Deity Investigation Report

Chapter 366 Imperial Power
"Kill someone?"

Han Su's words left Xu Ji speechless, but upon hearing the game's start-up sound, he waved his hand and said with concern:

"Then be careful!"

"..."

When Han Su stepped out of the business class, Miss Ai's countdown had already reached "ten." Listening to the numbers decreasing in his ears, he looked out the car window.

At this moment, the intercity high-speed train was passing over an elevated bridge spanning a large black lake. It was only a little past three in the afternoon, but the surroundings were gloomy and oppressive, with dark clouds covering the sky, as if pulling day into night.

"five……"

"Four……"

"..."

Han Su looked up and saw Sister Cheng, the one Xu Ji had mentioned with long legs, preparing juice for Xu Ji.

His gaze swept over the man, and he nodded slightly: His legs were indeed very long.

The next moment, he picked up his briefcase and suddenly recited the zero-sequence cipher spell number 09: 【Step onto the Ladder of the Abyss!】

His figure suddenly leaped upwards, as if disappearing directly into the darkness. Then came a gust of wind, and he had teleported from inside the carriage to the roof.

The intercity high-speed train, speeding forward at 300 kilometers per hour, collided with the air, and the gale seemed almost tangible, nearly throwing him off the train. However, the activation of his mental power allowed Han Su to stand steadily on the train.

"three……"

"two……"

"one……"

"..."

As the countdown mentioned by Miss Ai approached zero, Han Su turned to face the three o'clock direction.

At this moment, he was at the junction of the business class and carriage nine, which was exactly the location Miss Ai had mentioned where he was about to be attacked.

As they turned, they immediately saw a colossal object, as thick as a bridge pillar, suddenly rise from the dark lake below. Its immense power stirred up endless mental turbulence, splashing water everywhere, and it struck the tail end of the high column directly.

The attack is coming!

That was a tentacle about seventy or eighty meters long, covered with barbs, of unknown origin.

It seems that the other party originally intended to strike unexpectedly, separating him and Xu Ji's tenth carriage from the rest of the train, then dragging them into the lake to easily kill them.

However, Han Su's early departure meant he was directly attacked by the other side.

The enormous tentacles possessed inhuman, terrifying power. Compared to them, Han Su was so small as to be almost negligible. Yet, he suddenly raised his head, then stretched out his left hand with a swift motion, while simultaneously chanting the second coded incantation:

What you think is the boundary!

【…】

Boundless spiritual power rapidly seeped into reality. Before the outstretched palm, the night instantly solidified into a tangible form.

"Bah!"

The enormous tentacle seemed to strike solidified iron, and the immense force of the impact caused a massive tear in the tentacle, splattering out dark green liquid, and the barbs on it were flung off one by one.

But immediately afterward, countless tentacles extended from behind and in front of Han Su, some lashing out, others silently coiling around him.

Han Su's gaze turned slightly cold, which immediately caused the night to shift and intertwine. Tentacles were either fixed in mid-air or bounced back. The high-speed intercity train was completely unaffected.

Advanced version of Cipher Spell No. 03.

The original No. 03 could only summon an invisible barrier, and this barrier would not disappear as long as its own will did not break.

However, as Han Su's life level increased, he had long since glimpsed the enormous potential contained in the zero-sequence cipher incantation.

Take this cipher text No. 03 as an example. Its content is "What you think is the boundary". When your mental strength is insufficient, you can only summon an invisible barrier, because controlling this barrier is the simplest. But in reality, as long as you have enough strength, you can form a boundary in front, behind, left, and right.

The moment a thought arises, boundaries are created, strictly prohibiting all actions in all directions.

This is not even just a barrier, but a command; if it says no, then no.

"Oh no, Lord Lake Demon has failed..."

"Is someone high up there, the target's bodyguard?"

"What kind of skill does that guy have... He's such a show-off, he's even playing on his phone!"

"..."

The wind howled in his ears, almost filling his ear canals, but it also carried some chaotic shouts into Han Su's ears.

Han Su, who had injured the terrifying giant monster with a single strike, did indeed appear to be playing on his phone, not even trying to look up at them. However, Han Su wasn't being disrespectful to his opponents; he was looking at his phone because he was reviewing information sent by Miss Ai.

According to the information, the attack came from a mysterious village in the surrounding area known as Lake Village, where a mutant species called "Frogmen" lived.

Those mutants that live close to cities are often captured by independent investigators within the city and imprisoned in secret prisons for research.

But the world is so vast, yet the number of cities is pitifully small. The vast land is dotted with all sorts of remote and strange places, and there are many such unmanaged tribal villages.

Furthermore, some are deliberately contaminated and allowed to grow by mysterious organizations or secret schools for certain purposes.

This frogman village itself possesses extremely high intelligence and ambition, and usually maintains good relations with nearby cities.

They knew what to do and what not to do, so no one was ever wiped out. They even cooperated with big shots in some cities to plunder caravan transport lines, satisfying both sides.

The "Lake Demon" mentioned by the frogmen, according to the information, is a deformed product of a failed experiment. It was raised by the frogmen and turned into a god in their eyes. They worship it on a daily basis to build faith, but release it to eat people when necessary.

"Whoosh!" "Whoosh!" "Whoosh!"

As Han Su quickly finished browsing the information, the sound of something breaking through the air could be heard all around him.

Looking up, I saw dozens of dark, blurry figures jumping up and down in the pitch-black lake.

They were covered in black raincoats and large black boots. Their lower limbs were thick and powerful, with a slightly strange bend. They wore special masks on their heads, with eyes that were enormous, taking up almost half the area of ​​the mask.

Frogman!

Although these frogmen have all undergone deformities, they still retain a human form. As long as they wear completely covered clothes, they can disguise themselves as ordinary people, which is why they are able to survive in various cities.

Although they have human form, their legs have evolved an extraordinary jumping ability, allowing them to leap out of the lake and jump hundreds of meters high.

The next moment, they all raised their specially made harpoons and fired at Han Su on the high platform.

Because of their mutation, the frogmen also possess amazing dynamic vision, making each of them a natural sniper.

Even while bouncing, and with the target on a rapidly moving high column, it is still possible to lock onto the target.

Sharpness knows no bounds, and danger inevitably arises.

The cipher incantation number 03 can draw a boundary, strictly prohibiting any mentally active force from passing through, but it cannot stop purely physical attacks. Simply put, the boundary force can withstand a million-level mental impact, but it cannot stop a small pebble from hitting it.

If one insists on blocking it, then one must first use one's own spiritual power to corrupt that small pebble, but this practice is a huge waste in a spiritual confrontation.

These frogmen are quite shrewd; they came up with a plan to attack so quickly.

[Respond to my limbs!]

【…】

Faced with the harpoons attacking from all directions, Han Su took a deep breath and suddenly recited the cipher spell number 02. In an instant, his body gained a strong vitality.

It was as if spiritual power was rapidly transformed into physical strength, and this increase in strength had no upper limit.

He felt that everything around him had changed, becoming slow and powerless.

With a flick of his wrist, he grabbed the harpoon closest to him. The harpoon, brimming with terrifying kinetic energy, was like a straw in his hand.

Then, supporting his body on his toes, he suddenly spun around, using one hand to pull and wrap around the harpoon, using it as a base to entangle all the other harpoons coming from all directions and the steel rope behind them, and pulled hard.

Gab!

As Gao Lie sped forward, the frogmen who were jumping in the air were suddenly pulled forward by him.

The frogmen were terrified and immediately tried to drop the harpoon, but Han Su's mental activity was high enough that it had spread along the harpoon and steel cable, creating a kind of suction force. So the harpoon seemed to be stuck to their hands, and they couldn't throw it away.

Then a horrific scene unfolded. With a series of crackling sounds, these frogmen were dragged from the air to the steel rails on the ground by Han Su, and instantly turned into dismembered limbs.

Some were unlucky enough to be dragged along the rails until most of their bodies were worn away and they fell silent.

Four or five others reacted quickly, using their amazing jumping ability to take flight the moment they landed, following Gao Lie like kites. But the next moment, while in the air, they suddenly widened their eyes, which were already twice the size of ordinary people's.

After crossing the lake, a tunnel appeared ahead.

"Puff" "Puff" "Puff" "Puff" "Puff"

They crashed directly into the tunnel, exploding into clouds of blood mist. Their deaths were far more gruesome than those dragged on the ground; even their desperate screams were drowned out by the fierce wind.

"The first attack point has been passed, and the second attack point is 20 kilometers away and is expected to arrive in four minutes."

"Mr. Butcher, Black Table has already placed this mission at the top of its list due to the high bounty. Mercenary teams and assassins from all over the world have shown interest. It's possible that Black Table will open an abyss passage for certain special teams and send them over."

"We may face numerous attacks in the remaining six hours, and they will become increasingly difficult to resist. Please stay alert!"

Han Su crouched at the top of the tower, with the tunnel ceiling rushing past overhead.

He listened to Miss Ai's gentle electronic voice in his ear and nodded softly: "Then I hope you won't disappoint me later."

These frogmen were indeed not strong enough, and could not even generate much energy for themselves.

To put it bluntly, they were just a bunch of mutated creatures who huddled together to survive. They were not even as well off as the fishmen under Li Moses's command. If Han Su wanted to get enough energy, he would have to specifically find their lair and massacre the village. He had no interest in doing so at all.

Using his palm to shield himself from the wind, Han Su lit a cigarette with a lighter. He looked up and thought that being on the roof of the car was quite nice.

At least I can finally smoke in Gao Lie.

The mountain ridges on both sides twisted and writhed like monsters. Twenty kilometers passed in the blink of an eye. Han Su was still far away, but he could already feel the mental field ahead with a significantly increased density.

The twisted and writhing mountain range seemed to come alive as Gao Lie moved forward. The mountain range shifted, the trees collapsed, and the ridges on both sides raised their heads, turning into a dark, gigantic mass.

On the writhing mountainside, clusters and clumps of gray-black rocks rolled down in groups.

"It's a mountain beast!"

Miss Ai's information was brief but accurate.

A mutated race that uses rocks as their physical form; lower-level polluters grow moss resembling rocks and mud on human bodies.

Then, as pollution intensifies, the body will grow larger and larger, and the movements and reactions will become slower and slower.

When it becomes deeply polluted, it transforms into a half-human, half-stone monster, reaching a height of 100 meters, crawling on the ground year-round, surviving on its own roots.

But most importantly, these mountain beasts originally belonged to a secret prison in a secondary city called Black Cliff in the surrounding area.

Their presence ahead of the advancing column can only mean that someone deliberately released them to attack this column. The precision of their location and the vastness and completeness of their mental field only prove one thing:
This attack was planned by an independent investigator from Blackcliff City.

Only through their personal involvement in the planning could the power of the secret prison be utilized so thoroughly.

Han Su frowned, his gaze sweeping into the deep night, searching for the figure of the mastermind.

But as he cast his gaze, Gao Lie did not slow down at all, and plunged headlong into the mountains. The enormous force immediately caused the ridges on both sides to writhe and squeeze, crushing towards Gao Lie.

Even the high-speed rail in front of them twisted into a noodle shape as the ground undulated, making the speeding train look like a suicide attack, frantically crashing into the twisted mountain in front of it.

"Boom!"

The endless boulders and mountain ridges came crashing down, but were deflected by the invisible barrier set up by Han Su. However, seeing that there was no track in front of Gao Lie, Han Su withdrew his gaze, picked up the black briefcase in one hand, and suddenly slammed the other hand down hard on the carriage.

All things respond to my will!

【…】

A golden light suddenly flashed in his pupils, and strings of imperial characters swept past rapidly.

The spiritual power, like a martial arts world, frantically infiltrated reality, spreading throughout the entire elevated railway, and then extending along the elevated railway to the tracks below, rapidly surging forward.

With each meter the train propelled forward, the twisted rails were covered by an invisible force, forcibly restoring them to their original state. The mountain beasts along the way were also cut by this force, emitting low, hoarse roars.

All things responded to my will, and the entire mountain ridge seemed to be transformed by Han Su into a sharp sword, piercing straight through the ridge and drilling a hole on the spot.

"Sizzle..."

But as the train moved forward, countless pebbles piled up on its body on both sides, revealing the true power of the mountain beast.

Their shattered bodies turned into endless rubble, which, along with trees and vines, seemed to possess some kind of invisible adhesive force, sticking to the towering structure, making it increasingly bloated and heavy, and slowing it down.

Once Gao Lie entered the center of this field, his speed was almost completely canceled out, nearly coming to a standstill.

"Swish" "Swish" "Swish" "Swish"

At the same time, countless gun barrels and cannon muzzles emerged from the darkness among the densely packed mountains, aiming densely at Han Su and the target carriages on the high train. The sheer number of them made it seem like a medium-sized war.

"Friends on the bus, please stop trying to resist..."

Behind the densely packed troops, three mysterious figures appeared, occupying three different positions. One of them shouted at Han Su, who was high above:

"We've been asked to come and ask someone to go back. You're quite capable; you must have suffered a lot to achieve such success. We have no intention of engaging in a mutually destructive conflict. If you leave on your own, we won't make things difficult for you..."

Han Su just single-handedly protected Gao Lie as he rushed into the center of the arena, demonstrating a level of skill that was truly astonishing.

They showed Han Su the respect he deserved, but also demonstrated their determination to achieve their goal.

"Xiao Xie and Meng Zou, independent investigators from Black Cliff City!"

"Independent Investigator Application Form for Shanmen City..."

"..."

Miss Ai quickly updated the information, including the identities of the three individuals, their registered sequence, and their power levels.

"Now, it has barely met the requirements..."

Responding to the three men's seemingly friendly advice, Han Su gently raised his head and directly recited the coded incantation:
[It is the night itself!]

【…】

The all-encompassing darkness, as thick as ink, suddenly came alive, like layers of interwoven black tides that instantly melted away Han Su's figure and even submerged the tower beneath his feet.

The layers of mud and rocks on top lost their grip and fell off one by one, causing everyone who was staring at the high-speed train and Han Su's figure to lose sight of their target.

"not good……"

The three independent investigators were all alarmed and took action to activate the field, trying to forcibly trap the target.

But just as they were rushing to attack, launching indiscriminate strikes within the area, another voice rang out:
I offer my body as a sacrifice, and my life is dedicated to the gods!

【…】

The sound was exceptionally clear; everyone in the entire area could hear it clearly.

This also means that the power of this cryptic incantation is greater than the field they created.

The next moment, they heard the faint clanging of bronze armor and smelled a strong rusty odor. A strong sense of crisis arose in their hearts, and they instinctively retreated to protect themselves.

When I opened my eyes, I felt my heart sink to the bottom. To my horror, I found that all around me, there were tall bronze statues with snake heads.

Silent and resolute, the rubies at both ends of the snake's head emitted an eerie light.

There were twenty-two bodies, arranged in the east, west, south, and north directions, surrounding them and the entire area in the center.

"he……"

The panic in my heart suddenly became uncontrollable, and a bitter feeling welled up inside me.

It's not that you surround the target, but rather that the target surrounds you.

Most importantly, they were completely bewildered at this moment. As independent investigators, they could sense just how terrifying the summoned bronze statue was, but the key point was that the higher the level of power, the more difficult it was to control.

Why was such a terrifying thing summoned to the scene so easily, and even managed to surround them?

This doesn't make sense...

"The authority of the Bronze Inscription Church has already been integrated into the imperial system..."

Amidst the rising panic all around, Han Su, blending into the night, silently sensed that a sense of ease and control was emerging, indicating that he was on the right track.

Surprisingly, the power of the Emperor Sequence is not distorted, nor does it have any obvious characteristics. Therefore, the Zero Sequence Cipher Spell is the most suitable means to unleash the power of the Emperor Sequence.

However, the Emperor sequence can harness the power of other sequences, including even the Twelve Anomalies.

Now that the power of the living copper sequence has been integrated, how can the others be integrated so perfectly?
As he thought about it, he said in a low voice, "Begin the harvest!"

(End of this chapter)