Chapter 1 Recalling the Compass

Gu Shen's mind once again entered an extremely calm and incomparably slow, wondrous state.

When something happens—

What needs to be considered most is often not the cause of it all.

Just like a bomb explosion, it only takes a moment, simple and brief.

Similarly, when the symphony orchestra in the auditorium burst into sound... hypnotizing ninety percent of the high-level figures in the Eastern Continent Federation's capital district, something that seemed impossible had been accomplished by Xiao.

The completion of all this seemed effortless and easy... but the important thing was the word "seemed."

This was the effect the mastermind behind it all wanted to create—

What is the Federation's defense worth?

What about the supervision of high-level officials?

You hold power... but the supernatural power in my hands is a power greater than order.

The two "accidents" of tonight's Freedom Ball had a different answer at this moment... the first deep-sea incident, Xiao borrowed the auditorium's permissions, and the second power outage, he completed the layout of all this.

"Fanatics with a morbid obsession with the old era often resort to extreme measures to solve problems."

Zhou Jiren looked at Gu Shen, half-enlightening, half-questioning, "What do you predict will happen next?"

Gu Shen quickly whispered, "Judging from the Longjiu Foundation's style of doing things, they will never care about the life or death of the target group. Once there is an opportunity to create chaos, it will be indiscriminate slaughter... If Xiao has the ability to kill these 'powerful people,' then the auditorium would already be a river of blood. Obviously, creating this 'Grand Hypnosis' is already the maximization of Xiao's ability."

"Continue."

Zhou Jiren said softly.

"The only meaning of hypnotizing the entire auditorium is to cause paralysis... This auditorium gathers the big figures who control the economic lifeline and adjudicative power of the capital district. When they fall asleep, the high-level officials of the capital are paralyzed." Gu Shen paused slightly, "If Xiao really borrowed the deep-sea permissions, then he knows how heavily guarded the Freedom Auditorium is tonight. Soon, three groups of extraordinary people with outstanding strength will take action..."

"This dream cannot be forcibly awakened, which means... During the time the auditorium is paralyzed, truly effective orders cannot be transmitted outward." Gu Shen said meaningfully, "So... Xiao's target tonight is not these high-ranking people at the Freedom Ball."

…

…

Dust floated in the corridor.

Lights flickered in the night sky.

The Freedom Auditorium echoed with impassioned music.

The music gradually became powerful, then penetrated the glass, shattered the dust, and radiated out to the distance along with the fragmented, flickering lights—

If someone really liked symphonies... then they could hear that this was the famous "Eroica," and the magnificent melody echoed in the neighborhoods adjacent to the Freedom Auditorium with the help of countless amplifiers. Passersby stopped one after another, and they all invariably turned their gazes to the same place.

They looked at the splendid auditorium, illuminated like an ancient palace, and a scene of a grand cavalry rushing involuntarily appeared in their minds. The ancient melody radiated another kind of vitality under the neon lights of the new era, like a lingering dream.

The eyes of these people gradually blurred.

The full moon hung high.

Above the vine-covered tower, a figure draped in an old windbreaker robe squatted. The figure was not tall, and the face was hidden under the black robe, seemingly closing their eyes and listening, silently appreciating the old melody floating and spreading.

In this unprecedented concert.

He was both the chief conductor.

And the only listener.

Just as the music floated and echoed, the mottled and withered walls of the old tower produced an abnormality. Those vines crawling all over the walls gave birth to layers of pale snow and frost from the inside out.

The spread of this snow and frost was extremely fast, and it made extremely strange sounds.

"Swish, swish, swish."

The sound of the frost spreading was like... a snake spitting its tongue.

If viewed from the night, this was actually a frightening sight.

The dilapidated old-fashioned tower, wrapped and entwined by countless snow-white sea snakes, was like a solitary cliff.

And those sea snakes quickly spread and climbed along the cliff—

Just as they were about to reach the end.

The black-robed man, squatting under the big moon above the tower, slowly opened his eyes.

He could have immersed himself in a beautiful dream with those vagrants on the streets, appreciating this ancient and solemn music.

But subtle noises were mixed in with the magnificent drum beats.

Thus, the beautiful dream shattered.

He woke up from his rapt listening, and his eyes angrily and coldly looked at the old man standing with his hands behind his back in the distant open space.

A wisp of blood-colored fire ignited between his eyebrows.

The next moment.

A series of continuous cracking sounds burst out—

The ice was shattered!

Blood-colored flames burst out from the bellies of the sea snakes, and withered white vines fell off the walls, the sound of ice exploding was like the painful screams of snake spirits before death.

He slowly stood up.

Under the moonlight, the black robe fluttered in the wind, rattling, burning with blood-colored fire, like a crimson flag.

His face was also exposed to the moonlight.

To be precise... what was exposed to the moonlight was not a face.

But a smiling V-shaped mask.

"Gu Zhi, received the 'Frost River' title granted by the Federation at the northern fortress ten years ago, and is now following behind Chen San as a bodyguard." A young man's playful voice floated out from under the V-shaped mask, "After cultivating so hard for so many years, you finally completely digested your own supernatural power... Why bother being a lackey for the federal government?"

Gu Zhi's expression did not change. He just raised his head and stared at the mocking V-shaped mask.

The next moment.

The old man stretched out a palm and raised it.

Hundreds of frost and snow sea snakes that had fallen in the air instantly straightened their bodies, and snowflakes splattered, turning into small swords, shooting towards the top of the tower—

Xiao chuckled.

He suddenly tapped the ground with his toes, and then suddenly swept out, instantly detaching himself from the tower and arriving on the dome of the auditorium.

"Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang!"

A series of explosions sounded.

The frost and snow swords relentlessly pursued him, the black-robed figure madly flew like a swallow, the lights behind him quickly shattered all the way, and finally the swords shot into the air, circling around, and Xiao floated back to the tower again.

"What's the matter, didn't you eat?"

"Or are you afraid to use force... afraid of disturbing the sweet dreams of those 'masters' in the auditorium?"

The black-robed man leisurely lifted his robe, calmly and elegantly sat on a corner of the tower's roof, and asked with a smile, "I'm really curious... Under the Federation's indoctrination, have strong people like you also lost their dignity? You clearly hold the power to crush those fools, but you are willing to bend down and be their slaves."

Gu Zhi narrowed his eyes... He was responsible for guarding the outside of this Freedom Ball. When the music came from the auditorium's loudspeakers, he sensed something was wrong.

This was a hypnotic song injected with majestic spirit.

If it were to spread like this, at least a thousand people in the entire Freedom Auditorium district would fall into a dream.

The Falcon Hunt plan had been making a lot of noise in the Eastern Continent Council, and this ball was considered a "please come into the urn" situation.

The other party had indeed come as scheduled—

And what was terrible was that the mental power of this S-class wanted criminal was even stronger and fuller than the deep sea had predicted.

The attack just now was just a test.

After a fight, Gu Zhi was very sure that this was a supernatural powerhouse on the twelfth floor of the deep sea. If it was a one-on-one life-and-death fight, then even if he could win, he would have to pay a very heavy price.

His gaze was very subtly cast towards the auditorium not far away.

Gu Zhi's expression didn't change much, but he was actually a little anxious in his heart. The old guy in charge of the entire plan was in the auditorium, why hasn't he come out yet?

However... since the other party wanted to talk to him.

Then, it might as well continue the conversation.

"Not a slave, just a friend." Gu Zhi said calmly, "How can you understand my relationship with Mr. Chen?"

"Is that so?"

"Let me think about what it says in the files..."

Xiao held his chin in one hand, and said to himself leisurely, "In an outing at the northern fortress, the titled 'Frost River' was seriously injured, and his supernatural origin was severely dissipated, and his strength once fell... Chen San chose to rescue him, and spent a lot of money to slowly restore this titled supernatural, although his strength could not return to its peak, he at least saved his 'title'. So, in order to repay this kindness, Frost River chose to follow."

He said it very slowly, but every word spoke to Gu Zhi's heart.

To ensure that there were no mistakes, Xiao asked with a smile after speaking, "Um... I didn't remember it wrong, did I? Am I right?"

Gu Zhi felt a chill down his back.

The files of titled individuals... are strictly controlled in the deep sea, and only a very small number of people have the ability to retrieve and view them.

How did this guy know?

"You seem very surprised how I know..."

Xiao smiled very satisfied, and murmured with lingering interest, "Sorry, I just have the ability to know these secrets, in fact, the deep sea is not necessarily so reliable. Because it will hide things from the public, and it will also hide things from you... Just like in that outing, your injury was caused by choosing the wrong route. In fact, was this really an accident?"

"I can tell you that the person who planned that outing route was Chen San. He provided a complete plan and map, but excused himself due to a temporary matter and did not participate in that outing." Xiao smiled and said, "Now think about it again... was all of this really an accident?"

"Rumble—"

Xiao wanted to speak again, but a rapid and violent explosion suddenly came from his ear!

来不及转头。


一击势大力沉的鞭腿，以突破音障的速度，狠狠扫在了枭的面具之上。


远方的黑夜上空，一群乌鸦尖叫着展开翅膀，掠过大月。


冷冷的声音在塔楼上方响起。


“要打架就打架……哪有这么多的废话？”

Before he could turn his head.

A powerful whip kick, moving at supersonic speed, slammed into Xiao's mask.

In the dark night sky in the distance, a flock of crows screamed, spread their wings, and flew past the big moon.

A cold voice sounded above the tower.

"If you want to fight, then fight... why is there so much nonsense?"