Douluo, my clone Groudon

Chapter 447 Lieutenant, Suspicion

After the meal, Long Yuxue led Tang Wulin and Bai Yuan to a dormitory area located in the heart of the mountain.

On both sides of the passage were carved stone chambers, the interiors of which were simple to the point of being rudimentary, with only basic beds and tables and chairs, but the temperature was constant and comfortable, obviously with a soul-guided temperature regulation system in operation.

"This is your temporary dormitory. The Blood God Legion headquarters is built inside the mountain. For thousands of years, only the mountain rocks have been able to eternally resist the harsh cold and snow from the outside world, making it the safest place. You only need to update the soul guidance facilities inside regularly. If there is any damage, someone will come to repair it. However, if it is caused by human error, you will generally be charged military merits based on the cause of the damage."

Long Yuxue gave a brief explanation, then turned and left, leaving the two of them to settle in on their own.

In a serious-looking conference room filled with various soul-guided screens, several high-ranking officers of the Blood God Legion were gathered together, repeatedly watching the assessment videos of Bai Yuan and Tang Wulin.

In the scene, Tang Wulin's dazzling golden blood energy, his strange blood energy ring, and his performance of fiercely confronting Ba'an and quickly resolving the battle drew frequent nods from the officers.

"At such a young age, a level 66 Soul Emperor, possessing a two-word battle armor, and having such unique and powerful blood energy... he has enormous potential and is truly capable of great use." A colonel said in a deep voice.

"Born into the Tang Clan, he seems to be a survivor of the Shrek Incident, and is very proficient in Tang Clan's unique skills."

After some discussion, everyone agreed to exceptionally grant Tang Wulin the rank of Second Lieutenant. This was an extremely high starting point for a new recruit in the Blood God Legion.

However, when the topic turned to Bai Yuan, the atmosphere in the meeting room became subtle.

In the scene, Bai Yuan did not have dazzling Qi and Blood Soul Rings, but the pure physical strength he displayed, his exquisite and fierce combat skills, and his ferocity in finally smashing the demon with his bare hands were equally impressive.

“A level 78 Soul Saint, 22 years old… He seems to have mastered combat techniques similar to those of the Body Sect. Judging solely from his cultivation level and combat ability, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to give him the rank of Second Lieutenant,” one supporter said.

“I object.” Another officer with a stern face shook his head. “Although he is powerful, he lacks Tang Wulin’s ‘signature’ blood and qi power that seems to completely suppress the abyss.”

"Moreover, his fighting style... leans more towards pure violence and destruction, which is vaguely similar to some characteristics of abyssal creatures. I think that granting him the rank of sergeant is the limit, and we need to observe him more closely."

At this moment, a middle-aged officer in charge of intelligence and security, Xue Ba, tapped the table and spoke in a solemn tone:
"Everyone, please don't overlook the most crucial point—his martial spirit, the Abyss Glutton." He pulled up Bai Yuan's registration information and highlighted the word "Abyss" in red.

"The Abyss... In our Blood God Legion, this is an extremely sensitive word."

Xue Ba's gaze swept over everyone. "We are stationed here to stop the invasion of the Abyss. Any existence associated with the 'Abyss' must be treated with the utmost caution."

"I suggest that not only should he not be given an excessively high military rank, but he should also be placed under close surveillance and prohibited from approaching the abyss passage, just in case."

He paused, lowered his voice, and mentioned a secret: "Don't forget the lesson of the Clear Sky Sect back then. How that disciple with the Fallen Angel Martial Soul was ultimately corrupted by evil forces, and in his loss of control, almost opened the gate connecting to another world, summoning a terrifying demon, causing the Clear Sky Sect to suffer heavy losses and countless deaths. We must learn from this lesson and be wary!"

These words immediately silenced the meeting room. The high-ranking members present had all heard of the upheaval at the Clear Sky Sect—a tragedy caused by the loss of control over a special martial spirit. Although the details had been tacitly covered up by various factions, its cautionary significance was deeply etched in the minds of those in the know.

Finally, Xue San, sitting upright in the main seat with a gentle yet undeniably authoritative demeanor, made a decision: "There is considerable controversy surrounding Bai Yuan. However, it is not in our legion's way of employing people to excessively restrict a genius based solely on the name of his martial soul and speculation. Let's do this: temporarily grant him the same rank of second lieutenant as Tang Wulin."

She looked at Blood Eight and added, "But until the Legion Commander returns to make a decision, place him on the Level Two Observation List. He must operate in a squad and is not allowed to approach the outer perimeter of the Abyss Passage alone except for missions. This way, we provide an opportunity while controlling the risks. What do you all think?"

This compromise, while not satisfying everyone, at least kept the potential risks within an acceptable range, and everyone nodded in agreement.

A few days later, in a simple yet solemn ceremony, Tang Wulin and Bai Yuan were jointly appointed as second lieutenants.

When the badge representing the Blood God Legion lieutenant was pinned to his chest, Tang Wulin felt that most of the gazes around him were appreciative, curious, and even slightly expectant.

However, when Bai Yuan accepted the badge, he keenly sensed that the gazes cast upon him by the crowd were far more complex. Aside from a few expressions of curiosity, there was a greater sense of scrutiny, wariness, and even a barely perceptible distance.

The expressions on the faces of several high-ranking officers were particularly meaningful, as if they were assessing a dangerous tool.

"This is troublesome..." Bai Yuan sighed inwardly.

He immediately realized that his martial spirit name, "Abyss Gluttony," practically carried a "suspicious element" label in this place.

He wanted to explain, but he didn't know where to begin—should he tell these people that although his martial spirit was called Abyss Gluttony, it had no direct connection with the Abyss Plane opposite him, and that he actually wanted to eat it as a tonic?

He knew that any weak explanation would be powerless in the face of inherent prejudices and the lessons of history.

“It seems that the only way to prove it is through the most direct method.” Bai Yuan lowered his eyelids, concealing the sharp glint in his eyes. “Kill more abyssal creatures, kill enough of them to have nothing to say, and their suspicions will naturally dissipate.”

He clenched his fist, not for honor, but for... peace and quiet. After all, being stared at by a group of people all day long as if they were potential traitors was hardly a pleasant experience.

The plan to devour the energy of the abyss to enhance itself must be based on gaining trust in order to proceed more smoothly.

This battle for proof began the moment he stepped into the Blood God Legion; otherwise, who knows how long it would have been before he found a suitable "energy source" again.

The energy of an entire plane! Not only Tang San and Tang Hao coveted it, but Gula also coveted the Abyss Plane. He and his avatars wanted to continue to trace their bloodlines, and they needed powerful energy as a catalyst. The Abyss Plane was the best supplement, and they absolutely could not miss it.

(End of this chapter)