Start by conquering the world with unlimited job opportunities.

Chapter 179 The real target ran away!? The forum exploded! (Update 15 of 2 words)

Is it "Yuan"?

Fang Qingyu leaned against the hospital bed, his fingertips unconsciously stroking the cold-touch metal card with the seal script character "Qianlong" printed on it.

Su Wanqing had already left.

He was the only one left in the ward, along with the heavy silver briefcase in the corner.

Inside are the Profound-grade Life Beads and Blood Crystals, corresponding to the value of the previous ones.

A huge number.

This is enough to support him to make a big step forward steadily in the Profound Realm.

Since stepping into the mortal realm, Fang Qingyu has indeed never truly worried about resources.

The windfall from the bone Buddha materials, and Su Wanqing's two generous "rewards," greatly reduced Fang Qingyu's worries about resources and saved him a lot of time.

With resources readily available, the path to mastery of the profound scriptures naturally follows.

But Su Wanqing's words were like a pebble thrown into a deep pool, stirring up ripples in Fang Qingyu's heart.

'The power of nature'...

'Establish the most direct and primal connection with the earth beneath your feet, the sky above your head, and the very essence of all things in this world.'

"Project Hidden Dragon" is about sending people into the "abyss" that best stimulates this "natural intuition."

Fang Qingyu did not know what Yuan was.

However, when I closed my eyes, images flashed through my mind: the cold, icy rock walls deep in the pit, the eerie light reflected on the crimson scales of the Peng Serpent, the cold, twisted trajectory of Sikong Zhen manipulating the rocks, and the tearing sensation within my body, almost bursting open, when I forcibly combined the Crimson Blaze, the starlight of the Nine Heavens, and the Eternal Night Curtain.
Technique? Energy? True meaning?
In that life-or-death situation, when strength is squeezed to the limit, who has any of these rules and regulations in mind?

All that remains is the most instinctive fighting spirit and the purest will to destroy!
Perhaps Su Wanqing is right.

A ferocious beast capable of tearing the sky cannot grow in a greenhouse.

The so-called "abyss" of Project Hidden Dragon may be the next, even more brutal, and closer to the source of power, meat grinder.

go with!
The thought instantly became firm.

The extremely rare, faint discomfort that arose from temporarily parting ways with his friends in Qingjian City, like a drop of water vapor, was instantly washed away by the heat brought by this decision.

Become stronger!

How to survive in a world where ghosts eat people, gods eat people, and even one's own kind might stab one in the back!
This is the only belief etched into my very bones!

Time slipped away quietly amidst the smell of disinfectant.

A week has passed since the sinkhole incident ended, and Fang Qingyu has also been awakened from his initial severe injuries and coma for a few days.

The day for discharge has arrived.

The morning sunlight streamed through the blinds, casting warm golden rays onto the pristine white hospital bed.

While asleep, Fang Qingyu felt a slight itch on his nose, as if something soft and delicate was gently brushing against it.

He frowned and subconsciously raised his hand to push it away.

But my fingers touched a warm patch of skin.

Fang Qingyu suddenly opened his eyes.

A delicate, porcelain-doll-like face was so close, almost touching his nose.

Her clear, large eyes stared at him without blinking, her long eyelashes like tiny brushes, carefully tickling his nose with the ends of her drooping hair.

It's Jiang Wei.

"Awake?" The little girl saw him open his eyes and immediately pulled back her messy hair. Her face was expressionless, but her eyes were bright and sparkling, with a hint of triumphant slyness.

Fang Qingyu sighed helplessly, raised his hand and flicked her smooth forehead lightly: "Stop fooling around."

Jiang Wei wrinkled her nose but didn't dodge.

Fang Qingyu sat up and stretched his limbs.

With the support of three levels of hard skills, his body recovered quite well.

The dull pain in his internal organs has been greatly relieved, and the broken bones in his left arm have been reconnected thanks to the Martial Saint's pill and his own powerful recovery ability. However, he still needs time to recuperate and cannot exert too much force for the time being.

Fang Qingyu looked at Jiang Wei, who was sitting on the edge of the bed, swinging her legs.

"Xiao Jiang," Fang Qingyu said calmly, "I'm going to the capital."

"Oh," Jiang Wei responded, tilting her head slightly with an expression that said, "What's the big deal?" "Then let's go."

She jumped out of bed, stood in front of Fang Qingyu, tilted her little face up, and said with an air of self-righteousness in her clear eyes, "Wherever you go, I'll go."

His tone was calm, yet carried an undeniable certainty.

Fang Qingyu was slightly taken aback, looking at the still-childish face in front of him, whose eyes were more profound and calm than ever before.

After breaking through to the first-tier, third-realm Divine Cult, the aura of "Sister Jiang," as Qin Hui and the others called her, was indeed frighteningly strong.

But in his presence, she still seemed to be that little girl who would tickle his nose with her hair and cling to him as if it were her right.

Fang Qingyu's lips involuntarily curved upwards, revealing a genuine, relaxed smile.

"Hmm." He nodded and didn't say anything more.

The corridor outside the VIP ward on the top floor of the hospital.

The atmosphere carried a deliberately solemn air.

Zhao Qiming, deputy director of the Songdu branch, stood at the forefront, dressed in a crisp dark blue uniform with gleaming epaulets. His face showed solemnity and a hint of barely perceptible fatigue.

Behind him followed several high-ranking officers and civilian staff from the branch office, as well as several officials representing Songdu City, each carrying a beautifully packaged fruit basket or bouquet.

They are waiting.

We await the discharge of the young hero who turned the tide in the Songdu sinkhole incident and even personally killed the traitorous Chosen One, so that we can offer the city our belated, most solemn gratitude.

Time passed by minute by minute.

The ward door was tightly closed, and there was no sound.

The corridor was so quiet that you could hear each other's soft breathing.

Zhao Qiming glanced at his watch several times, his thick eyebrows furrowing slightly.

Given the ruthlessness and efficiency that kid showed deep in the pit, he shouldn't be dawdling like this.

Could it be that the injury has recurred?

Zhao Qiming was about to step forward and knock on the door to check on the situation.

"buzz"

The phone in my pocket suddenly vibrated.

Zhao Qiming paused, then took out his phone.

A new text message appeared on the screen. The sender was Fang Qingyu.

He clicked it.

The content remains as concise as ever:

"Director Zhao, I appreciate your kindness, but I'm not comfortable in this kind of situation, so I'll be going now. See you another time."

It even came with a somewhat clumsy, attempt-to-express-relaxation smiling emoji.

Zhao Qiming stared at the text message for a full two seconds, stunned.

Then, a helpless smile, tinged with a mixture of exasperation and amusement, slowly appeared on that resolute and serious face.

He looked up at his subordinates and officials behind him, who also wore expressions of expectation and a hint of nervousness. He shrugged helplessly, his voice not loud, but clearly carrying throughout the quiet corridor:
"Alright, everyone, go home, go home."

"The person in question isn't used to this kind of scene and has already slipped away!"

The crowd exchanged glances, then burst into good-natured, understanding laughter and whispers.

It's normal for heroes to have some eccentricities.

Moreover, he's the kind of ruthless person who dares to smash the head of a chosen one.

On the highway leading to Qingjian City.

A spacious seven-seater SUV drove smoothly through the now-recovered traffic.

The scars from the earthquake are still clearly visible on both sides of the road.

But more engineering vehicles and personnel are working hard to repair it.

Fang Qingyu sat in the passenger seat, his eyes slightly closed, enjoying the breeze blowing in from the window, carrying the scent of earth and grass. His nerves, which had been tense for too long, finally relaxed.

Qin Hui was driving, while Lao Qiao and Lü Chen were chatting quietly in the back seat.

Qi Hao sat behind Fang Qingyu, scrolling through his phone non-stop, his expression constantly changing, sometimes exclaiming in surprise, sometimes grinning foolishly.

"Qingzi," Qi Hao suddenly leaned halfway over from behind, shoving his phone screen almost right in Fang Qingyu's eyes, his tone full of mystery and excitement, "You've been busy recovering these past few days, you probably haven't been checking the forums, have you?"

Fang Qingyu lazily opened one eye: "No, what's wrong?" "Tsk tsk tsk, you missed a big show!" Qi Hao put away his phone, his fingers swiping rapidly, "The Songdu Sinkhole incident has completely blown up the internal forum of the Divine Management Bureau! Especially the part about you, it's been incredibly lively!"

Fang Qingyu raised an eyebrow, also becoming interested. He took out his phone and opened the familiar Bureau of Justice app with the crossed sword and shield emblem.

The message notification number was already a shocking "999+".

Click into the forum section.

The pinned posts, the highlighted posts, the posts with explosive popularity—each with an increasingly sensational title:
[Pinned][Official Announcement] Summary Report on the Songdu Pit Anomaly (Including Confirmation of the Identity of the Traitorous Chosen One, Sikong Zhen, and His Handling Results)
Popularity: ★★★★★
[Hot Post] [Live Coverage! Video!] A Martial Saint Descends from the Sky! The Flesh and Blood Giant is Instantly Killed! This is a True God Among Mortals!
Popularity: ★★★★★
[Hot Post][In-Depth Analysis] Combat Power Assessment of the 'Red-Headed White-Body Beast' (tentative name) and the Molting-Level 'Rotten Nest Monarch'! Just How Strong Are They?
Popularity: ★★★★

And even more posts related to him flooded the entire page:

[Breaking News!] [Pictures and Proof] The Chosen One Killed! That man named Fang Qingyu! Is he human or a ghost?! (Attached: Blurry distant view of the scene, two intertwined figures in the ruins)
Popularity: ★★★★★★★
Posted by: Frontline Nobody
"First Floor (Frontline Nobody): Holy crap, holy crap, holy crap! I was there! Right next to the force field barrier! I watched him blast his way out of that collapsed pile of rocks! He was on top of Sikong Zhen, punching him again and again! Like a pile driver! The scene was so brutal! So satisfying!"

"Second floor (onlookers): ??? OP, are you sure? Fang Qingyu? I remember his profile said he was a microscopic expert! He's supposed to crush the Chosen One? Are you drunk?"

"Third floor (Rock Squad - Ma Yan): @Second floor, I can testify. I rushed in with Deputy Director Zhao, and that kid really was riding on top of Sikong Zhen. I'll never forget that scene."

"Fourth floor (Qingjian Branch - Passerby A): The squad, that's our Qingjian (trembling)"

"Fifth Floor (Tactical Analyst): Judging from the extent of the destruction at the scene and Sikong Zhen's confirmed death (crushed head), Fang Qingyu's explosive power at that moment probably exceeded the limits of the peak of the Profound Realm! This is something no ordinary Microscopic Realm cultivator could achieve! He either broke through to the Profound Realm on the spot, or he was hiding his strength! It's terrifying to think about!"

"Sixth Floor (Crimson Flame - Thunder Gang): Heh, hiding his strength? I saw him at the entrance of the pit! I knew something was off about him back then! Microscopic vision? Bullshit! His eyes were fiercer than any of the peak-stage Transcendent Realm Ghosts I've ever killed! I knew he was no ordinary person!"

"Seventh Floor (worshipping the master): Holy crap! Even Team Leader Lei came out to testify! Fang Shen is awesome! (voice cracks)"

"Eighth floor (seeking a powerful backer): Fang Shen! Do you need any accessories? The kind that can shout '666'!"

[Hot Post] [Let's Dig Deeper] Fang Qingyu's Team Member 'Jiang Wei'! A First-Order, Third-Realm Divine Cultist at Only Eight Years Old! Is This Talent Even Human?!

Posted by: Intelligence Little Helper

Popularity: ★★★★★
"First Floor (Intelligence Messenger): Latest intelligence! Officially confirmed by the Songdu General Bureau Medical Department! Jiang Wei, the little girl who is inseparable from Fang Qingyu, has completed a spiritual leap after the sinkhole incident, officially entering the first-tier, third-realm 'Cultist of God' realm! She is eight years old! This is no longer a genius, this is a prodigy!"

"Second floor (Shocking Department): Eight years old? A member of the Three Realms God Cult??? I was still playing in the mud when I was eight! This world is insane!"

"Third Floor (Apostle Family - Gossiping): @Su Wanqing, Miss Su, as a fellow follower of the God's Way, what's your opinion?"

Fourth Floor (Su Wanqing): (Replying to Third Floor) Exceptionally talented, with a promising future. (Smiling face.jpg)

"Fifth Floor (Lemon Spirit): I'm so jealous! Fang Shen himself is inhumanly powerful, and his accessories are just as overpowered! Are we ordinary people even allowed to live?!"

"Sixth Floor (Truth Seeker): Accessory? Wake up, upstairs! Someone who can fight their way in and out of that hellish place with Fang Shen, can't be an accessory? That's clearly a young, powerful figure!"

[Discussion] What exactly did Fang Qingyu mean by shouting "bastard" when he finally killed Sikong Zhen with a hammer? Is there more to Chuangsheng Technology than meets the eye?
Posted by: Sherlock Holmes Conan
Popularity: ★★★★

"First Floor (Sherlock Holmes Conan): According to the vague recollections of several people at the scene, Fang Qingyu repeatedly roared the word 'bastard' when attacking Sikong Zhen. Combined with the fact that Sikong Zhen betrayed him and cooperated with the Molting-level Fate Ghost, I boldly speculate that Sikong Zhen may have undergone some kind of inhuman modification by Creation Technology! 'Bastard' might be Fang Qingyu's revelation of his true nature!"

"Second floor (keyboard warrior): The person upstairs has too much imagination! Maybe they're just getting carried away and hurling insults?"

"Third floor (senior researcher): @Second floor, not necessarily. Creation Technology's technology in biological genes and human modification is extremely evil and cutting-edge. The 'chimera' project, which forcibly merges human genes with the genes of ghosts or even more ancient organisms, has always been one of their forbidden research directions. If Sikong Zhen is really a 'chimera,' then the word 'hybrid' may be the most apt description of his nature."

Fourth floor (a chilling thought): Holy crap, this is terrifying! If even the Chosen Ones can be modified and controlled by them...

Fang Qingyu scrolled through the posts, some expressing amazement, some analysis, some admiration, and some skepticism, with a blank expression.

These noisy titles and discussions, like the scenery rushing past the car window, swept across Fang Qingyu's heart, but failed to stir up much of a ripple.

He never expected that a mission to support the Songdu underground pit would put him in such a precarious position.

Compared to the limited discussion caused by the insect nest incident in Qingjian City, this time the heat was explosive, sweeping across the entire internal network of the Bureau of Management.

Countless eyes are focused on it, and countless speculations are flying around.

Fang Qingyu lightly swiped his finger across the screen.

These clamorous titles and halos, in his eyes, were far less important than Su Wanqing's insightful words about "the power of nature," and even less significant than the weight carried by the "Hidden Dragon" card in his hand.

reputation?

It's nothing but a vain burden, a source that may lead to even more trouble.

Fang Qingyu casually closed the forum app, put his phone back in his pocket, and closed his eyes again, as if he had just casually flipped through an unimportant page of a newspaper.

Outside the window, the highway stretches into the distance, merging with the horizon.

The outline of Songdu City had long since disappeared into the distance.

The vehicle entered Qingjian city.

The SUV came to a steady stop in front of the familiar gray building of the Qingjian City Shenguan Bureau.

There were no flowers, no banners, and no welcoming procession.

Only a few familiar figures stood or leaned against the steps in front of the gate.

Lin Kang stood at the front, still wearing that faded black combat uniform, his posture as upright as a pine tree.

Duan Ling, clutching her signature dragon-headed broadsword, leaned against a doorpost.

Qu Zhe, Li Hu, and several other members of the third squad of the Dragon Ridge Camp gathered in twos and threes and talked in hushed tones.

The sunlight slanted down, casting long shadows on them.

The car door opens.

Fang Qingyu got out of the car first, and the stiffness in his left arm was still faintly visible as he moved.

Jiang Wei, like a little tail, jumped down right behind him, her clear gaze calmly sweeping over everyone.

Qin Hui, Qi Hao, and the others also got off the bus one after another.

The atmosphere was quiet; there were no cheers or deliberate small talk.

All eyes were on Fang Qingyu.

Lin Kang stepped forward, his deep and calm eyes scrutinizing Fang Qingyu. From his slightly pale face to the unnatural posture of his left arm, and then to the more restrained yet oppressive aura that had settled after being tempered by blood and fire.

No unnecessary words.

Lin Kang raised his hand and gently patted Fang Qingyu's shoulder with his broad and strong palm.

The warmth and steady strength emanating from his palm seemed to carry a thousand unspoken words.

The corners of his mouth, unusually, curved upwards in a subtle, almost imperceptible arc. The arc was faint, yet carried a warm, relieved feeling, and his voice rang out, deep and clear:

"Just come back."

Four words.

Simple and unpretentious.

It was like a warm current, instantly dispelling the fatigue of the long journey and easing the sense of alienation brought about by the noise on the forum.

They did not inquire about the thrilling details.

There was no exploration of incredible achievements, only the most basic concern and confirmation.

Fang Qingyu met Lin Kang's gaze, his tense lips relaxing slightly, and responded just as briefly:

"Ah."

it is more than words.

Duan Ling walked over with the knife in her arms, her sharp eyes sweeping over Fang Qingyu before finally settling on his left arm. She snorted, "You're pretty tough."

Qu Zhe grinned and leaned closer: "Qingzi, I heard you caused quite a stir in Songdu this time, enough to rip the heavens apart? Even the Martial Saint was alarmed? Tell us about it!"

"Ahem!" Lin Kang coughed lightly.

Qu Zhe immediately shut up, giving an awkward smile.

Fang Qingyu ignored Qu Zhe's gossip and glanced at the familiar faces: Duan Ling, Qu Zhe, Li Hu, and the team members who had gathered around.

A long-lost sense of peace, a feeling of "home," quietly enveloped him.

There are no overwhelming praises or halos here, only this group of comrades who have fought side by side on the brink of life and death, only this tacit understanding and care that needs no words.

Jiang Wei stood quietly beside Fang Qingyu, her small figure appearing very short in the setting sun.

She didn't speak, but her gaze swept over everyone, and she nodded slightly as a greeting.

The aloof aura that belonged to "Sister Jiang" seemed to have subsided somewhat, but her undeniable presence still made Duan Ling and the others subconsciously straighten their expressions.

"Alright, stop standing around." Lin Kang waved his hand, his voice regaining its usual calm. "Go do what you need to do. Fang Qingyu, your injury hasn't fully healed yet, go back to your dorm and rest. We can talk about it tomorrow."

"Yes!"

Everyone responded, and the atmosphere relaxed.

Fang Qingyu nodded, and under everyone's gaze, he led Jiang Wei and followed Lin Kang into the familiar gray building.

The setting sun cast long shadows of them into the building's shadow.

The wind in Qingjian City carried the unique warmth and dusty scent of a midsummer evening as it blew by.

A new, short period of rest has begun.

(End of this chapter)