Wasteland Border Inspector

Chapter 239: Guardians of Faith, Containment Complete!
In total, the extraordinary debate between Tan Ming and Wan Lingdi about their beliefs lasted for a full week.

Cheng Ye subconsciously turned his head to look outside Dabo Town, only to find that the oppressive mental pollution from the immortal artifact still lingered, showing no signs of dissipating.

Did Tan Ming really hear what he said earlier and deliberately leave the contamination as a reminder for him to go down and contain the fragments?

Or perhaps he has something else to say, since the two runes he has not yet been activated.

Cheng Ye was stunned for two seconds, then instantly realized what was happening and immediately removed his ordinary protective armor and put on the obsidian battle armor.

Rokuk, who was standing to the side, was still in a daze. He hadn't been able to sense the invisible fluctuation, but seeing Cheng Ye hurriedly changing his clothes, his heart tightened, and he quickly asked, "What's wrong? What happened?"

"Tan Ming, he might have won. I'll go down and check on the situation."

Cheng Ye didn't have time to explain in detail. He hurriedly left a sentence, picked up the level-destroying containment box that he had placed by the river a few days ago, and jumped into the White Water River. His figure quickly disappeared into the water.

Rokuk's condition is relatively stable, but the iron in his lower body cannot be restored, and he is not in immediate danger of death.

But the residents of Dabo Town couldn't wait any longer. Including those who had been given sedatives and those who had been knocked unconscious and tied up, the total number had exceeded four hundred. If it dragged on any longer, even more people would probably break down completely.

In addition, Garcia's statement that "we can last another seven days" has now been reduced to just one and a half days.

Even the giant hyacinth he himself chose, despite repeated delays, will have its parasitic costs take effect starting tomorrow at noon.

In the entire town of Dabo, only Wang Kang was relatively relaxed. He chose the least harmful D-level source of infection and was still full of energy every day. However, at night, he would be affected by the pollution, which would cause him to become confused and unable to stand. He had to lie down to barely maintain his condition.

So, by this calculation, there are actually no truly "normal" people left in Big Wave Town; everyone has paid the price for this containment effort.

"But as long as we can contain the divine artifact, these costs are worth it! They absolutely must be worth it!"

Cheng Ye silently chanted in his mind, while simultaneously activating his acceleration energy, diving towards the bottom of the water like a fish.

Over the past few days, he has gone into the water every day to check on the situation and witness the changes in the Magic Eye Sponge firsthand.

Initially, its purple light illuminated the entire riverbed, covering an area of ​​several kilometers.

Later, as the energy was consumed, the light gradually weakened, and the coverage area shrank to one or two kilometers.

As Tan Ming and the immortal artifact began their battle, the range of the light continued to shrink, and now it could barely be maintained within a twenty-meter radius around the main body.

The tentacles that were originally used to absorb energy had long since broken off, and all the energy was used to keep the Magic Eye Sponge alive in the aftermath of the battle.

Even its cotton chamber has shrunk by dozens of times compared to the original, and now only a space about three meters wide and five meters long remains.

Soon, Cheng Ye crept up to the front of the Magic Eye Sponge, preparing to crawl into the gap in the sponge chamber.

Unexpectedly, the blood-red barrier covering the entrance to the cave suddenly emitted a strong suction force, and before he could react, he was pulled directly inside by this force.

After an indescribable wave of dizziness subsided, the scene before my eyes finally became clear.

Cheng Ye was astonished to find that he had not gone through the cotton chamber, but had instead arrived directly at the blood gate leading to the cave space.

He composed himself, took off his cotton-padded clothes, and then stepped into the blood gate.

"Om-"

An invisible wave swept by in an instant, as if crossing the boundary between life and death, or as if experiencing the changing of the seasons in a moment.

The wave of cognitive distortion washed over him, making his steps falter and almost causing him to lose his balance.

Here, time seems to lose its meaning, and the surrounding senses change rapidly.

Sometimes you can feel the warmth of the spring breeze, sometimes you are enveloped by the heat of summer, sometimes you are greeted by the crispness of autumn, and in an instant you fall into the cold of winter.

My body felt like it was divided into four parts, experiencing four completely different temperatures and sensations at the same time.

As the strange feeling gradually dissipated, Cheng Ye steadied himself and was finally able to see the scene ahead clearly.

What comes into view is bare rock, and everywhere you look are deep pits of varying sizes.

Some pits have smooth, mirror-like walls, while others are rough and uneven, with varying shapes.

The entire space was filled with a warm, red light. Tan Ming's tall figure floated silently in mid-air, his body radiating light like a setting sun, dazzling yet not blinding.

Cheng Ye subconsciously raised his hand to shield his eyes from the bright light, his gaze following the direction of the lake. He suddenly stopped in his tracks, completely stunned.

The vast lake, which once shimmered with a deep blue luster, was now completely dried up.

Below, the ground was covered in cracks, as if the heat from the "great sun" surrounding Tan Ming had completely evaporated all the lake water.

Moreover, the distance from the lake to the portal seems to be much shorter than before?
Cheng Ye paused for two seconds, then suddenly realized that it wasn't that the lake was closer to the portal, but rather that the area of ​​the cave had shrunk dramatically during the seven days of the battle.

Previously, it was at least five kilometers from here to the lake, but now, judging by sight, it's at most two kilometers away.

Could it be that the cave space has shrunk little by little because it lost the energy support of the Ten Thousand Earth Conch?
The moment the thought crossed his mind, Cheng Ye immediately took off running and quickly reached the high ground where he had stopped earlier.

He subconsciously looked in the direction where the conch shell had originally been floating.

No?

What about the fragments of the divine artifact?

Cheng Ye frowned, intending to continue forward to check if the fragments were stuck in the cracked earth at the bottom of the dried-up lake, when a faint ripple suddenly came from behind him.

The fluctuation was peculiar, as if it had formed a hidden connection with the two runes on the back of his hand, gently vibrating his senses.

It was as if he was connected to Tan Ming's envoy, who was equipped with him, and was verifying some data.

Cheng Ye suddenly turned around, and froze on the spot.

Unbeknownst to him, a mysterious, blood-red figure had quietly appeared behind him.

The figure's outline was blurry, and its features were indistinct; only the object it was holding was clearly visible.

It was the very thing he had seen in the intelligence space, in the caves and lakes, and had been thinking about these past few days.
Ten thousand conch shells!
However, the conch shell at this moment is completely different from what it was before.

The conch shell floating above the lake is enormous and majestic, exuding an awe-inspiring "divinity," while the conch shell in the intelligence space is shrouded in mystery, making it difficult to see its full appearance.

But the conch shell before me was gray and dull, all its divinity had faded, and only the runes on the shell were still faintly shimmering, vaguely indicating its extraordinary origin.

Even so, Cheng Ye dared not underestimate him in the slightest.

He could clearly feel that his distorted perception was tightly bound to this conch shell. Tangible waves, as if he could touch them, were continuously transmitted from the conch shell and drilled into his mind, accompanied by a dense murmur.

It was as if countless tiny voices were whispering in my ear, but I couldn't make out their exact meaning.

"This"

"Don't speak, just listen quietly."

Incredibly, the blood-red figure actually spoke.

His voice was rational yet slightly magnetic, possessing an irresistible power.

Cheng Ye frowned. His previously chaotic thoughts seemed to be drawn by an invisible force, and he involuntarily calmed down with those words, focusing his attention on listening to the whispers coming from the depths of the conch shell.

The seasons cycle endlessly, life and death, prosperity and decline, all must be sacrificed to uphold the mandate of heaven and earth!

[Having searched the world, I return with even stronger sacrifices! Having scoured the universe, I bring forth even more living beings to offer as sacrifices!]

[The gods bestow divine power upon you, helping you transcend your mortal form! The gods grant you blessings, enabling you to reach the pinnacle!]

The changing seasons.

【.】

As the mind focused, the originally faint whispers became clearer and clearer, gradually forming echoes in the mind like sacred chants.

A strange emotion welled up in Cheng Ye's heart.

For a moment, he almost forgot all his original intentions, leaving only the thought of helping Wanlingdi Conch find more offerings and receive more rewards.

But this emotion was ultimately too weak to shake his resolute mind at this moment.

Cheng Ye shook his head vigorously, deliberately shifting his attention away. The chanting in his mind immediately disappeared, leaving only meaningless whispers that continued like mosquitoes buzzing behind his head, both noisy and annoying.

"They are the first superhumans, calling themselves the guides of the 'New World,' and wanting to gather the power of everyone to create a super power that can change the world."

"They have many names outsiders. Some people revere them as gods, and some people follow them, but the Extraordinary Alliance defines them as the 'Four Sacrifices Cult'. They are often in the top three on the wanted list. Oh, in the Western Hemisphere, they are more commonly known as the 'Church of Withering and Flourishing'."

The blood-red figure slowly spoke, and as his voice fell, clear features gradually emerged from his previously blurred face.

His eyebrows slanted sharply towards his temples, as if drawn with a brush. His eyes were long and narrow, with the corners slightly upturned. He exuded an air of authority without anger, yet also possessed a touch of elegance.

The bridge of the nose is high and straight, transitioning naturally from the brow bone to the tip of the nose, and the rounded yet not blunt curve makes the face appear more three-dimensional.

The jawline is smooth and clean, extending from the corner of the lips to below the ear, without any unnecessary sharp angles, yet exuding a sense of strength.

"Tan Ming?"

Cheng Ye's heart jolted, and he subconsciously turned to look at the tall figure sitting cross-legged in the air.

Tan Ming's facial features were clearly identical to those of the person in front of him.

"No, I am not him." The figure denied, his tone calm. "Nice to meet you. You can call me Tan Rui."

"Tan Rui?" Cheng Ye turned his head, somewhat dumbfounded.

What's the situation?
Dissociative identity disorder, or twins?

Seeing his confusion, Tan Rui explained softly, "Many years ago, when Tan Ming encountered a bottleneck on his path forward and could not make any progress, he used a special extraordinary plant to split off many personalities to help him achieve his goal. And I am the personality in his body responsible for 'intellect'."

He paused, then added, "I specialize in scientific and theoretical research, not just in the sheltered city you are in. Many sheltered cities outside are still using the theoretical knowledge I left behind, including the person I spoke with earlier. The way he used to build up his beliefs was also left behind by Tan Ming."

Tan Rui speaks clearly, and despite having a handsome and imposing face, he exudes a gentle aura.

Cheng Ye had never imagined he could communicate with "Tan Ming" in this way. He was somewhat surprised and remained silent for two seconds before asking, "So, you've come back to life now?"

"No, no, no, it can't be considered to have come back to life; it just exists in the form of a mental entity."

Tan Rui gently shook his head and patiently explained, "Well, you can understand it this way: what you see of me now is neither a physical entity nor a phantom, but more like a thought detached from the physical body, a thought that has frozen time, or a belief that cannot be burned away or extinguished."

As the three obscure terms were uttered in succession, Cheng Ye's brows immediately furrowed, unable to grasp the meaning of these words at all.

Tan Rui took in his bewilderment, his fingertips lightly touching the ground beside him, his voice deepening, "In this life, there are always things we can't let go of, people we can't bear to part with. Those lingering concerns and unspoken obsessions in our hearts inherently possess a certain form. It's just that most people's thoughts are too scattered, like willow catkins drifting in the wind, dissipating with a gust of wind. But the thoughts of the extraordinary are different; even in death, they can still remain."

"As long as one can find an object to contain one's thoughts, whether one has a physical form or is still in human form no longer matters."

How can a superhuman's will remain even after death?
Following Tan Rui's explanation, Cheng Ye was instantly stunned and subconsciously asked, "Then your belief is integrated into Shi Sheng?"

"That's right, but it's not complete. I can't explain the specific changes myself."

Tan Rui nodded slightly, a faint smile appearing on his face, then changed the subject, "Regarding my condition, those outside probably know better than I do what's going on. But you, do you even understand your own situation?"

"Me?" Cheng Ye paused, the words from earlier flashing through his mind, and suddenly his thoughts cleared. "Could it be that I have inherited your beliefs?"

"Human thoughts are inherently formless; they arise with the wind and disperse with the wind."

Tan Rui didn't answer directly, but instead laughed heartily, "The colossus endows humanity with strange power, making human beliefs no longer empty, but traceable. It's just that even today, we ourselves don't understand where the end of this path is. Just like that person outside, he doesn't know where the end of his journey of accommodating extraordinary beings is."

As the laughter subsided, his tone became more serious: "You don't need to do anything deliberately, and you don't need to care too much. Just be the same as before, let things take their natural course. If you need my strength, then go and fulfill my beliefs; it will bring you a lot of help."

"However, my belief is ultimately mine. While it helps you, it also comes with various limitations. Those are the hurdles that I and we can never overcome."

“But as long as you can overcome it,” Tan Rui said, his gaze falling on the withered mark on the back of Cheng Ye’s left hand.

"If you can overcome this limitation, it will be equivalent to completing what we haven't finished."

"Me?" Cheng Ye followed his gaze and looked down, then suddenly looked up, his face full of surprise. "Could this withered rune be your belief?"

"Of course, Tan Ming's will has always been singular."

Tan Rui smiled and nodded, then pointed to the green vitality mark on the back of Cheng Ye's hand, "In this era of great strife, there is an inexhaustible supply of extraordinary resources. Everyone can become extraordinary, everyone can be like a dragon. This is the belief carried by the vitality rune."

"how about you?"

"Me?" Tan Rui paused, his expression becoming more serious, as if he was carefully considering his words.

After a moment, he slowly spoke, “What I seek is to live in accordance with Tan Ming’s will. I seek the balance of life and death, prosperity and decline. Only when insects wither can new life break through the soil, and only then can the cycle of heaven and earth be complete.”

"Life, death, flourishing, and decay." Cheng Ye pondered for a moment, "Is the extraction of plant life force into ore a result of your beliefs?"

“No, that’s the result of a conflict of beliefs.” Tan Rui immediately shook his head, his tone becoming more serious. “Back then, in order to break through the bottleneck, Tan Ming had a total of seven beliefs born in his body. My belief was born to assist the main body, but the other beliefs conflicted and merged with each other, ultimately leading to the situation you see today.”

After saying that, as if he had guessed Cheng Ye's thoughts, he added, "You cannot take over the beliefs of the other five people, not because you are too weak, but because once you do, it will cause a violent conflict with my beliefs and Tan Ming's beliefs. Just like the ground beneath your feet today."

"But if one day you can find a way to resolve these conflicts, they will come to you."

"Then what about you and Tan Ming?" Cheng Ye sensed the unspoken meaning in his words, paused for a moment, and couldn't help but ask.

"Life, death, prosperity, and decline are all part of the cycle. Since I have already died once, I am overjoyed to find someone to carry on my beliefs and continue the journey. Now I will face death with equanimity and complete the cycle of my beliefs."

Tan Rui smiled and shook his head, his tone devoid of any regret. "In this world, tangible things, even those as hard as gold and as beautiful as jade, will eventually be trapped and corroded by tangible poisons, turning into decay. Only the intangible thought in one's heart, unbound by external things and not decaying with the body, can truly enjoy freedom and unrestraint, witnessing the rise and fall of civilizations and the beginning of an era of great strife."

"With a single thought, I can rise with the breeze, traverse forests and cross rivers, reaching no distance."

"My single thought can also be scattered with the long wind, merging into heaven and earth, leaving no trace."

"Now that you have fulfilled my unfinished ambition, my thoughts have found their home, and my soul will live on forever. You need not be saddened by the scene before you, just look forward. For me, this moment of dissipation is nothing more than a slightly longer peaceful sleep."

As soon as he finished speaking, his body began to tremble slightly. His once clear and distinct features began to blur at a visible speed, and his blood-red body gradually faded.

“Comrade,” his voice was still clear, but shrouded in a layer of etherealness, like the echo of wind passing through an empty valley, “and even now, I haven’t had a chance to ask your name.”

"Cheng Ye".

"Cheng Ye." The blood-red figure, whose face was no longer clearly visible, nodded slightly, as if earnestly engraving the name into his remaining consciousness.

He raised his hand and gently tapped it, and the level-destroying containment box popped open automatically.

The conch shell that had brought endless trouble slowly floated up, its outer layer covered with a faint layer of blood-red energy, and landed steadily in the containment box.

With a "click," the box closed automatically.

The eerie fluctuation that had been affecting the surrounding area vanished instantly, along with the buzzing whispers that had been ringing in Cheng Ye's ear.

Tan Rui nodded as if satisfied, then his body trembled violently, turning into countless tiny blood-red light spots that slowly dissipated into the air of the cave, disappearing without a trace.

Almost at the same moment, Tan Ming, who was sitting cross-legged in the sky, slowly opened his eyes.

He didn't look down at Cheng Ye, but his gaze seemed to pierce through the cave's rocks, covering the entire Shisheng. His deep voice, carrying an inexplicable penetrating power, echoed in the space:
"My wish is that in this age of great strife, everyone can be like a dragon."

"My wish is for lush vegetation and green mountains and clear waters."

"My wish is that the flourishing and withering of all things are predetermined."

"My wish is that even if I am no more, my thoughts will live on forever!"

A series of indescribable, terrifying fluctuations erupted from his body, and Cheng Ye's pupils shrank slightly.

This fluctuation even carried a hint of the aura of the Ten Thousand Earth Conch Shell!

Before they could recover from the shock, an even more unexpected scene unfolded:
As Tan Ming's voice fell, a series of illusions suddenly appeared before his eyes. His vision seemed to be pulled out of the cave by a force, rising straight up to an unknown height above Shi Province.

Looking down, Cheng Ye saw green dots floating on the plates of the surrounding provinces.

Especially in the direction of Quang Province, the green dots are particularly dense in the area bordering Batu Province, forming a continuous patch once you cross the provincial border.

Within Shi Province, however, all was a deathly gray and desolate landscape, with a thick, dim yellow hue enveloping the entire region, making it difficult to find even a glimmer of life.

"Is this the petrification curse of Shi Province?" Cheng Ye's heart stirred slightly.

He had never seen the entire plate so clearly before, and he felt both novel and somewhat heavy-hearted.

But the changes were clearly not over yet. After the massive energy gathered around Tan Ming rose into the air, it did not disperse but instead suddenly plummeted down in one direction.

Is it Happiness City?
Or is it Dabo Town?
The zoom level was too high, and Cheng Ye could only barely see that the area around Happiness City was completely enveloped by Tan Ming's energy.

Under the influence of that belief, the withered yellow soil spreading underground is being gradually dispelled, turning into emptiness.

Immediately afterwards, a vibrant green rose from the ground and began to spread outwards from Dabo Town as its center.

Fifty kilometers.

One hundred kilometers.
150 kilometers!
The green area continued to expand, soon encompassing the entire area surrounding Sichuan City, and showed no signs of stopping until it reached 200 kilometers before slowly receding.

At the same time, a huge green "bowl" descended from the sky, completely enclosing an area of ​​200 kilometers.

No way, Tan Ming is actually redeveloping the land surrounding Happiness City?
No, that's not right.

Cheng Ye was shocked. Upon closer inspection, he realized that Tan Ming was dispelling the beliefs manifested by another personality within him, using his own beliefs to completely envelop the area surrounding Happiness City!

While Cheng Ye was still in a daze, a timeline began to appear on the large bowl:
[365 days]

Can it only last for a year?

The moment he saw the time clearly, Cheng Ye's vision blurred, and all the illusions vanished instantly.

He returned to the cave, where the red light that had illuminated the entire space suddenly dimmed by 99%, and Tan Ming's figure, which had been tens of meters tall in mid-air, had shrunk to about the same size as him.

The two looked at each other, and Tan Ming's face showed no extra expression, only a soft sigh.

But that complicated gaze made Cheng Ye's heart sink, as if he had been seen through.

Did Tan Ming discover that he did not inherit the belief, but rather gained recognition through trickery?
Or is it that people don't think he can shoulder both beliefs and complete what he hasn't finished?

The next second, his body shattered completely, turning into countless red and green light spots.

The two light spots quickly converged and solidified into two beams of light.

Two beams of light intertwined, slowly rotating and falling from the sky, only separating completely when they reached Cheng Ye.

A red beam suddenly shot into the withered rune on the back of his left hand, while a green beam merged into the life rune on the back of his right hand.

The two runes burst into a blinding light for a moment, then gradually calmed down.

Tan Ming is dead?

After his resurrection, he fought against the immortals, yet he was able to face yet another death with such composure and equanimity.
The cave gradually darkened, all the red light disappeared completely, and only a silent darkness remained in the world. Only the two runes on the back of Cheng Ye's hand were still faintly flickering, like two seeds that refused to be extinguished.

He stood there, a profound shock churning in his chest, leaving him speechless for a long time before he could recover.

What exactly qualifies as a belief?
For once, he remembered what Downs had said, advising him that if he couldn't accomplish it, he should quickly change his beliefs, otherwise he would not be able to transcend.

But Tan Ming's belief
Will the world he risked his life to protect and strive for ever come true?

After a moment of stunned silence, Cheng Ye felt a sense of peace and awe he had never experienced before.

Although human history has been fragmented and obscured, it seems that not all extraordinary individuals from previous eras were harmful; some of them quietly brought about changes to the survival and evolution of human civilization.

Besides Tan Ming, are there other extraordinary individuals like him in other sectors and regions?
Preserved in the form of thoughts, silently "protecting" the land beneath our feet?
"Four Sacrificial Rites"

Cheng Ye muttered something under his breath, temporarily suppressing these conflicting thoughts, picked up the containment box, and turned to walk towards the entrance of the light gate.

The magical artifact has been contained, and Tan Ming has vanished.

As an inspector, he had perfectly completed his next task and only needed to return to Happiness City to report back.

But after coming into contact with more of the world's secrets, an indescribable emotion quietly spread through his heart.

After passing through the portal, Cheng Ye put on the travel suit and returned to the Magic Eye Sponge's room along the passage.

However, on this return trip, the ability to scale was gone, and even the transfer process within the passage was no longer concealed, becoming clearly visible.

His feet were supported by several sponges as he moved through the passage, surrounded by an invisible energy barrier.

But Cheng Ye inexplicably felt that he could break through this barrier as long as he exerted a little effort.

"Could it be that the runes on the Magic Eye Sponge have all disappeared?"

Back in the room, Cheng Ye looked around and quickly confirmed his guess.

Unexpectedly, Tan Ming's battle with the immortal artifact completely obliterated the "Great Dao" of the Demon Eye Sponge.

Previously, only the large blue rune was missing, but now even the two smaller runes have completely disappeared.

Without the power-supplying tentacles, the crab-man inside was long dead, and all the infected sources he had once controlled had been contained. Now, only a bare entrance and exit space remained.

Can such a magical sponge still be considered a destructive source of infection?

Cheng Ye was somewhat taken aback. After emerging from the cotton room, he glanced back but ultimately did not take the opportunity to make a move.

He has collected all the characteristics of the Magic Eye Sponge, and all of them are at 200%. As for where its core is hidden and how to formally contain it, that should be left to other inspectors to handle.

It's unlikely that the checkpoint would take credit for his work and attribute this disastrous score to someone else.

He turned and floated to the surface. Just as he crossed the 25-meter underwater boundary, several beams of light shone down from above.

Outsiders are already allowed to come in?

After being contained, the spiritual pollution dissipated, and it finally stopped blocking the logistics team from entering Dabo Town for rescue!
Cheng Ye was overjoyed and immediately accelerated upwards. Along the way, he could feel more and more points of light and beams of light around him, which meant that the reinforcements from Happiness City had arrived.

"Wow—"

The water surface suddenly broke open, and Cheng Ye's head burst out of the water, but he did not immediately use his acceleration energy to get ashore.

He subconsciously looked toward the source of light and the spot of light, and froze instantly.

The skies above Dabo Town were filled with helicopters, dozens of them in total. Some hovered slowly in the air, while others were suspended in mid-air. The searchlights under the fuselages were lit up, illuminating the entire town of Dabo as if it were daytime, leaving no shadow behind.

Along the banks of the Baishui River, several rows of people stood densely packed together, and even the diversion port behind him was crowded with people.

These people spread out across the mountains and fields, all wearing blood-red armor he had never seen before, holding weapons in their hands, with lights flashing rhythmically on their chests, alternating between light and dark like breathing lights, exuding a solemn aura.

Looking further towards the dock where people disembark.

On that bluestone slab he had trampled and broken, which was also the place where he and Rokuk had lingered most often these days, a large group of people were standing.

Among the crowd were Ding Yishan, Ha Lin, Bai Wei, and Shi Xu, who had been waiting outside Dabo Town that night.
There were also a few unfamiliar figures.

Wait, isn't that Deputy City Lord Yuan Gang?

Cheng Ye's memory instantly matched this face, but at this moment, Yuan Gang was no longer the kind person he was at the celebration. He exuded an indescribable aura of power, and his solemn expression made it impossible for anyone to guess what he was thinking.

To Yuan Gang's left stood a slightly younger woman with a serene face, an intellectual and gentle demeanor, and a warm and kind look in her eyes.

On the right was a tall and imposing figure. Cheng Ye took a closer look and his heart skipped a beat. It was none other than Regan Karl, the previous station chief of the checkpoint, who was now in charge of the industrial zone!

Unexpectedly, with Liu Kun absent, another search result he had been longing for finally arrived.

His gaze continued forward, and he saw Rokuk sitting in a wheelchair, smiling at him with eyes full of relief.

Garcia, standing nearby, had his head and face covered in dark green vines, and his arms had even completely transformed into vines, making him look somewhat terrifying.

But when she saw him, she still managed to force a hint of approval.

To the side, Wang Kang was also sitting in a wheelchair.

Although her face was rosy, she looked half-dead, and the vitality in her eyes was impossible to hide, as they were flashing and beckoning to him.

Following Wang Kang's gaze, Cheng Ye turned his head and glanced at the scene, only to find that there were still several photographers standing on the shore, holding up their cameras, with half of the lens pointed at the crowd on the shore and the other half firmly locked onto him as he emerged from the water.

"All Blood Dragon Warriors, listen to my command! Salute Inspector Cheng!"

Suddenly, a loud shout came from the crowd. Before the words had even finished, all the soldiers on the shore wearing blood-red armor turned around and stared at Cheng Ye, who had just emerged from the water.

No one put down their weapons; instead, they gripped the guns with both hands, raised them to their chests, and moved in perfect unison.

Countless gazes fell upon him at the same time, feeling as if he were being solemnly inspected, or as if he were being crowned in a special way.

Cheng Ye let out a soft breath and quickly moved closer to the shore.

At this moment, his mind went blank. He couldn't think of what to say as his first words upon reaching the shore so that future generations could witness the calm and heroic demeanor of Inspector Cheng as he received the magical artifact.

But the moment my feet left the surface of the Baishui River and I stepped firmly onto the bluestone slabs of the dock, a sudden realization dawned on me.

He straightened up, his gaze sweeping over the crowd before him, his voice clear and firm:
“Cheng Ye, trainee prosecutor from Xingfu City.”

"Containment complete!"

(End of this chapter)