Wasteland Border Inspector

Chapter 239: Belief Protected, Containment Complete!

All things considered, the transcendent battle of beliefs between Tan Ming and the Myriad Command Earth Dharma Conch had lasted for an entire week.Cheng Ye instinctively turned to look outside Dabo Town, only to find that the oppressive Mental Pollution from the Immortal Object still shrouded the area, showing no signs of dissipating.

'Did Tan Ming actually hear what I said earlier? Did he intentionally leave the pollution behind to remind me to go down and contain the fragments?'

'Or does he have something else to tell me? After all, the two Runes on my hands haven't been activated yet.'

Cheng Ye froze for a couple of seconds before immediately snapping back to reality. He quickly stripped off his standard protective armor and changed into the Obsidian Battle Armor.

Luo Kuke, standing to the side, was still in a daze. He hadn't sensed that invisible fluctuation, but seeing Cheng Ye frantically changing his gear made his heart tighten. "What is it?" he asked urgently. "What happened?"

"Tan Ming... he might have won. I am going down to check on the situation," Cheng Ye replied hastily.

Without bothering to explain further, he tossed out that single sentence, grabbed the Extinction-level Containment Box he had left by the Riverside a few days ago, and leaped into the White Water River. His figure was quickly swallowed by the rushing water.

Luo Kuke's condition was relatively stable. Aside from the irreversible iron transformation of his lower body, his life was not in immediate danger.

However, the Residents of Dabo Town could not afford to wait any longer. Including those who had been heavily sedated and those Cheng Ye had knocked out and tied up, the total number of affected people exceeded four hundred. If this dragged on, he feared even more people would suffer complete mental breakdowns.

Furthermore, the "seven days" Garcia had claimed she could hold out for had dwindled down to merely a day and a half.

Even his own choice, the Earth-Shrinking Giant Louse, despite his constant delays, would demand its Parasitism Cost starting at noon tomorrow.

In the entirety of Dabo Town, only Wang Kang had it relatively easy. Having chosen the lowest-threat D-rank Infection Source, he remained full of energy during the day. However, once night fell, the pollution would warp his cognition and leave him unsteady on his feet, forcing him to lie down just to maintain his condition.

When adding it all up, there was truly no one left in Dabo Town who could be considered "normal." Everyone had paid a heavy Cost for this Containment.

'But as long as the Immortal Object can be contained, these sacrifices... are worth it! They must be worth it!'

Cheng Ye chanted in his mind while channeling his Accelerated Energy, diving toward the riverbed with the agility of a swimming fish.

Over the past few days, he had gone underwater daily to check the situation, witnessing the changes in the Demonic Eye Sponge with his own eyes.

At first, the Purple Glow it emitted illuminated the entire riverbed, covering an area of several kilometers.

Later, as its energy was consumed, the light gradually weakened, shrinking its coverage to just one or two kilometers.

By the time Tan Ming and the Immortal Object officially engaged in their battle of powers, the range of the light continued to dwindle. Now, it could barely maintain a twenty-meter radius around its main body.

The tentacles originally used to absorb energy had long since snapped off, as all its energy was redirected to ensure the Demonic Eye Sponge survived the aftershocks of the battle.

Even its Chamber had shrunk to a fraction of its original size, leaving a space only about three meters wide and five meters long.

Soon, Cheng Ye dove right in front of the Demonic Eye Sponge, preparing to slip through the gap in the Chamber.

To his surprise, the blood-red barrier covering the entrance to the Cavern suddenly emitted a powerful suction force. Before he could react, he was violently yanked inside by the overwhelming pull.

After an indescribable bout of dizziness faded, the scene before his eyes finally became clear.

Cheng Ye was stunned to discover that he had bypassed the Chamber entirely and arrived directly at the blood gate leading to the Cavern space.

He composed himself, stripped off the Passage Padded Garment he was wearing, and stepped through the blood gate.

Hum—

An invisible fluctuation swept past him instantly. It felt as though he had crossed the boundary between life and death, or experienced the turning of all four seasons in a single fleeting moment.

The sensation of cognitive distortion washed over him in waves, making his legs weak and nearly causing him to lose his footing.

Here, time seemed to lose all meaning as his perception of his surroundings rapidly shifted.

One moment, he felt the gentle warmth of a spring breeze; the next, he was enveloped by the scorching heat of summer. Then came the crisp, dry air of autumn, only to plummet into the biting chill of a harsh winter a second later.

His body felt as if it had been split into four parts, simultaneously experiencing four completely different temperatures and physical sensations.

As this bizarre feeling gradually dissipated, Cheng Ye steadied his mind and finally managed to see the scene ahead clearly.

What met his eyes were bare rocks. Looking around, there were deep craters of varying sizes scattered everywhere.

Some of the crater walls were as smooth as mirrors, while others were rough and uneven, taking on a myriad of shapes.

The entire space was filled with a molten red glow. Tan Ming's towering figure floated silently in mid-air, the light radiating from him resembling a setting sun—dazzling yet not blinding.

Cheng Ye instinctively raised a hand to shield his eyes from the intense light. As his gaze naturally drifted toward the Lake, his footsteps came to an abrupt halt, and he stood completely dumbfounded.

The massive Lake, which had previously shimmered with a profound blue luster, was now completely dried up.

Below, the cracked earth was exposed, as if the intense heat radiating from the "great sun" surrounding Tan Ming had completely evaporated all the water.

'And the distance between the Lake and the Light Gate seems to be much shorter than before?'

Cheng Ye stood in a daze for a couple of seconds before suddenly realizing the truth. It wasn't that the Lake had moved closer to the Light Gate; rather, the total area of the Cavern had drastically shrunk during the seven-day magical battle.

Previously, it was at least a five-kilometer distance from here to the lakeside, but now, eyeballing it, it was no more than two kilometers.

'Could it be that without the energy support of the Myriad Command Earth Dharma Conch, the Cavern space couldn't maintain its original scale and slowly collapsed inward?'

The moment this thought popped up, Cheng Ye sprinted forward, quickly arriving at the high ground where he had previously stood.

He instinctively looked toward the spot where the conch had originally floated.

'Nothing?'

'Where are the fragments of the Immortal Object?'

Cheng Ye furrowed his brows. He was just about to continue walking forward to check if the fragments were lodged in the cracked soil of the dried lakebed when a faint fluctuation suddenly rippled behind him.

The fluctuation was unique, almost as if it had formed a hidden connection with the two Runes on the back of his hand, gently causing his perception to vibrate.

It also felt as though it was communicating with the Envoy of Tan Ming he had equipped, verifying some kind of data.

Cheng Ye snapped around, his entire body instantly freezing in place.

Without him noticing, a mysterious blood-red figure had quietly appeared right behind him.

The figure's silhouette was blurred, making it impossible to discern its facial features. The only clear thing was the object it held gently in its hand.

It was exactly the item he had seen in the intelligence space, witnessed hovering above the Cavern's Lake, and worried about for the past several days...

The Myriad Command Earth Dharma Conch!

However, the conch at this moment looked entirely different from before.

The conch that hovered over the Lake had been massive and imposing, exuding an awe-inspiring "divinity." The one in the intelligence space had been shrouded in a veil of mystery, its full appearance obscured.

Yet, the conch right before him had a dull, gray shell. All of its divine aura had faded away, leaving only the faintly shimmering Runes on its carapace as a subtle testament to its extraordinary origins.

Even so, Cheng Ye did not dare to underestimate it in the slightest.

He could clearly sense that his distorted cognition was tightly bound to this conch. Waves of tangible fluctuations, almost solid enough to touch, continuously radiated from the shell, drilling into his mind alongside dense, overlapping whispers.

It sounded like countless tiny voices murmuring in his ears, yet he couldn't distinguish their exact words.

"This..."

"Do not speak. Just listen quietly,"

Incredibly, the blood-red figure spoke.

The voice was rational, laced with a magnetic tone that inexplicably carried an irresistible power.

Cheng Ye's brows furrowed. His previously chaotic thoughts seemed to be drawn by an invisible force, involuntarily calming down at those words. He focused all his attention on listening to the whispers echoing from the depths of the conch.

[The four seasons cycle endlessly, the eternal loop of life and death, flourishing and withering! Only by offering all living beings as Sacrifice can we bear the weight of heaven and earth!]

[Search the world over, return with stronger Sacrifices! Scour the universe, bring more lives to the altar!]

[The Deity personally bestows divine power to help you break free from your mortal coil! The Deity grants you blessings, elevating you to the ultimate pinnacle!]

[The four seasons cycle...]

[...]

Once he focused his Intent, the previously faint whispers became clearer and clearer, gradually forming waves of Sanskrit-like echoes resonating within his mind.

An unexplainable emotion welled up from the bottom of Cheng Ye's heart.

For a fleeting moment, he almost forgot his Original Intention, left only with the urge to find more Sacrifices for the Myriad Command Earth Dharma Conch and claim more rewards.

But this emotion was ultimately too weak. It could not shake his currently resolute state of mind in the slightest.

Cheng Ye shook his head vigorously, deliberately shifting his attention away. The Sanskrit chants in his mind vanished instantly, leaving only the meaningless, continuous whispers buzzing behind his head like annoying mosquitoes.

"They were humanity's first batch of Transcendents. Calling themselves the guides of the 'New World', they wanted to gather everyone's power to birth an ultimate force capable of transforming heaven and earth."

"The outside world calls them many things. Some revere them as gods, others blindly follow them, but the official designation given by the Transcendent Alliance is the 'Four Sacrifices Cult'. They are consistently ranked in the top three on the wanted list. Oh, the Western Hemisphere is more accustomed to calling them the 'Withering and Flourishing Assembly'."

The blood-red figure spoke slowly. As his words faded, clear facial features gradually emerged on his previously blurred visage.

His eyebrows slanted sharply toward his temples, as crisp as if drawn by an ink brush. Beneath them were narrow eyes with slightly upturned corners, concealing a handsome elegance within an imposing, authoritative aura.

His nose bridge was high and straight, transitioning naturally from the brow bone to the tip, with a rounded yet sharp curve that added depth to his face.

His jawline was smooth and clean, extending from the corners of his lips to beneath his ears—free of excess angles, yet exuding a resilient strength.

"Tan... Tan Ming?"

Cheng Ye's heart gave a violent jolt. He instinctively turned his head to look at the towering figure sitting cross-legged in the sky.

The facial contours of Tan Ming were unmistakably identical to the person standing right before him.

"No, I am not him," the figure denied, his tone placid. "It is a pleasure to meet you. You may call me... Tan Rui."

"Tan Rui?" Cheng Ye turned his head back, completely dumbfounded.

'What is going on here?'

'Split personality? Or are they twins?'

Seeing his confusion, Tan Rui softly explained, "Many years ago, when Tan Ming reached a bottleneck on his path forward and could advance no further, he used a special transcendent plant to split off several personalities to help achieve his goals. I am the personality within him responsible for 'intellect'."

He paused for a moment before adding, "I specialize in scientific research and theoretical studies. Not just in the shelter city where you reside, but in many other shelter cities outside, they should still be using the theoretical knowledge I left behind back then. Even the person who communicated with Tan Ming earlier—the method he used to condense his Belief—was something Tan Ming passed down all those years ago."

Tan Rui enunciated his words clearly. Despite having a handsome and intimidating face, a gentle aura oozed from his entire being.

Cheng Ye had never imagined he would be communicating with "Tan Ming" in this manner. Surprised for a moment, he stayed silent for a couple of seconds before asking, "So... does this mean you've come back to life?"

"No, no, no. I wouldn't call it coming back to life. I merely exist in the form of a Thought Body."

Tan Rui gently shook his head, explaining patiently, "Hmm, you can understand it like this: the me you see now is neither a physical entity nor an illusion. I am more like a thread of thought separated from the flesh, a frozen moment of contemplation, or perhaps an unburnable, indestructible Belief."

The three obscure terms came out in rapid succession, instantly knotting Cheng Ye's brows together. He couldn't grasp the meaning of those words right away.

Taking in Cheng Ye's bewilderment, Tan Rui lightly traced a finger through the empty space by his side, his voice dropping a few octaves lower. "In a person's life, there are always things they cannot let go of, people they cannot bear to part with. Those lingering attachments repeatedly echoing in one's heart, the unspoken Obsessions—they inherently carry a trace of physical form. It's just that for most ordinary people, these thoughts are too scattered, like willow catkins drifting in the wind, easily blown away by a single gust. But the thoughts of Transcendents are different. Even in death, they can still be preserved."

"As long as one can find a vessel to house their thoughts, whether or not they possess a true physical form, or whether they remain in human shape, ceases to be important."

'To think that even after a Transcendent dies, their Intent can remain immortal?'

Following Tan Rui's explanation, Cheng Ye was instantly struck with awe. He instinctively asked, "Then did your Belief integrate into Shi Province?"

"That is correct, but it is somewhat incomplete. Even I cannot clearly articulate the specific changes."

Tan Rui nodded slightly, a faint smile gracing his face before he shifted the conversation. "Regarding my condition, the people on the outside might know the exact situation better than I do. But what about you? Do you understand your own situation?"

"Me?" Cheng Ye's expression faltered. The words from moments ago flashed through his mind, and clarity suddenly dawned on him. "Could it be that I inherited your Belief?"

"Human thoughts inherently have no physical form. They rise with the wind and scatter with the wind."

Tan Rui did not answer directly, instead letting out a hearty laugh. "Giant entities bestowed humans with peculiar powers, ensuring that human Belief is no longer an empty void, but something tangible. However, even to this day, we ourselves do not know where the end of this path truly lies. Just like that person outside, who also remains ignorant of where his path of accommodating Transcendent Creatures will lead."

As his laughter gradually faded, his tone turned more solemn. "You do not need to do anything deliberate, nor do you need to pay it excessive mind. Just let nature take its course, as you have before. If you require my power, go and fulfill my Belief; it will bring you tremendous help."

"However, my Belief is ultimately mine. While it assists you, it also comes with various restrictions. Those restrictions represent the hurdle that I—that we—could never overcome."

"But as long as you can overcome it..." Tan Rui said, his gaze falling upon the Withered Mark on the back of Cheng Ye's left hand.

"As long as you can overcome this limitation, it will be the equivalent of completing our unfinished legacy on our behalf."

"Me?" Cheng Ye followed his gaze, looking down at his hand before abruptly snapping his head up, his face full of astonishment. "Is this Withering Rune actually your Belief?"

"Of course. Tan Ming's will has always been singular."

Tan Rui nodded with a smile, then pointed to the green Life Force Rune on the back of Cheng Ye's other hand. "In an era of great struggle, transcendent resources are inexhaustible and infinite. Everyone can achieve transcendence, and everyone can become a dragon among men. That is the Belief carried by the Life Force Rune."

"What about yours?"

"Mine?" Tan Rui paused, a touch of somberness entering his expression as he seemed to weigh his words.

After a moment, he spoke slowly. "The resolve I seek was born to assist Tan Ming's ambition. What I desire is the balance between life and death, flourishing and withering. Only when insects and weeds wither can new life break through the soil. Only then is the cycle of heaven and earth truly complete."

"Life and death, flourishing and withering..." Cheng Ye mused for a moment. "So, extracting the Vitality of plants and turning them into minerals... was that caused by your Belief?"

"No, that is the result of conflicting Beliefs."

Tan Rui immediately shook his head, his tone adopting a stricter edge. "Back then, in order to break through the bottleneck, Tan Ming birthed a total of seven Beliefs within his body. My Belief was born to assist the main body, but the other Beliefs clashed and merged with one another, ultimately resulting in the situation you see today."

As he finished, he seemed to guess Cheng Ye's thoughts and added, "You cannot inherit the Beliefs of the other five. It is not because you are too weak, but because once you accept them, they will violently clash with my Belief and Tan Ming's Belief. Just like the land beneath your feet today."

"But if one day you manage to find a way to resolve these conflicts... they will naturally seek you out."

"Then what about you and Tan Ming?" Hearing the unspoken implication in his words, Cheng Ye was stunned and couldn't help but ask.

"Life and death, flourishing and withering—it is all inherently a cycle. Having effectively died once already, to find someone now to inherit my Belief and carry my path forward is an immense joy. At this moment, I naturally face death with tranquility, fully completing the closed loop of my destined Belief."

Tan Rui shook his head with a smile, not a shred of regret in his tone. "In this world, all things with form—even those as unyielding as gold and stone, or as resplendent as fine jade—will eventually be trapped and eroded by tangible poisons, turning to rot. Only that invisible thread of thought deep within the heart, unbound by external objects and untethered to the decay of the physical shell, can truly enjoy absolute freedom. Unrestrained and free, it witnesses the rise and fall of civilizations, and witnesses the dawn of the era of great struggle."

"With a single thought, I can rise with the clear wind, traversing forests and crossing waters, reaching boundless ends."

"With a single thought, I can also scatter with the gale, melting into heaven and earth without leaving a trace."

"Now that you carry on my unfinished will, my thought has found its resting place, and my soul can be considered eternal. You need not feel sorrowful for what is before your eyes. Just keep looking forward. For me, this moment of dissipation is nothing more than a slightly longer slumber."

As soon as his voice trailed off, his physical form suddenly began to tremble slightly. The previously sharp and vivid features blurred and smudged at a visible rate, and his blood-red body gradually grew fainter.

"Comrade," his voice remained clear, yet it was wrapped in a faint, ethereal quality, like an echo sweeping through an empty valley. "Even now, I haven't had the chance to ask your name."

"Cheng Ye."

"Cheng Ye..." The blood-red figure, now devoid of a clear face, nodded slightly, as if earnestly carving this name into his remaining Intent.

He raised a hand and tapped lightly. To Cheng Ye's surprise, the Extinction-level Containment Box popped open on its own.

The Myriad Command Earth Dharma Conch, which had brought endless trouble, slowly levitated into the air. Wrapped in a faint layer of blood-red energy, it landed securely inside the Containment Box.

Click. The box sealed itself shut.

The eerie fluctuation that had been continuously influencing the surroundings vanished instantly. Along with it went the incessant, buzzing whispers in Cheng Ye's ears, fading away into total silence.

Tan Rui gave what seemed to be a satisfied nod. Then, his form shuddered violently, breaking apart into countless tiny, blood-red specks of light that slowly scattered into the Cavern's air, disappearing completely without a trace.

At almost the exact same moment, the towering figure of Tan Ming, seated cross-legged in the sky, slowly opened his eyes.

He did not look down at Cheng Ye, yet his gaze seemed to pierce straight through the Cavern's rock ceiling, sweeping over the entirety of Shi Province. His deep voice, carrying an inexplicable penetrative force, echoed throughout the space:

"It is my wish that in this era of great struggle, every person shall rise like a dragon."

"It is my wish that flora shall flourish, returning the land to lush green mountains and clear blue waters."

"It is my wish that all living things face the cycle of flourishing and withering according to their destined fates."

"It is my wish that though my body is gone, my thought shall live on forever!"

Waves of indescribably terrifying fluctuations erupted from his body, causing Cheng Ye's pupils to constrict.

This fluctuation actually carried a trace of the aura from the Myriad Command Earth Dharma Conch!

Before he could even recover from this shock, an even more unexpected scene unfolded.

As Tan Ming's voice fell, illusions suddenly surfaced before his eyes. His vision seemed to be pulled by an invisible force, drifting out of the Cavern and rising straight up into the sky over Shi Province to an unknown altitude.

Cheng Ye gazed down, only to see that the territorial plates of the neighboring provinces all had varying amounts of floating green specks of light.

Especially in the direction of Guang Province, where it bordered Shi Province, the green specks were incredibly dense, merging into an unbroken sheet right past the province lines.

However, within Shi Province itself, there was only a deathly, dim ash-gray. A heavy, sickly yellow haze shrouded all the lands, making it difficult to find even a single spark of life's light.

'Is this the Petrification Curse of Shi Province?' Cheng Ye thought, his heart stirring.

He had never looked down upon an entire tectonic plate so intuitively before. He felt a sense of novelty, yet also an overwhelming heaviness.

But the changes were clearly not over. After the massive energy gathering around Tan Ming ascended into the sky, it did not scatter. Instead, it suddenly plummeted wildly in a single direction.

'Is that... Happiness City?'

'Or Dabo Town?'

At this current zoomed-out scale of vision, Cheng Ye could only vaguely make out that the surroundings of Happiness City were completely enveloped by Tan Ming's energy.

Under the influence of that Belief, the creeping, withered yellow beneath the earth was being dispelled bit by bit, reverting to a blank slate.

Immediately after, a vibrant splash of greenery steamed up from underground. Using Dabo Town as the center, it began to spread rapidly in all directions.

Fifty kilometers.

A hundred kilometers...

A hundred and fifty kilometers!

The sprawling green continued to expand, quickly swallowing up the entire vicinity around Chuanshi. It showed no signs of stopping until it had stretched to two hundred kilometers, only then slowly reigning itself in.

At the same time, a gargantuan green "bowl" descended from the sky, completely sealing this two-hundred-kilometer radius inside.

'No way, is Tan Ming actually terraforming the land around Happiness City?'

'No, that's not it.'

Cheng Ye's heart lurched. Upon closer inspection, he realized that Tan Ming was more likely dispelling the manifested Belief of his other personality, using his own Belief to utterly blanket the region surrounding Happiness City!

While Cheng Ye was momentarily distracted, a timer miraculously began to materialize on the giant bowl:

[365 Days]

'Can it only last for a single year?'

The second he read the timer, his vision swayed violently, and all illusions instantly vanished.

He was back inside the Cavern. The crimson light that had previously illuminated the entire space was abruptly weakened by ninety-nine percent, while Tan Ming's towering, multi-story-tall figure suspended in mid-air had shrunken down to roughly his own size.

Their gazes locked. Tan Ming's face displayed no superfluous expressions; he simply let out a faint sigh.

However, that complex gaze made Cheng Ye's heart sink, giving him the distinct feeling of being completely seen through.

'Did Tan Ming realize that I am not truly inheriting his Belief, but rather using a trick to gain his approval?'

'Or is it that he doubts my ability to shoulder two Beliefs and finish his incomplete legacy?'

In the next second, however, Tan Ming's body shattered completely, transforming into countless specks of light that were a mixture of red and green.

The two colors of light quickly segregated, condensing into two distinct beams.

Intertwining as they slowly spiraled down from the sky, the two beams only fully separated when they reached Cheng Ye.

The red beam violently crashed into the Withering Rune on the back of his left hand, while the green beam melted effortlessly into the Life Force Rune on the back of his right hand.

In an instant, the two Runes erupted with blinding light, before gradually stabilizing and dimming down.

'Is Tan Ming dead?'

'After reviving and battling the Immortal Object, how could he face yet another death so calmly and openly?'

The Cavern slowly plunged into darkness. All the crimson light disappeared completely, leaving the world in a dead, silent black. The only remaining illumination came from the two Runes on the back of Cheng Ye's hands, still faintly flickering like two seeds that refused to be extinguished.

He stood rooted to the spot, a nearly speech-stealing shock churning in his chest. For a long time, he could not gather his senses.

'What exactly can be considered a true Belief?'

Unusually, the words Tang Si had once spoken surfaced in his mind—the advice warning him that if he couldn't accomplish his goal, he should quickly swap Beliefs, otherwise he would never become a Transcendent.

'But Tan Ming's Belief...'

'The world he used his very life to protect and strive toward... will it truly see the day it is realized?'

After standing in a daze for a while, an unprecedented sense of grounding and reverence welled up from the bottom of Cheng Ye's heart.

Although human history had been severed and covered by layers of obscurity, it seemed the Transcendents of the previous era were not all hazardous plagues. Among them were also those who had silently enacted change for the survival and evolution of human civilization.

'Then, aside from Tan Ming, could there be other Transcendents like him in other tectonic plates and regions?'

'Enduring in the form of pure Intent, silently "protecting" the lands beneath their feet?'

"Four Sacrifices Cult..."

Cheng Ye murmured softly, temporarily burying these complex thoughts deep in his mind. He lifted the Containment Box, turned around, and began walking toward the Light Gate entrance.

The Immortal Object was safely contained, and Tan Ming had dissipated.

As an Inspector, his assigned mission was perfectly completed. All that was left was to return to Happiness City and report his success.

Yet, after coming into contact with more of the world's deep secrets, an indescribable emotion quietly spread through his heart.

Passing through the Light Gate, Cheng Ye slipped into the Passage Padded Garment and followed the tunnel back to the Demonic Eye Sponge's Chamber.

Only this time on the return trip, the shrinking and enlarging capability was gone. Even the transfer process through the tunnel was no longer concealed, becoming vividly visible.

As it turned out, it was just a few pieces of sponge supporting his feet, moving him through the passage while an invisible Energy Barrier wrapped around his exterior.

But for some reason, Cheng Ye felt that with just a slight exertion of force, he could easily shatter this barrier.

'Could it be... that all of the Demonic Eye Sponge's Runes have vanished?'

Upon returning to the Chamber, Cheng Ye looked around and quickly confirmed his suspicion.

He hadn't expected the battle between Tan Ming and the Immortal Object to completely obliterate the Demonic Eye Sponge's core foundation.

Previously, it had only been missing its primary large blue Rune. Now, even its two minor Runes had vanished entirely.

Without the energy-supplying tentacles, the internal Crab-men had long since died. The Infection Sources it had once commanded were all fully contained. All that was left now was a barren hollow space for entry and exit.

'Can a Demonic Eye Sponge in this state even be considered a Ruin-level Infection Source anymore?'

Cheng Ye was somewhat stunned. After squeezing out of the Chamber, he glanced back one last time, ultimately choosing not to strike while it was down.

He had already collected all of the Demonic Eye Sponge's Traits, and every single Trait Value was at 200%. As for where its core was hidden and how it should be officially contained down the line, that was a matter for other Inspectors to handle.

He figured the Inspection Station wouldn't embezzle his merits and attribute this Ruin-level achievement to someone else anyway.

He turned and swam toward the surface. Just as he passed the twenty-five-meter mark underwater, several beams of light pierced down from above.

'Outsiders can already enter?'

'Now that the Immortal Object is contained, the Mental Pollution has dissipated. It is finally no longer blocking the Logistics Team on the outside from entering Dabo Town for rescue operations!'

A wave of joy hit Cheng Ye. He quickly accelerated upward. Along the way, he could sense that the specks of light and beams were multiplying rapidly, a clear sign that Happiness City's reinforcement forces had arrived.

Splash!

The water's surface violently broke as Cheng Ye's head shot out. He didn't immediately utilize his Accelerated Energy to go ashore.

He instinctively looked toward the source of the lights and spots, and was instantly paralyzed by the sight.

The sky above Dabo Town was filled with helicopters—dozens of them. Some were slowly circling in the air, while others hovered in place. The searchlights mounted beneath them all flared to life in unison, illuminating the entirety of Dabo Town so brightly that it was like broad daylight, leaving not a single shadow to hide in.

Along the banks of the White Water River stood several densely packed rows of people. Even the shore by the diversion point behind him was overflowing with a massive crowd.

These individuals blanketed the area like an overwhelming tide, all clad in blood-red armor he had never seen before. Gripping weapons in their hands, the spots of light on their chests blinked in a rhythmic, breathing pattern, radiating an aura of absolute solemnity.

He then looked toward the landing point on the dock.

Standing right upon the Bluestone Slab he had previously crushed—the very spot where he and Luo Kuke had lingered the most these past few days—was a massive group of people.

Among the crowd were the figures who had waited outside Dabo Town that night: Ding Yishan, Halin, Bai Wei, and Shi Xu...

There were also several unfamiliar figures.

'Huh, isn't that Vice City Lord Yuan Gang?'

Cheng Ye's memory instantly matched the face. Only, the current Yuan Gang lacked the genial demeanor he had shown during the celebration assembly. Instead, he exuded an indescribable, imposing might, his expression so solemn that no one would dare to guess what he was thinking.

Standing to Yuan Gang's left was a slightly younger woman with a serene face. She bore an intellectual and graceful aura, her eyes holding a gentle, amiable warmth.

On his right was a tall, stalwart figure. As Cheng Ye took a closer look, his heart skipped a beat... it was actually the previous Station Master of the Inspection Station, who was now in charge of the industrial zone, Regan Carl!

He hadn't expected that while Liu Kun was absent, the other search subject he had been eagerly anticipating would finally show up.

His gaze moved forward and landed on Luo Kuke, who was sitting in a wheelchair, smiling at him with eyes full of utter relief and gratification.

Beside him was Garcia. Her head and face were wrapped in dark green vines, and her two arms had completely transformed into a tangle of vines, making her look quite terrifying.

Yet, upon seeing him, she still managed to squeeze out a trace of approval in her expression.

Further to the side, Wang Kang was also seated in a wheelchair.

Although his complexion was ruddy, he put on an act of being half-dead. Still, the vibrant energy in his eyes could not be concealed no matter how hard he tried, twinkling rapidly as he signaled him.

Following Wang Kang's gaze, Cheng Ye turned his head and noticed a few cameramen standing on the bank. They were hoisting their cameras high, the lenses split between the crowd on the shore and firmly locking onto him as he emerged from the water.

"All Blood Dragon soldiers, hear my command! Salute... Inspector Cheng!"

A loud, resonant shout suddenly rang out from the crowd. Before the voice had even faded, every single soldier wearing the blood-red armor on the shore turned in unison, their identical gazes landing firmly on Cheng Ye in the water.

None of them put down their weapons. Instead, holding their guns with both hands, they raised their weapons to their chests in a crisp, perfectly synchronized motion.

Countless pairs of eyes fell upon him simultaneously. The feeling was like undergoing a solemn military review, or perhaps receiving a silent, invisible, and utterly unique coronation.

Cheng Ye exhaled softly and swiftly propelled his body toward the shore.

For a moment, his mind went entirely blank. He couldn't even formulate what his first sentence upon landing should be to ensure that future generations reviewing the footage would behold the calm, heroic bearing of Inspector Cheng successfully containing the Immortal Object.

But the instant his feet completely left the waters of the White Water River and stepped firmly onto the dock's Bluestone Slab, a sudden sense of enlightenment surged into his mind.

He stood up straight, his gaze sweeping across the massive crowd before him, his voice crystal clear and unshakably firm:

"Happiness City, Trainee Inspector, Cheng Ye."

"Containment complete!"