Chapter 2683: Returning to Gaia’s Heaven

Fifteen minutes later, Yuan and the others returned to the gathering point, prepared to leave the Union.

After a quick headcount to ensure everyone was accounted for, they boarded the flying treasure and departed from the Union. Naturally, Major Gu was still nowhere to be seen.

Once they were a few hours away from the Union, Supreme General Tian called Yuan into his office.

"I only have one question for you. Is it really true that you were born with the Perfected Heavenly Refinement physique?" Supreme General Tian asked as soon as Yuan closed the door.

"If you’re asking whether it’s possible for someone else to possess the Perfected Heavenly Refinement Physique... I don’t think so." Yuan shook his head.

"So you weren’t born with it?" Supreme General Tian frowned. "I don’t care if everything you say after this is a lie. For this one question, just tell me the truth."

Yuan remained silent for a moment before responding in a serious voice, "No, I wasn’t. To achieve the Perfected Heavenly Refinement, one must temper their body to the absolute limit—no, even beyond that. And quite frankly, I don’t believe the process can be replicated in this world."

Supreme General Tian fell silent with a pondering expression on his face.

He mumbled out loud a few moments later, "In other words, you really are the only person in this world who has a chance to defeat the Void Hunter..."

"Is it really necessary to defeat it? The Void Hunter only appears outside the city walls, and it doesn’t even make an appearance unless there are ten or more people in close proximity." Yuan then asked.

Supreme General Tian gazed into his eyes and responded solemnly, "It may not pose an immediate threat, but we can’t say for certain that things will remain that way forever. And even if they do, it would still be in our best interest to eliminate the Void Hunter. Its existence is the main reason we’re unable to expand our territory and are forced to remain confined within the cities, living almost like prisoners."

"Things may be manageable for now, but as our population continues to grow, so will our demand for resources, and that will inevitably require us to expand into more land."

Supreme General Tian fell silent again, but his gaze remained fixated on Yuan.

Eventually, he spoke again, asking Yuan in a somewhat nervous voice, "Do you have any intention of defeating—fighting the Void Hunter again? Honestly, I wouldn’t blame you for not wanting to fight that monster."

"That will depend on how the others choose to act," Yuan answered truthfully.

"What if I told you that even if the other cities were to destroy Gaia’s Heaven, I would still want you to defeat the Void Hunter?"

Yuan shrugged. "Sorry to disappoint you, but I’m a rather petty and selfish person, and I’m certainly no hero. But as long as they don’t try to force things down my throat, I’ll deal with the Void Hunter."

"Very well... And while you’re still being truthful, why don’t you tell me the truth behind Major Gu’s disappearance?"

Supreme General Tian expected to hear something different, but alas, Yuan remained adamant that he had nothing to do with Major Gu’s disappearance.

"I really have nothing to do with Major Gu’s disappearance."

"...If you insist."

Supreme General Tian sent Yuan out shortly after, before summoning Ironwoman next.

"Don’t think I’ve forgotten about you," Supreme General Tian said. "Tell me why you were mentioned in the footage."

Ironwoman let out a quiet sigh before revealing the truth. ℯⅇ𝙡.

"It happened during Sergeant Yuan’s incident with the Scorpion Squad. I actually found him in the Black Zone before the Scorpion Squad returned to the city. However, he asked me to keep our encounter a secret. After spending some time with him, I returned to the city and pretended we had never met."

"You know I could still get you into serious trouble for that, right?" Supreme General Tian said with a slight frown.

"If you truly intend to punish me for what I did, I won’t complain. I was fully aware of the consequences when I made that decision."

"..."

After a moment of silence, Supreme General Tian spoke. "Fortunately for you, I already have enough on my plate, so I’ll overlook it for now. However, there’s still a chance that Colonel Gu will report everything that happened at the assembly to General Gu despite my warning. If General Gu decides to pursue this matter, I won’t be able to protect you."

Ironwoman smiled behind her mask and said, "General Gu will be too busy with someone else to come after me."

Time passed, and once everyone returned to their respective cities, news of Yuan’s existence spread like wildfire. In no time, his name became one of the most recognizable in the world. Not only was he the first known person to possess the Perfected Heavenly Refinement physique, but he was also revealed to be the one who had fought the Void Hunter for weeks not long ago.

"Breaking news! Breaking news! The first person to possess the Perfected Heavenly Refinement physique has appeared, and he might also be the only person in this world who could defeat the Void Hunter!"

However, not every city was spreading Yuan’s name like gospel. In fact, Gaia’s Heaven—and Gaia’s Heaven alone—remained largely unchanged, as Yuan’s identity was not publicized throughout the city and continued to be kept secret for the time being.

Once they returned to the city, Supreme General Tian immediately summoned General Gu and General Mei to his office and revealed the situation.

"T-The Perfected Heavenly Refinement...?" General Gu wore a baffled expression on his face after hearing the news, his complexion turning as pale as a ghost’s.

Meanwhile, General Mei was left speechless for other reasons.

’Not only has his physique been revealed to the entire world, but the fact that he can fight the Void Hunter has spread as well! This is the worst possible outcome!’ she cried inwardly, dread creeping into her heart as she thought about what the future might bring.