Chapter 1 All Know

Everyone in Snow Forbidden City knew.

Zhu Wang's greatest aspiration in life was to become a "Grand Arbiter," and everything he had done in the past twenty years had been with this ultimate goal in mind.

However...

For so many years, there had always been someone above him on the mountain peak, steadily suppressing him.

But just a year ago, he could be considered to have fulfilled his greatest "wish."

He finally became the Grand Arbiter of the Tribunal.

Although... only "temporarily."

But after taking office, the Tribunal in Nagano was consolidated by him with an iron fist, becoming a monolithic entity. In fact, Zhu Wang had been able to sit in the political center of Nagano for twenty years because he was good at "networking." The major forces in Nagano colluded and combined, ensuring he had a seat in the council and could form a balance with "Tree-sensei."

No one likes an "unrestrained" titled powerhouse.

Under the system of the Three Houses, big figures prefer to sit down and discuss the rules together.

So Tree-sensei was destined to travel the Eastern Continent.

And after Zhu Wang took office, he immediately mobilized the greatest force to promote the proposal to add a Grand Arbiter. This proposal was actually for his own consideration... If Zhou Jiren one day returned in triumph from the Crescent Moon Fortress, then whether or not he had truly discovered the so-called [Old World Passage], his contribution and merit to the human world would be unmatched by his own.

In that case.

He would never be able to hold on to the position of Grand Arbiter.

Therefore, he needed the council to add a Grand Arbiter!

But this was not an easy task.

First of all... The reason he was able to become the current Grand Arbiter was not because the previous Grand Arbiter resigned or died, but because of force majeure, a sudden situation that led to the selection of a "temporary" successor, granting him the highest authority of the Tribunal.

But if the proposal was passed, it would mean that the council agreed with Zhu Wang's proposal.

The Tribunal needed two Grand Arbiters.

If... Zhou Jiren didn't come back?

Then, besides Zhu Wang, would they need to find another "temporary Grand Arbiter"?

Of course, Zhu Wang's proposal took into account various situations for the council. He strongly recommended his beloved disciple Han Dang.

Han Dang, who was only one step away from being "titled," did not have the strength to sit in the position of Grand Arbiter.

But he was indeed the closest person to this position.

Before being titled, Bai Chen had served as the "Acting Grand Judge" of the Prison House. This was a kind of encouragement and a signal... This case could be regarded as setting a precedent, but Zhu Wang's proposal was too purposeful, and the council did not give a reply.

Everyone was waiting for news of Zhou Jiren.

A year passed.

The Myriad Manifestations Realm of Crescent Moon City continued to expand, and was about to reach the foot of the city walls. The Rustbone Fourth Legion retreated again and again... It seemed that the patience of the Northern Continent was about to run out. If Her Majesty the Queen took action to defeat the Myriad Manifestations Realm, and Zhou Jiren still had no news at that time, perhaps the council would consider reshuffling the Tribunal's internal structure.

At that time, the Tribunal would need a strong "leader."

And Zhu Wang was the best candidate.

As a reward for the support... the success rate of this proposal would be greatly increased.

But no one knew.

Beneath Zhu Wang's seemingly "perfect" proposal, there was actually a big problem.

That was that his "beloved disciple" Han Dang's cultivation state had been getting worse and worse over the past year.

If he wanted to become "titled," it would probably take a long, long time.

...

...

"Crack!"

The mirror in the washroom was shattered by a heavy punch.

Han Dang looked at his fragmented self in the mirror, covered his forehead with one hand, and his androgynous and handsome face gradually became distorted and hideous... The mental seed of [Heavenly Eye] flared up again and again.

The more he wanted to resist.

The deeper he sank into the mire.

In fact... the hypnosis of this mental seed was not that powerful.

When Luo Er cast the hypnosis, he only hoped that Han Dang would feel remorse for his actions.

The most painful thing in this world is not weakness.

But "not being strong enough."

If Han Dang was too weak, too far away from [Heavenly Eye], then he would not have noticed the existence of this mental seed at all. He would have obeyed the seed's hypnotic voice, felt sincerely guilty and remorseful, and then the hypnotic seed would have dissipated on its own.

As if... nothing had happened.

Everything vanished like smoke.

But he happened to have strength, but not enough strength.

So he became aware of the hypnosis that guided "guilt," constantly resisted, and constantly failed.

This, is the true source of pain.

Over the past year.

Han Dang's spirit had been tormented to the point of near collapse... He had tried many methods, and even found titled powerhouses of the mental system in the Eastern Continent, but the answers he received were all the same.

They had no way to remove this seed.

The one who tied the bell must untie it.

Either, [Heavenly Eye] came in person to remove the hypnosis.

Or... the caster's strength was far greater than [Heavenly Eye]'s.

But where could he find such a person?

The broken mirror in the bathroom, piece by piece, was restored, glued together, piecing back a complete mirror... The bursts of stabbing pain in his mind receded, and Han Dang stared at the face panting in the mirror, a strange sense of calm in his heart.

Sometimes, he felt that fate was playing tricks on him.

The pain he was experiencing seemed to have been arranged by heaven long ago.

If [Heavenly Eye] hadn't disappeared in the Crescent Moon Fortress... then the non-stop mental torture over the past year would probably have made him lower his proud head and seek out the only "bell-untier" to remove the hypnosis.

But as fate would have it... [Heavenly Eye] had disappeared.

No one in this world knew where she was.

Even if he wanted to find her, he couldn't.

So no matter how painful Han Dang was, he could only endure it!

Han Dang finished washing up simply.

He rubbed his cheeks, restored a face of calmness, wiped the mist from the mirror with his fingers, and now looking at the mirror, he couldn't see that the face opposite him had just experienced a hellish mental torment just a few minutes ago.

He walked out of the bathroom calmly, draped in a bathrobe.

The doorbell rang outside.

"...?"

Han Dang frowned slightly.

He knew that his reputation in the Tribunal was great.

But the reputation that truly spread outside was not good.

Many people secretly called him a "smiling tiger." They looked down on his character and disdained being associated with him.

Looking around the entire Snow Forbidden City, he couldn't find a single true friend.

So on weekdays, almost no one would visit his residence.

Who could it be?

At this juncture... Han Dang took a deep breath, and when he opened the door, he saw an unexpected face.

...

...

Outside the door stood two figures, one old and one young.

The old man was the Second Elder of the Bai Clan, and it was precisely this "unexpected" face for Han Dang.

Bai Zesheng.

A heavyweight figure, the second-in-command of the Bai Clan's Elder Council, known to everyone in Snow Forbidden City... But the Bai Clan had close ties with the Prison House, so why would they find his door?

Han Dang looked at the other young figure.

This was a thin and tall "young man," who looked very young, probably twenty years old, or perhaps even younger, with a face full of smiles... With Han Dang's many years of experience in recognizing people, this guy's smile gave him a sense of deja vu.

Many years ago, before he had gained power, he smiled like that.

The more "gentle" the smile, the more vigilance it required.

He stood in front of the door, not fully opening it, only opening it halfway.

Obviously, this was a clear indication that he did not welcome these two people in.

Han Dang knew that he was a disciple of the Grand Arbiter of the Tribunal, and right now was a critical stage for his teacher to submit the proposal. He did not want to have any private dealings with the Second Elder of the Bai Clan...

The other party had come to visit.

His opening the door was already fulfilling his courtesy.

Bai Zesheng seemed completely unaware of the wary action of the half-open door. He stood smiling in front of the door, looked at Han Dang, and said softly, "Little Han, long time no see."

A cliché opening.

Han Dang nodded expressionlessly.

Even a "smiling tiger" can't squeeze out a smile all the time.

For example... now.

He was very tired now and didn't want to waste any more words.

"You two... I still have things to do..."

But the next moment, Han Dang's voice was interrupted by Bai Zesheng.

The Second Elder said straight to the point, "I have a way to remove the hypnotic seed of [Heavenly Eye]."

Han Dang was stunned.

He looked deeply at the old man in front of him.

If it weren't for the highly prestigious Bai Zesheng who had said these words, he wouldn't have paid any attention to him at all.

"But... there's a condition."

Bai Zesheng looked at the young man beside him, who was full of smiles, "Mr. Zhu Wang needs to take in a disciple."

...

...

Half an hour later.

Han Dang hung up the communication with his teacher, Zhu Wang.

His expression was complicated.

He looked back at his house, at the two guests who were being treated as "VIPs."

Bai Zesheng sat in the house, closing his eyes to rest. The Second Elder's mood did not seem as calm as it appeared on the surface... Although he was closing his eyes to rest, he was still tapping his knee lightly with his fingers. This should be a manifestation of anxiety.

And the young man beside the Second Elder was truly "serene."

He held a cup of tea in both hands and said with a smile, "Senior Brother Han, what did the teacher say?"

"Teacher will be here soon..."

Han Dang sat down and looked at the young man named "Xu Yan," feeling a slight displeasure in his heart.

He had not yet joined the Tribunal.

But he was already using the title of teacher.

For some reason, he couldn't generate too much appreciation for this junior, even though he already knew... this was a genius with considerable potential and not weak cultivation strength.

But how could there be such a good thing in this world?

Treat his illness and send a genius to his teacher's door?

Han Dang knew very well... there was no such thing as a free lunch, especially not one that would fall from Bai Zesheng's hands. If this young man was truly gifted, why not send him to the Prison House, which the Bai Clan was familiar with?

A moment later.

Zhu Wang arrived here.

Even though he had learned about the general situation from Han Dang in advance, when he actually saw Bai Zesheng and this strange young man, his expression was still somewhat surprised... "Xu Yan" attracted most of his attention.

"Zesheng."

Zhu Wang's address to the Second Elder was very gentle.

As if the two were close friends.

Bai Zesheng smiled slightly, got up to greet him, and recounted the general course of events...

After listening.

Zhu Wang pretended to show a hesitant expression and said slowly, "Xu Yan... wanting to join my sect is not a problem, but..."

He originally thought this was a simple transaction.

The Bai Clan needed his "Grand Arbiter" prestige, and this disciple might be a little dull... In exchange, to cure his proud disciple's old ailment. Now it seemed that this was not the case.

The first time he saw "Xu Yan," Zhu Wang felt a surprise.

This was an extraordinary person with a mental strength of at least "Third Stage"... At this age, reaching the third stage of extraordinary cultivation was simply a miracle. It should be known that the champion of the previous Newcomer Battle was only at the seventh level of the Deep Sea Realm.

When things go wrong, there must be a demon.

He had to figure out what Bai Zesheng was up to.

"Where does Mr. Xu come from?" Zhu Wang asked politely.

Xu Yan did not answer himself, but turned his head slightly and looked at Bai Zesheng.

"He comes from a very remote place, in the tundra... no father, no mother, a lone wolf." Bai Zesheng said with lowered eyebrows, "After awakening, he cultivated alone to this point..."

After hearing this set of words.

Zhu Wang and Han Dang were both silent.

Of course, they wouldn't take it seriously.

No power, cultivating alone, reaching the third stage of the extraordinary realm at the age of twenty?

Only a ghost would believe it!

Even Bai Xiu couldn't do such a thing!

"It doesn't matter to tell the real origin," Zhu Wang smiled softly, "Mr. Xu has some criminal record, which is inconvenient to explain, right? I can use the Grand Arbiter's [Permissions] to modify it. As long as this matter is not recorded in the [Deep Sea] and the circumstances are not particularly serious, it can be operated."

Bai Zesheng shook his head.

"No criminal record, very clean."

He said calmly, "You can check Xu Yan's file in the [Deep Sea] network... Born in the tundra, cultivated alone, his life trajectory is all recorded, every year, every month, every day, there are detailed records."

The smile on Zhu Wang's face slowly disappeared.

He looked at Bai Zesheng meaningfully, and then looked at Xu Yan.

"I don't understand."

Zhu Wang looked at Bai Zesheng calmly, "If there really is such a genius, why would you send him to my door?"

"I didn't send him."

Bai Zesheng took a sip of tea, trying to control the trembling of his fingers.

He said softly, "Want to go and see... the big figure who promised to cure the disease?"

...

...

A group of people went to the most remote courtyard in Snow Forbidden City.

Zhu Wang pushed open the door of the small courtyard.

He smelled the faint aroma of wine floating in the air, realized something, and his expression changed slightly.

And Han Dang, who followed closely behind, noticed... that at the moment of entering the door, all the objects on his body connected to the [Deep Sea] lost their sense, and the signal was completely shielded.

Xu Yan and Bai Zesheng followed in and closed the door.

A group of people came to the wooden house.

They saw the boy in the darkness.

Zhu Wang's expression was difficult to calm down, his breathing became rapid, he turned his head and looked at Bai Zesheng like a madman, at this time... Bai Zesheng's hand trembling when drinking tea earlier, and a series of abnormal subtle reactions, were all explained.

And the latter calmly gave a look of "I can't help it either."

Han Dang narrowed his eyes.

Of course, he noticed his teacher's strangeness.

But he hadn't realized... who was the boy sitting in the darkness?

After all, this "truth" was too crazy.

Even if he had heard of the name "Dionysus," he wouldn't dare to think about it.

The aroma of wine floated in every corner of the wooden house, as if possessing a reassuring magic. Mr. Jin, who was serving Dionysus, retreated silently, like a shadow, merged into the darkness, and disappeared without a trace.

And Han Dang turned his head again.

He found that his "teacher," as well as Bai Zesheng, and that young man Xu Yan, had all disappeared.

He was stunned.

What... was happening?

Soon, he realized that something was wrong. Bai Zesheng and Xu Yan disappeared, that was fine.

But the teacher was a titled powerhouse of the Deep Sea twelfth level!

Han Dang spread out his [True Words] at the first moment, but in the boundless darkness, after [True Words] was unfolded, it was like encountering a giant sea wave, directly swallowed... The most desperate thing was that everything that happened here was silent.

Not even a splash of water was splashed.

Han Dang's pupils contracted.

He looked at the boy. The short distance of ten meters seemed to have become a chasm, and that not tall figure was constantly rising, constantly rising...

He wanted to crawl.

Wanting to bend his knees.

Wanting to kneel.

Wanting to worship.

The boy stretched out his hand, and in the darkness there were two jade-like crystal fingers, like the carvings of a god.

Just like that, pressed against Han Dang's brow.

With a "Dang" sound.

Han Dang fell backward.

At this moment, the mental barrier that had been locked for a year was directly broken, and a strand of black hair was restrained from the center of his eyebrows. That was the hypnotic seed of [Heavenly Eye]. Without any obstacle, it was directly taken out by the boy in front of him.

At the moment of falling to the ground.

[Mental Domain] released!

Han Dang supported himself with both hands, his expression bewildered, looking at the picture that had returned to reality... Bai Zesheng and Xu Yan had always been there, the teacher had not left, the boy in the darkness lowered his head and looked at the strand of hair twirled between his two fingers, as if he had seen an interesting toy.

The hypnotic seed of [Heavenly Eye] was struggling desperately in his palm.

But with the five fingers covered.

The seed was shattered and annihilated.

Over the past year, Han Dang had been looking for his "bell-untier."

He knew that the extraordinary people who had the ability to remove the hypnotic seeds of [Heavenly Eye]... were top-level existences, rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns, in the Five Continents.

If he found one, he would have to spend a lot of effort.

But... now the "untie the bell" was incredibly easy.

The whole process only took a few seconds.

Even after it was over, the one who untied the bell remained unchanged, as if all this was a farce...

Han Dang vaguely guessed the other party's identity.

He looked at the boy in the darkness, his expression gradually turning pale... If it was really that kind of [Existence], personally coming to Nagano, wouldn't that be too crazy?

Han Dang raised his head and looked at the teacher.

He found that the teacher's expression was no better than his own.

"Zhu Wang."

Dionysus's voice was very gentle, with an irresistible mellowness, "Xu Yan is a good disciple, take him in, you won't regret it."