Invincibility Begins with Mastery of Fist Techniques-Chapter 104: Conscription

In the living room of Lu Ming's villa, Zhou Yuanjue met the tall, serious-faced team captain from the Secret Inspection Bureau, Lu Zhen.

"Mr. Zhou, long time no see."

Upon seeing Zhou Yuanjue, Lu Zhen stood up, gave him a light handshake, and then glanced at Lu Ming and Li Qingxuan, who were still in the living room.

"We have something to attend to. You two can talk."

Li Qingxuan said with a smile, tactfully leaving the living room with Lu Ming.

"Go ahead, what do you need from me? Logically, as a functional agency, there shouldn't be anything you need my help with, right? Besides, you know the Southern Martial Arts Tournament is still ongoing. I'm afraid I can't spare much time."

Zhou Yuanjue said, his expression calm.

"Orders from above. Starting today, the Southern Martial Arts Tournament will temporarily suspend all matches."

Lu Zhen said with a grave expression.

Hearing this, Zhou Yuanjue's eyebrows twitched slightly.

'To think they'd suspend the entire Southern Martial Arts Tournament. It seems something truly serious has happened.'

"You came to me... is this related to the Celestial Demons?"

Zhou Yuanjue asked.

"Correct. This incident was indeed caused by the Celestial Demons. As of now, the heirs of the Southern Eight Sects and some of the stronger 'seeds' have already accepted a temporary conscription."

Lu Zhen said.

'Conscription...'

Zhou Yuanjue's eyes narrowed. "Can you tell me the specifics?"

"The details must remain confidential until you accept. If you accept the conscription, you'll need to leave with me within half an hour. Once we arrive, someone will give you a detailed briefing. Aren't you interested in detailed data on the Celestial Demons? At that time, you'll receive most of the confidential data regarding this incident and the Celestial Demons."

Lu Zhen said. He slowly stood up and gave Zhou Yuanjue a standard military salute. "We need your help."

...

...

Half an hour later, Zhou Yuanjue, carrying only a small bag, got into the car driven by Lu Zhen.

The car sped south, running red lights. In less than half an hour, they arrived at Guangpu Port, one of the largest ports in the south.

Zhou Yuanjue then noticed that the entire Guangpu Port seemed to have been locked down and shut down. Cordon lines were up, checkpoints were established, and armed soldiers were visible everywhere.

After an inspection, the two were granted passage. The vehicle drove all the way to the seaside and stopped in front of a ship.

The two got out of the car, and a soldier immediately came over to guide them onto the ship. Zhou Yuanjue followed Lu Zhen up to the second floor of the ship, stopping in front of a room that looked like a conference room.

"I'll hold onto your luggage for now. You should get inside. You seem to be the last to arrive. The ship is about to depart, and they'll brief you on the details inside shortly."

Lu Zhen took Zhou Yuanjue's luggage and pushed open the conference room door for him.

The first thing that came into view was a large, oval conference table. At this moment, fifteen people were seated around it—twelve men and three women.

A few of them were already familiar faces to Zhou Yuanjue.

He Runlin, fair-skinned and with a constant smile.

Dong Wanming of the Holy Heart Sect, whose eyes were half-closed yet couldn't conceal the light gleaming within them.

Zhang Zhizhen of the Celestial Heart Sect, his face placid, seeming to blend into his surroundings with almost no presence.

Ji Yunzhou of the Seven Spirits Sect, who was sizing up Zhou Yuanjue with keen interest and a smile on his face.

The rest, though unfamiliar faces, all possessed a unique and powerful aura, indicating they were undoubtedly top-tier Martial Artists with strong wills.

The heirs of the Southern Eight Sects and the strongest "seeds" from the various southern prefectures were all gathered here.

When they saw Zhou Yuanjue enter, all eyes immediately focused on him.

The second person to successfully challenge a champion in the entire tournament so far, and also the last to arrive today.

Though it wasn't intentional, the Spiritual Wills of more than a dozen top-tier Martial Artists converged on Zhou Yuanjue in that instant.

Such immense pressure would have made any other Martial Artist's face change color. After all, everyone here was a top-tier existence just below the level of Saint Awakening.

However, Zhou Yuanjue's expression remained unchanged, as if the pressure had no effect on him. He casually walked to an empty seat, pulled out the chair, and sat down.

All the pressure vanished in an instant, leaving not a trace. This brief exchange alone was enough to show everyone that Zhou Yuanjue was qualified to sit in this seat.

Almost simultaneously, everyone retracted their gazes.

That momentary, spontaneous spread of spirit was merely a test. To continue any further would have been a provocation.

And now was clearly not the time for provocations.

WHOOOO!!

Just then, the deep blast of a ship's horn sounded. The entire vessel shuddered and began to slowly pull away from the port.

"Everyone's here, so let's get started without delay."

A young woman in a black uniform and black-framed glasses, standing in front of the conference room's projection screen, spoke up.

Everyone immediately turned their attention to the projection screen.

Among those present, few knew much about the Celestial Demons. Aside from Zhou Yuanjue, who had encountered one directly, the heirs of the Southern Eight Sects probably had some understanding. The rest, however, were completely in the dark about these strange, abnormal spiritual entities. They vaguely guessed that this conscription, the Southern Martial Arts Tournament, and the changes throughout the entire Donghua Martial Arts Realm were all deeply connected, which made them extremely curious.

"First, allow me to introduce myself. I am Investigator Chen Lingyun of the Donghua Secret Inspection Bureau. Some of the information I'm about to share may challenge your existing beliefs. However, I can guarantee that no matter how bizarre it sounds, it is the truth." 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

Chen Lingyun pushed up her glasses, pressed a button on the remote in her hand, and an image instantly appeared on the projection screen.

It was a painting. A Monk sat beneath a Bodhi Tree, a halo of light shimmering behind his head, exuding a sense of tranquility. In a corner of the picture, a ferocious, ethereal black head resembling an Asura Evil Ghost floated in the air, drawing gently near the Monk's face.

A depiction of Buddha attaining the Dao.

"Legend has it that when Buddha was on the verge of attaining the Dao under the Bodhi Tree, the Celestial Demon King, who resides in the Desire Realm, formless and intangible, descended upon the mortal world to stop him. It conjured all sorts of illusions, trying to shatter Buddha's Heart, but in the end, Buddha saw through them all and subjugated it."

"Since then, legends have always portrayed Celestial Demons as evil beings. They obstruct human virtue, resent the ways of the wise and holy, and cause all sorts of disruptions to prevent one from cultivating the roots of goodness needed for transcendence. They are the great enemy of humanity on the path to self-transcendence and fulfillment."

"Many people dismiss this as mere legend. But what I am here to introduce to you today is an abnormal spiritual entity that exists without a physical form—an entity we have named the 'Celestial Demon'."

As soon as Chen Lingyun finished speaking, most of the people in the room, except for Zhou Yuanjue and the heirs of the Southern Eight Sects, showed expressions of shock and disbelief.

Chen Lingyun pressed the controller in her hand, and the slide on the big screen changed, revealing several faces drawn with exquisite detail. These faces were generally ferocious and terrifying, each with unique features. One of them bore some resemblance to the Celestial Demon Zhou Yuanjue had seen, also possessing three eyes.

"'Celestial Demons' are formless and intangible. They can only be sensed with one's Spirit, and physical attacks are almost completely ineffective against them. They feed on human spirit and emotions and are hostile toward us. Most have very low intelligence. However, if they merge with a suitable human, they will devour that person's consciousness and memories, gaining their intellect and creating a new personality within the human body."

"Of course, the reverse is also possible. Through special techniques and processing, we can suppress or even erase their true nature. If they are then merged with a human mind, that human's body will be rapidly strengthened, and they will gain special abilities."

"We call this type of existence a 'Symbiont'. For example..."

"Me."

BOOM!!

As Chen Lingyun spoke, her slender body suddenly expanded. Her muscles bulged, transforming her into a terrifying form, as if she had changed from a human into a ferocious beast.

Her black uniform seemed to be specially made, possessing great elasticity, as it remained completely intact despite the transformation.

At the same time, her shadow gradually stretched out, covering the surface of her body and twisting into a shape resembling an Evil Ghost, emanating an intense malice and oppressive aura.