain to pulse faintly from her spiritual landscape.
The inexplicable unease at the bottom of her heart grew even stronger, clinging tightly to her mind like a dark cloud that simply wouldn’t dissipate.
Her fingertips trembled slightly, and the release of her spiritual power became a bit unsteady. She wondered whether she should persevere or stop on her own accord.
If she persevered, the piercing pain in her spiritual landscape would only become more pronounced, and she feared her spiritual power might lose control again. But if she stopped without authorization, she worried it would affect her test results. She might even be judged as unqualified, completely losing the opportunity to continue her training.
She was instantly thrust into a terrible dilemma!