Chapter 266 265: Xiaofu's Need

"Captain Hex, you're too modest. You took out those examinees using just the 5th Layer of your power, and they only had time for one warning and a single scream. That's already incredible. If you'd used your full power, they probably wouldn't have even known they died," Xiaofu said, smiling.

"Haha, alright. Let's not get hung up on that. Down to business. What's the current situation?" Hex Anmin didn't indulge in Xiaofu's flattery, his expression turning serious.

Seeing Hex Anmin's expression, Xiaofu's smile vanished. He reported seriously, "According to the latest intelligence I've received, our men have already killed a good number of examinees from the Three Major Zones. That, combined with the infighting among the examinees today, has made the bloody aura in the Little Extreme Sacred Land much denser. From my observations, the bloody aura in the Little Extreme Sacred Land is about a quarter of the way there. It shouldn't take the full seven days to meet the conditions for opening the Altar. When that happens, the Altar containing the Saint Spirit Blood will appear, and we can finally acquire it."

"Good. Tell them to keep up the pace. The sooner we open the Altar and get the Saint Spirit Blood, the sooner we can complete our primary objective."

Hex Anmin nodded at Xiaofu's report. "Also," he added, "I had you send men to investigate the phenomenon from earlier today. What's the status on that?"

"Reporting, Captain Hex. The team sent to investigate the phenomenon reported back. When they arrived on site, they found a world of ice and snow. The temperature was unnaturally cold. Other than the corpses of several dozen Frozen examinees, there wasn't a single living person, or even a living creature. They couldn't determine the cause of the phenomenon at all. However..." Xiaofu trailed off, pausing for a moment as if in thought.

"However what?" Hex Anmin pressed.

"However, at the center of the Frozen zone, they found several traces of man-made fires. The temperature there was higher than the surrounding area, almost back to normal. It seems someone was using flames for Resistance against the intense cold. I speculate..." Xiaofu glanced at Hex Anmin, hesitating.

"If you have something to say, just say it. Don't hem and haw," Hex Anmin said, displeased.

"Yes, sir!"

Xiaofu nodded and immediately continued, "I speculate that the phenomenon from earlier is deeply connected to the person who was using fire for Resistance in the center of the Frozen zone. But I'm not entirely certain. After all, who could possess such an immense Ability? To be able to change the very face of the Little Extreme Sacred Land, creating such a massive Frozen area and instantly freezing dozens of examinees to death... that level of power is simply beyond any examinee. Even Martial Artists like us couldn't do it. No, I should say even a Battle Emperor Powerhouse couldn't achieve such a feat!"

"Initially, I thought the phenomenon must have been caused by some powerful Demon Beast. After all, the Little Extreme Sacred Land is rumored to have Level 6 Demon Beasts. A Demon Beast with some kind of Frozen Talent should be capable of producing such an effect. However, if it were a Level 6 Demon Beast, there wouldn't be traces of man-made fires in the center of the Frozen zone. If a Level 6 Demon Beast caused such a massive disturbance, how could it possibly allow humans to survive right under its nose? The two scenarios are completely at odds with each other. I'm at a loss as to what really happened."

After hearing Xiaofu's analysis, Hex Anmin thought for a moment. "Xiaofu, do you think... could this be the work of that examinee who took second place on the West Mansion's leaderboard? I don't know why, but I have a gut feeling he's connected to this."

"Impossible," Xiaofu denied. "If even we—or even a Battle Emperor—can't do it, how could an examinee possibly manage? Even if he's strong, he'd be on our level at best. He couldn't possibly have such a great Ability. If he really did, we might as well give up on our mission now."

"That's true. If he really were that capable, our mission would be in jeopardy," Hex Anmin agreed with a nod. He felt he was overthinking things. 'How could a mere examinee possess Techniques more powerful than a Battle Emperor?'

'If that second-ranked examinee really had such Techniques, why would he even bother entering West Mansion? With that kind of power, he could go anywhere in the world. Why come to West Mansion just to be an examinee?'

'So it's completely impossible.'

"Let's put this aside for now. It might have just been a randomly triggered phenomenon. There's no use in making wild guesses. We're better off focusing our energy on the 'Saint Spirit Blood.' As long as we complete this mission, we're guaranteed a handsome reward when we get back."

As Hex Anmin mentioned the reward, his eyes lit up, and a fire of anticipation burned within him.

'This mission is so important. If we can pull it off, the organization certainly won't be stingy. They'll give us a massive reward.'

"Captain Hex is absolutely right. We really don't need to waste our energy on something like this. If we push a little harder at night, we should be able to open the Altar in just a few more days," Xiaofu said, nodding in agreement.

"Alright. Go on, continue your reconnaissance. Keep me informed of any news," Hex Anmin instructed.

"Yes, sir."

Xiaofu acknowledged the order. He had just turned and taken a few steps when he seemed to remember something. He turned back and walked over to Hex Anmin again.

"What is it?" Hex Anmin asked, confused.

"There's one more thing... I'm not sure if I should bring it up..." Xiaofu said, hesitating.

"I already told you, if you have something to say, just say it. Don't hem and haw," Hex Anmin repeated.

"It's about this... while I was on patrol, I noticed that when Shao Yushan and Jiao Zhiming were hunting down the female examinees from West Mansion, they didn't kill them right away. Instead, they..." Xiaofu trailed off hesitantly.

Hearing this, Hex Anmin froze for a second before understanding dawned. He cursed, "Those damn brats! Slacking on the mission to indulge themselves? Go tell them that I..."

He stopped mid-sentence, then changed his tune. "Ah, forget it. Working day and night on the mission is exhausting. It's only natural they'd want to blow off some steam. Let them have their fun, as long as they don't cause any real trouble or delay the mission timeline too much."

"So, does that mean I could also..." Xiaofu glanced at Hex Anmin sheepishly. He seemed to want to say more but didn't dare speak plainly.

"Hm?" Hex Anmin grunted, taken aback.

Xiaofu looked embarrassed.

"Go on, go on." Hex Anmin glanced at Xiaofu, shook his head, and waved his hand in resignation.

"Yes! Thank you, Captain Hex!"

After expressing his thanks, Xiaofu chuckled. "Shao Yushan mentioned earlier that he spotted a few exceptionally beautiful female examinees from West Mansion. They're tracking them down now. I'll go see if they've caught anyone yet."

With that, Xiaofu's figure flickered and he was gone.

"You brat! Just remember not to delay the main mission!" Hex Anmin called out with a wry laugh at Xiaofu's retreating back.

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