Chapter 515: Finally, I Found You

He looked at another light screen projected by the metal sphere, watching as it hacked into the Earth Star network, rapidly cross-referencing fragments of intel gathered by that person today.

“So, your name is Celestial Hunter…”

Two days later.

The sun rose high, casting golden sunlight across the land. Residents of Mountain City, who had been huddling inside their homes, gradually woke up and looked out their windows.

The collapsed buildings were either cordoned off by warning tape or completely razed, turned into empty ruins waiting to be rebuilt. Construction crews reappeared on the potholed stone roads, leveling the ground in preparation for pouring concrete and repairing the streets. The wreckage of armored vehicles at the city gates was gone. The Alliance Country soldiers had worked with high efficiency, clearing the battlefield in just two short days. Fortress Mountain City seemed to have regained its former peace, with no further threats in sight.

Even so, the mechanical sounds of moving armored vehicles rang out from time to time.

CLANK CLANK CLANK.

Another armored army from the inner city rings slowly rolled in. The Alliance Country forces still intended to mass their military might here. Even the prior appearance of the Clare People hadn’t deterred them from this plan.

For a time, Mountain City was rather quiet under the autumn sun as squad after squad of soldiers marched through the city walls alongside the armored convoys. Yue Zhenhong and other Superpower Team leaders also made their appearances. Some were in the command center discussing the upcoming northern crusade, while others were out in the streets directing the troops’ encampment.

At the same time, in the Cultivation Chamber of a central building in Mountain City.

Sitting cross-legged in the center of the floor, Lu Chao slowly exhaled a breath of stale air, continuously regulating his breathing.

Over the past two days, thanks to the effects of the Powerful Physical Recovery Potion and the healing boost from his Resilient Body, the negative repercussions of fully unleashing his talent were nearly gone.

The arrival of the inner city ring army not only bolstered Mountain City’s military strength but also brought fresh supplies. Naturally, a portion of his 200,000 contribution points had been exchanged for nutritional resources. He was just waiting for his body to return to its peak condition so he could resume his training. Then, he would attempt to push his Life Energy past the 239-point limit, using his newfound enlightenment in the Qi explosion technique to break through his biological ceiling and Martial Arts bottlenecks.

KNOCK KNOCK.

Just then, a knocking sound came from the door.

“Sir, it’s me, Ji Lanhua,” her respectful voice called from outside. “Ms. Penelope and her companion wish to pay you a visit. They are waiting downstairs. Should I…”

“Let them come up,” Lu Chao said softly. He ended his breathing exercises and stood up. He wasn’t surprised; his Life Sensing had already picked up on Penelope and the others approaching.

“Yes, sir,” Ji Lanhua replied before backing away, deliberately softening her footsteps.

Ghost Element, who was lying by the window, stretched lazily, its beastly eyes casually glancing toward the door.

A short while later, the door opened. Ji Lanhua had returned, followed closely by Penelope and Raccoon Cat.

“Inspector Chen,” Penelope greeted respectfully. She was wearing a long gray coat, and her complexion looked much better than the last time they met. “We will never forget your life-saving grace. Thank you for stepping in to save Raccoon Cat and me,” she offered her gratitude unprompted, her tone filled with appreciation.

Raccoon Cat, who was being supported by her side, wore a black overcoat. Though his face was a bit pale and his aura seemed somewhat weak, he was no longer in a critically injured state.

“I will always remember your life-saving grace, Inspector Chen,” Raccoon Cat said, cupping his fists. “If you ever have use of me in the future, I will repay this favor tenfold.” As he spoke, he unconsciously cast a peripheral glance at the black cat by the window.

A Beast King at the Transcendence Level! Even the top ten assassins on the Dark Web couldn’t compare to such a creature. At this thought, awe filled his eyes, and he tactfully looked away.

“Heh.” Lu Chao chuckled and waved his hand gently, not taking it to heart. Saving them had been no trouble at all. Besides, without the clues Penelope provided, it would have been difficult for him to finalize all his plans ahead of time. “How are your injuries healing?” he asked, gesturing for them to take a seat.

“Nothing serious remains, though Raccoon Cat will need a few more days to fully recover,” Penelope answered truthfully as she helped him sit down.

The three chatted for a bit, during which Lu Chao noticed the duo hesitating, as if they wanted to say something but were holding back. Guessing their intent, Lu Chao offered a half-smile. “You didn’t come looking for me just to say thank you, did you?”

Penelope and Raccoon Cat exchanged a glance, a flicker of awkwardness crossing their faces. Then, Penelope took a deep breath, nodded, and asked earnestly, “You are very perceptive, Inspector Chen. Coming here today… I actually wanted to ask you about someone.”

“Celestial Hunter, right?” Lu Chao’s expression remained unchanged as he picked up the tea on the table and took a sip.

This rhetorical question made Penelope pause in surprise. Before she could ask further, Lu Chao shook his head. “He has already left.” He said this deliberately, fully aware that she hadn’t given up and still wanted to dig up information about the old era.

At his words, the expectant light in Penelope’s eyes dimmed, her disappointment impossible to hide. Raccoon Cat let out a sigh and fell silent as well.

Taking in their reactions, Lu Chao shook his head helplessly. He then stood up, walked over to his desk, and pulled open a drawer. From inside, he took out a hardcover diary with severely frayed edges and a yellowed cover.

“Here, take it,” he said, handing it to Penelope. Meeting their confused gazes, he explained, “This was confiscated from Xiao Chen. It seems to be his personal diary. Though its contents are limited, it might hold some of the clues you’re looking for.”

He had already flipped through the diary. It contained occasional entries left by Xiao Chen, specifically detailing some of his early experiences during the old era.

Penelope was momentarily stunned. Recovering her wits, she hurriedly took it. “Thank you so much, Inspector Chen,” she said, bowing in gratitude, her emotions running a little high.

Shortly after, they exchanged a few more pleasantries before he watched her leave with Raccoon Cat.

“I wonder if she’ll be disappointed,” Lu Chao thought to himself, shaking his head with a sigh. Her persistence in seeking the truth behind the destruction of her homeland was truly admirable. That was exactly why he had been willing to show her such kindness.

But alas.

“Meow~~”

Ghost Element let out a soft cry. A trace of cruelty and savagery flashed across its slitted red beast eyes, as if some unpleasant memory had just been triggered. It took several breaths for it to calm down.

Seeing this, Lu Chao walked over and rubbed its fur. He completely understood why it had suddenly lashed out. Ghost Element possessed a certain level of intelligence, so it could naturally understand the contents of that diary.

According to Xiao Chen’s early records, Moray Country once housed a biological experimentation base. They had used quite a few Mutant Beasts as test subjects in an attempt to develop some sort of biochemical weapon. Later on, right before their destruction in the war, a severe biochemical crisis had broken out at the base, resulting in the leakage of numerous viruses. It wasn’t just the Mutant Beasts—some humans had been infected as well.

He guessed that the downfall of Moray Country might have had something to do with this.

CLICK.

The door closed. Lu Chao suppressed his stray thoughts and gathered his focus. Whatever secrets others were chasing, it had little to do with him. All he needed to do was break through to the Transcendence Level as quickly as possible. With this in mind, Lu Chao prepared to continue his breathing exercises and begin his cultivation, planning to go into seclusion for several days.

SWOOSH!!

Just then, a sudden breeze swept past him. An inexplicable chill rose in his heart. He turned around to look.

“Meow?”

At some point, another figure had appeared inside the room. Ghost Element, looking like a black cat, had been caught entirely off guard. The powerful Transcendence Level Beast King was currently being held in someone’s arms!

Focusing his gaze, he saw it was a woman. She had gray, shoulder-length hair and wore a black suit jacket. Their eyes met. She looked him up and down, staring intently at him. In an instant, Lu Chao’s pupils constricted.

Before he could recover from his shock, the woman gave a half-smile and suddenly spoke. “I’ve finally found you.”