As spiritual energy revived, I, having acquired certain attributes, gradually ascended to immortalit

Wood Spirit?

Shen Qing looked puzzled, then remembered that it was the spirit born from the ancient tree at the construction site.

He had almost forgotten about it when Xie Chong pushed him away, but what did it have to do with him?

Seeing this, Li Feng continued to explain:

Last week, Dr. Yun personally led the team to set up a new formation that could be combined with human popularity, with the ancient tree as the core.

Within the array's range, not only can cultivation speed be increased, but even the aura of supernatural beings can be concealed.

Furthermore, as the new formations are gradually deployed in the later stages, the overall security of the city will be greatly enhanced.

"The community is also in the final stages of construction, and people can move in in at most another month."

Looking at Shen Qing, Li Feng finally stated his final condition.

"That wood spirit seems to be somewhat fond of you, and you also dealt with the zombies there, so your contribution is sufficient."

So the bureau held a meeting and decided to make you the first resident of the new community. Once you've lived there for three years, the property rights will belong to you.

"So? Do you want to stay?"

Before Shen Qing could react, Li Feng added another sentence.

"This is something that other departments absolutely cannot provide; they don't have a single ancient tree spirit that has survived the lightning tribulation."

"ha?"

Shen Qing was taken aback. He had roughly guessed that he would be promoted, but what was going on with suddenly getting an extra house?

It can also increase cultivation speed and conceal the aura of a supernatural being?

The original formation could use human popularity to suppress demons, making them feel disgusted and burned, thus protecting the people.

But those with supernatural powers are different; their aura is too prominent, and their popularity is hard to hide, otherwise they wouldn't be targeted by demons.

Only the base, as the original center of the formation, can barely provide cover, but the space is limited, so it's only suitable for training and temporary rest.

To avoid affecting those around them, most people with supernatural powers live alone, and the government provides them with subsidies and timely information and support regarding demons.

Or they're really rich enough to live in the city center, where there's a lot of activity and a few supernatural beings can still hide themselves.

Seeing Shen Qing deep in thought, Li Feng turned and shooed the other team leaders who were still lingering to the side:

"Get out of here! Your conditions can never surpass ours, so stop trying to steal our people!"

Although the team leaders were all unwilling and loudly proclaimed their respective conditions, they were indeed as Li Feng had said.

We can't compare, we can't compare at all.

Putting everything else aside, Shen Qing couldn't refuse the ancient tree formation alone, even though he had never intended to leave Binhai City in the first place.

Without saying anything, Captain Li, fearing he might run away, blurted out all the conditions at once.

……

With some time still to go before returning to Binhai City, Shen Qing packed her luggage and went for a stroll outside with Chen Chen.

I also tried the must-eat dish in the capital – douzhi (fermented mung bean juice) with jiaoquan (deep-fried dough rings).

That was absolutely authentic!

The sour and rancid smell assaulted the very top of one's head; even a supernatural being couldn't stand it and almost lost their powers on the spot.

But in order not to waste food, the two forced themselves to drink it.

Then, Shen Qing bought a lot of things to take back to give to her elder brother and sister-in-law, as well as the female knight-errant, and of course, Xie Chong's as well.

When it was time to go back in the afternoon.

The Li siblings had just returned from shopping and bought some things, which they put in the trunk of their car.

They glanced at a canned item in each other's bags, exchanged a look, and simultaneously revealed expressions of "like-mindedness."

Chen Chen stood to the side, his lips twitching involuntarily.

Aside from him and Captain Li, none of the people in this car were particularly kind.

But after getting into the car, Chen Chen noticed that Li Feng seemed to have put a cardboard box in the trunk as well—the packaging said "Huguosi Snacks".

"Alright, everyone's here, it's time for us to head back."

Li Feng's lips curled up uncontrollably. Of the four people who passed the second test, three were in his car.

How could I not be happy?

The vehicle started, and the roar of the engine gradually faded into the distance.

A short while later, a woman whose eyes were covered by a black veil walked out of the headquarters building.

"Brother, why are you so late? The person I was talking about..."

The middle-aged man, who appeared weak and seemingly oblivious to the woman's presence, waved his hand, interrupting, "I saw it, it's indeed quite good."

However, having just broken through to E-level, which is what people there call the eighth grade, he is incredibly powerful in every way.

His body, blood, and even his soul were unlike any other supernatural being he had ever seen, but... it was still not enough; he needed time.

But what we lack most right now is time.

……

Inside an off-road vehicle speeding along the highway.

"There's one more thing."

Li Feng suddenly spoke up, "Since the matter has been resolved, and I didn't want to disturb your mood, I didn't tell you right away, Shen Qing."

Upon hearing her name called, Shen Qing instinctively turned her gaze towards the source of the name.

Li Feng continued, "Both of the incidents you resolved were related to a certain force, you—"

"The Path of Sleeping Corpses!"

Shen Qing reacted instantly, grabbing the front seat with both hands. "Captain Li, did they do something?"

Aside from the name, he couldn't think of anything that could be related to the two incidents he had resolved.

Subconsciously recalling her counselor's last moments, Shen Qing felt a sudden unease, and her heart began to pound.

If he had any leads on the other party, he would have gone to their door long ago!

The only clue was that small-time hoodlum from the beginning.

However, the simple leaf tattoo on Wu Yuan's tiger's mouth is different from the seven leafless, withered tree images with closed eyes hanging on his chest.

Apart from both being related to trees, they have no other connection.

Normally, everyone would focus on the seven eyes, not the trees; people without specialized training would never make that connection.

Besides, the latter is too bizarre, while the former is just a petty thief; the gap between the two is too great.

Why would someone with supernatural powers who can control demons and even get his hands on a pistol steal something? Is he afraid of getting himself into trouble?

In the end, after a long investigation, the police only uncovered a criminal organization.

As for their side, the captain kept saying that they were investigating, and that was all.

"You don't need to rush."

Li Feng explained, "I said the matter has been resolved. Didn't your older brother and the others move away?"

The new residential area is bustling with activity, and demons hardly dare to approach it. It's the old residential area, but the team had already taken note of it and arranged manpower there.

So your girlfriend is fine too.

It's good that you're alright.

Shen Qing almost instinctively breathed a sigh of relief, but before his body could relax, he suddenly realized, "Girlfriend?"

The only person in his house is a female knight-errant—he's been exposed, he's been found out?

Shen Qing's eyes widened instantly.

Worried about being studied? Not really. An ancient time traveler isn't much rarer than a supernatural being. Besides, it's very likely to be a unique item.

We're too busy taking good care of her, thinking about it like that...

Shen Qing suddenly felt something was wrong, but couldn't quite put her finger on it, as if her mind was fogged up.

The next moment, he stopped worrying about these things and asked seriously, "Captain Li, what about the Sleeping Corpse Passage behind these walking corpses...?"

He couldn't feel at ease until he resolved the issue with the other party.

He wouldn't have dared to imagine it if his older brother and the others hadn't already moved away, and if the team leader hadn't mentioned arranging manpower.

"We've made some progress, but you've just finished the assessment and are both physically and mentally exhausted. Go back and get some rest."

The bureau is also making arrangements; there will be a time when you can lend a hand.

Seeing this, Shen Qing could only suppress her emotions for the time being and nod.

The only saving grace is that he has the backing of the state and has immense authority within the bureau. Although he is short-handed, protecting his family 24/7 is absurd.

But it's still more reliable than individuals or joining some third-rate personal organizations. The coverage is there, and it can provide timely rescue or detect problems in advance.

In the early stages of the spiritual energy revival, there was a shortage of people with supernatural abilities, so it was impossible to protect all the families of those with supernatural abilities one-on-one.

Just like some special positions among sheriffs, the authorities cannot arrange comprehensive protection, so they can only keep their distance from their relatives.

Unless everyone is put together and their individual movements are restricted, what's the difference between that and imprisonment?