"Hey, look! Who's that with Lecturer Jingyi?"

"Where?"

"I see him! From the back, it's a man!"

At the Beixing Mind Power Development Academy, some students who were outside saw Shi Jingyi walking towards the main gate.

A man was walking with her, which surprised the students. Many had inquired before, wanting to know if Shi Jingyi had a boyfriend or anything like that, but had never gotten a result.

The students knew she usually wasn't very close with the academy's teachers, leaving right after her classes. So, they never expected to see her leaving the academy with a man of the opposite sex today—it was an absolutely unprecedented first.

"Wait a minute..."

A student stared at the man's back, then suddenly slapped his forehead.

"Isn't that Teacher Guan Tong!"

"Teacher Guan? Really?"

"It really does seem like him. I was wondering why his figure looked a bit familiar..."

"Teacher Guan is back at the academy??"

The news of Guan Tong's appearance at the academy and his departure with Shi Jingyi quickly spread.

Many students were excited when they heard. Although Guan Tong's teaching period had been short, he had genuinely helped many students, enabling them to make significant progress.

Later, after Guan Tong left the academy, his whereabouts became unknown... no one at the academy knew where he had gone... His reappearance now caused a bit of a stir.

As for his relationship with Shi Jingyi, not many people discussed it... Back when Guan Tong was substituting, the students already knew they were acquainted; otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to come and substitute teach.

What the students were more curious about was what Guan Tong's appearance meant. Could he be coming back to teach?

"Buzz. Buzz."

In the small courtyard, Shi Jingyi glanced at a new message received on her phone and said to Guan Tong beside her, "The first two times were teachers, this time it's Dean Zhou Qinfeng, messaging me asking about your situation... It seems you handled interpersonal relationships quite well during your brief substitute teaching career last year."

"Interpersonal relationships..."

Guan Tong didn't remember having properly "handled" them, but at least during those few months, he had been diligent and conscientious, never being late or leaving early even once.

"A teacher asked me if you have any intention of teaching now that you're back?" Shi Jingyi asked herself, "Do you?"

Guan Tong shook his head: "No, I have many things to attend to this time I'm back."

"So busy? The matter in the Xisiya Empire just ended. You were also quite seriously injured fighting Lucifer. Aren't you going to take a few days off to rest?"

"I rested for two days after getting injured before, didn't I? Now I'm fully recovered."

"..."

Shi Jingyi's phone vibrated again. She put it aside, went into the room, brought out two meditation cushions, and tossed one to Guan Tong.

"Come on, let's talk while meditating."

"Oh."

The two sat cross-legged on the cushions. Compared to the Xisiya Empire, the outdoor temperature in Beixing was slightly higher; sitting in the courtyard didn't feel cold.

"I'm currently 11 points away from breaking through the 1000-point Mind Power upper limit," Guan Tong asked. "Do you think it's possible to rely on your method for an intensive training boost over the next few days?"

Shi Jingyi placed her hands on her knees, closed her eyes, and said, "Not very likely, but we can try. With your aptitude, you should be able to grasp 'Condensation and Sublimation' quickly."

"In terms of difficulty, how does this 'Condensation and Sublimation' compare to the Mind Power Martial Arts you used before?"

"Naturally, Condensation and Sublimation is harder. Mind Power Martial Arts only requires coordinating the Mind Power output from the specific body parts used for force exertion. Condensation and Sublimation involves the entire body."

"...I see."

He hadn't even mastered those two Mind Power Martial Arts techniques of Shi Jingyi's yet. He had tried a few times in private, but the knack wasn't easy to find.

Shi Jingyi had started practicing martial arts from a young age and subconsciously overlooked many details. But for someone who hadn't been exposed to martial arts training before, these details could drive one to the brink of frustration.

Shi Jingyi wasn't unaware of this; otherwise, she wouldn't have suggested earlier that Guan Tong stay for a while so she could teach him hands-on, which would be faster and easier to learn.

"I also hope you break through soon. Then we can have an unrestrained sparring match," Shi Jingyi said.

She was looking forward to a full-power contest with Guan Tong, a way of making friends through martial arts. As for others, she wasn't very interested; sparring with too great a gap in ability held little meaning.

Guan Tong nodded: "Sure. But the reason I'm in a hurry has another cause: restarting the Mind Network. Since it can be used to identify parasitized forms, perhaps it can also be used to help spore addiction patients."

"Help spore addicts?"

"Yes."

He concisely recounted Suzuki's situation.

After hearing it, Shi Jingyi said, "Regarding spore addicts, the academy held a related meeting before. Do you remember I mentioned to you that after the [Extraterrestrial Parasitism] rule ended, some students from the academy went missing?"

"Of course I remember. At the time, we thought those students might be addicts who left the academy for the Black Flag Country to obtain spores."

"Right. Ascendants are different from ordinary people; they have higher 'resistance' and transform into parasitized forms more slowly. This leaves some addicts stuck in the middle, unable to complete the transformation yet also suffering from addiction symptoms due to being unable to obtain spores."

"The Suzuki I mentioned is the latter case."

"...Guan Tong, how about when you go to see your friend, I go with you to see if the Mind Network can have any effect."

"That would be best."

Having Shi Jingyi's help was definitely a good thing; it could test Guan Tong's hypothesis in advance.

He thought it would be best if it worked. If it didn't... then he could only wait until after breaking through the 1000-point Mind Power upper limit and try to use the power of the [Wordless Book] to do something.

After breaking through, he would definitely be able to write on a new page. If he could solve problems like spore addiction and parasitized forms, dedicating a whole page seemed very worthwhile to him.

"By the way," Shi Jingyi suddenly brought something up, "Beixing is organizing a group of Ascendants to go to the Republic of Fahe on a mission. Do you know about it?"

"I know. I'm probably one of them," Guan Tong said, then asked in return, "How do you know? Did the Countermeasures Research Office invite you?"

"Not that. It was a former graduate who revealed it, saying they had been asked and registered as a backup candidate... It's just that the Fire Thief Worship Cult probably won't be that easy to deal with."

"I think so too."

Guan Tong felt that although these Cultists were fanatical, their higher-ups weren't brainless brutes. Otherwise, they wouldn't have first conspired with the parasitized forms to orchestrate the Landing Site attack, and then planned and executed the Suroma bombing.

Shi Jingyi said, "The fact that the Fire Thief Worship Cult dared to claim responsibility after the bombing means they are prepared to face Suroma's retaliation and the Human Consortium's sanctions... The bombing might just be part of a larger trap. If the Human Consortium sends a team to suppress them, it would play right into their hands."

"That's possible. So if I'm going, I need to prepare first."

"Right. Okay, I'll teach you the method of 'Condensation and Sublimation.' I'll do my best to help you master it before you go to Fahe."

...

Countermeasures Research Office.

Zhang Minglu sat in front of his computer, the screen displaying numerous personnel profiles.

Gao Liangwei had asked him to draft a list of personnel for the future mission to the Republic of Fahe. Since the number couldn't be too large, they had to select the best of the best.

"Li Meng for overall coordination and command, Guan Tong as Team Leader—these two are confirmed. On this foundation, we need to assign Guan Tong some familiar people..."

Zhang Minglu selected the profiles of "Silver Fox" and "Chen Na" and added them to the list.

Both had been on missions with Guan Tong before. Chen Na had known Guan Tong for a long time, making her very suitable for joint action.

Besides them, Zhang Minglu also pulled out Bai Xuewu's profile.

Bai Xuewu was currently with the Joint Force troops in the Black Flag Country, responsible for dealing with parasitized forms.

However, during this period, the parasitized forms had dispersed into the mountains, engaging in guerrilla warfare with the Joint Force, causing the situation to become deadlocked.

The Ascendant regiment at the front often had nothing to do all day. Rather than continuing to waste time there, it would be better to recall her to participate in the operation against the Fire Thief Worship Cult.

"With Guan Tong plus Bai Xuewu, the team would have two top-tier combatants... Then select a few more from the officially trained Ascendant squads and a few from the academy's outstanding graduates, and that should be enough to form a team."

The objective of this operation wasn't to eliminate all Cultists; the target was a decapitation strike against higher-ups like bishops and Your Holiness. Having too many team members would actually be inconvenient.

Moreover, this was a joint operation by the nations of the Human Consortium. Each country would contribute some people, and the total would be considerable.

Zhang Minglu spent over two hours finalizing a total of ten candidates, then contacted Guan Tong.

The video call connected.

"Dr. Zhang, hello."

"Hello, Guan Tong. Regarding leading the team to the Republic of Fahe for the mission, I'd like to discuss some details with you."

Guan Tong asked, "When does this operation start? I need to make some preparations; I can't go immediately."

"Of course," Zhang Minglu said. "Right now, it's just preliminary coordination. The specific operation requires coordination between countries and won't be rushed. At the earliest, it will wait until after the next rule is released, to see the rule's situation before deciding."

"That's true."

Guan Tong knew that no matter how meticulously planned an operation was, it needed to cooperate with the rules. If the seventeenth rule wasn't suitable for humans to go outside, then they could only wait until after the rule ended to act. It was like how the fire attack at Red Cliff couldn't have succeeded so smoothly without the east wind's cooperation.

"The personnel list has been preliminarily decided. You will lead the team, and Li Meng will be responsible for overall coordination and command. Among the team members you know are Chen Na and Silver Fox."

"Li Meng? The former Yunhua City Police Department director, Li Meng?"

"Yes. I know you're acquainted with him. He has now been transferred to the Countermeasures Research Office."

"That's good."

Guan Tong's few interactions with Li Meng back when he was still in Yunhua City had left him with a very reliable impression.

"As for other members, you can get to know them when you have time later. When executing a mission together, you should at least know their names and abilities," Zhang Minglu said. "However, we do not plan to publicly disclose your identity."

"Not disclose it?"

"Yes, for this operation, I will register you under your real name, 'Guan Tong.' As for your 'Shadow' identity, even if someone guesses, we will not acknowledge it."

"...I don't mind. If Dr. Zhang thinks it's necessary, then do it."

"Then let's talk about your requirements," Zhang Minglu said.

He hadn't forgotten that Guan Tong's relationship with the Countermeasures Research Office was one of cooperation, not subordination. From the very beginning, when Gao Liangwei contacted Guan Tong, he had clearly stated that conditions could be proposed.

"I need items that can store Mind Power," Guan Tong said without standing on ceremony. "The more, the better."

"You want to accumulate Mind Power?"

Having experienced the earthquake rule, Zhang Minglu naturally understood what Guan Tong's request was about.

"Yes. This operation isn't simple. The higher-ups of the Fire Thief Worship Cult will definitely set traps, possibly waiting for us to walk into them. Without preparing enough Mind Power, I won't take the risk lightly."

"This... is no problem. However, although we can provide container items, the collection of Mind Power will probably have to be done by you yourself."

During the previous earthquake rule, Beixing could mobilize millions of Ascendants to transfer Mind Power to Guan Tong because doing so was saving themselves.

Now, without a suitable reason, asking Ascendants to inject their Mind Power into containers for no reason, even if it's just circulating Mind Power, would arouse widespread suspicion.

"I know," Guan Tong said. "I'll find people to collect it myself. You just need to provide me with the containers."

"Any other requirements?"

Upon hearing this, Guan Tong thought for a moment and asked, "Dr. Zhang, currently, does the official side have no treatment methods for spore addicts?"

"Unfortunately, no. The brain neurons of spore addicts are damaged and mutated. With humanity's current medical level, we are completely powerless... Moreover, experts in that field are now all focused on researching the advanced technology provided by the alien intelligence."

"That digital life plan?"

"Accurately, it's 'digital memory backup,'" Zhang Minglu said. "For humanity to achieve a true 'digital life' is probably still very far off."

"..."

Guan Tong always felt this matter wasn't very reliable.

Even if this plan ultimately succeeded, could humanity then rest easy?

Digitalized memories also require physical carriers like large servers. As long as something is physical, it has the possibility of being destroyed... Not to mention human-caused disasters; if the Fire Thief released a natural disaster rule like the previous earthquake, how many servers would be destroyed? Humanity would still have to exhaust themselves protecting them.

"Speaking of the alien intelligence..." Zhang Minglu hesitated before asking, "Although no one saw, we speculate that you must have asked it a question... Out of my personal curiosity, the question you asked..."

"That question is only related to me personally."

"Alright, I understand. Then I'll go prepare the Mind Power container items for you and contact you again later."

Zhang Minglu understood that Guan Tong's words meant it wasn't convenient to disclose, so he didn't press further.

After hanging up, Guan Tong thought for a moment and called Xu Xiaotian, who answered quickly.

"Hey, Brother Tong."

"Xiaotian, I'm back in Pinglu. Have time to meet?"

"Sure! Hey, you, Xiao Li, I'm going out for a bit. Keep an eye on the material dispatch for these two districts, don't mess it up!"

Listening to Xu Xiaotian's commanding tone, Guan Tong was a bit curious. It seemed this kid had been promoted.

They arranged to meet at a park. After meeting up, Xu Xiaotian was very happy: "Brother Tong, how have you been lately?"

"I'm fine. How about you? From your phone call, it sounds like you're giving orders now?"

"Uh..." Xu Xiaotian scratched his head. "I got promoted recently. Now I'm in charge of material dispatch for three small districts."

Hearing this, Guan Tong couldn't help but look at him with new respect: "Not bad, boundless prospects."

"Ah, Brother Tong, don't tease me. You're the one with boundless prospects! Brother Tong, when did you get back?"

"Just yesterday. Why?"

Guan Tong saw Xu Xiaotian's expression was odd, as if something had happened.

Xu Xiaotian said, "Last time, for your birthday, didn't I meet Chen Na and Sister Wang? After that, Sister Wang called me, kind of venting her troubles. It seemed like she and her daughter were having a conflict."

"Conflict? What kind of conflict?"

Guan Tong knew Wang Yan and Chen Na had always depended on each other. They had endured such hardship during the Snow Disaster rule. How could they have a conflict over something minor now?

"I'm not clear on the specifics. Sister Wang didn't explain clearly. How about you go ask, Brother Tong? You're more familiar with Sister Wang. If you ask, she'll probably tell you."