The organization I founded has been exposed by the reborn!

In Shen Lesheng's view, the dark and dilapidated hall quietly crumbled.

In its place is a spacious and bright laboratory.

The constant temperature air was filled with the fresh scent of paper and ink, and the low hum of instruments running.

The sun shines brightly outside the window, and at the end of the long corridor is an academic hall filled with thunderous applause.

On the giant screen in the hall, his core scientific research achievement, which had consumed countless efforts and almost failed, was being displayed in a scrolling manner.

Today, it has become a milestone that has rewritten the standards of the entire industry and has been featured in the headlines of the world's top academic journals.

On the desk, there are stacks of appointment letters and cooperation proposals from top institutions from various parties.

Those once-respected and authoritative scholars and industry giants are now looking at him with admiration and respect, acknowledging his pioneering position in the field.

There was no unfair suppression, no powerless compromise, and no cold looks or prejudice because of poverty.

Every all-nighter he had endured over the past twenty years, every meticulously planned step in his life, paid off at this moment.

The heaviness and confusion that had been weighing on my heart for years vanished.

Standing in front of the long corridor, Shen Lesheng unknowingly fell into this dream tailor-made for him...

……

Zheng Qiang...

Feng Gang...

At this moment, all the members were trapped in an illusion woven by the vengeful spirits of shadow puppets.

They were so engrossed in it that they couldn't tear themselves away.

……

at the same time.

The dark hall in front of Su Yu also silently twisted and dissipated.

The biting, eerie wind and the stench of burning corpses faded away, replaced by a warm, gentle breeze and fresh air mixed with the scents of grass and roses.

He sat on the garden terrace on the second floor of his villa, in front of him was a wooden table covered with an elegant white lace tablecloth, and the black tea in the white porcelain cup shimmered with an amber light, with wisps of white steam rising.

Aunt Xuan carried a plate of freshly baked, fragrant butter cookies onto the terrace, her eyes full of gentle smiles: "Xiaoyu, have a piece while it's hot. You've been so busy lately, you've lost weight, you need to rest properly today."

As she spoke, she poured Su Yu a full cup of warm black tea and softly chatted about the pork rib soup she would be making for dinner, a scene full of the warmth and tranquility of an ordinary family.

Su Yu picked up his teacup and took a sip.

The warm, mellow aroma of tea melts on the tip of the tongue, and the sensation is so realistic that it is impossible to find any flaws.

"Brother, try this piece, I grilled it."

A clear and gentle voice came from beside me.

Su Yu turned his head.

Luo Qingyan wore a loose, soft, off-white knitted sweater, her long hair casually tied back, and her profile looked exceptionally gentle in the golden sunlight.

Her eyes, which were usually covered with an aura of icy coldness, were now clear and bright, curving into two crescent moons.

She picked up a golden cookie and held it to Su Yu's lips, her eyes and brows filled with unreserved dependence and affection, carrying a touch of girlish innocence: "The sweetness is just right, even Mom praised me for improving."

A warm breeze blows across the terrace, and the wind chimes tinkle.

Aunt Xuan was tidying up the flowers with a smile, while Luo Qingyan beside her was watching Su Yu with a smile in her eyes, urging him to take a bite quickly.

Without the shadow of the apocalypse, without the burden of responsibility, all the urgency and hostility of the world are completely dissolved in this peaceful little world.

This readily available sense of security made Su Yu lower his guard and become completely absorbed in it.

And then—

"Hey——!!"

A sharp, high-pitched cry rang in Su Yu's ears without warning!

Su Yu's spirits jolted, and his previously unfocused pupils instantly regained their clarity.

He could tell.

That's the sound of a six-eyed raven!

Su Yu regained consciousness instantly.

He looked at "Luo Qingyan" who was approaching him with enthusiasm, holding out cookies, and a cold glint flashed in his eyes.

The flaws are too obvious.

How could that 'little sister' who always has a cold face possibly act like a spoiled little girl?

"Such a flaw, how could I not have noticed it?!"

Su Yu put down his teacup, his eyes suddenly turning cold.

"boom!"

A surge of violent purple lightning erupted from his body, transforming into thousands of purple arcs of electricity that raged wildly throughout the villa garden.

The sunlight, the red tea, Aunt Xuan, and the passionate Luo Qingyan before him shattered like a fragile mirror under the bombardment of the purple lightning!

The illusion is broken.

Su Yu's consciousness instantly returned to reality.

Inside the dimly lit theater, he remained seated in his armchair.

A completely black raven had appeared on my shoulder without me even noticing.

Its six deep red compound eyes were coldly staring at the stage in front of it.

Su Yu broke out in a cold sweat.

The power of this shadow puppet vengeful spirit is truly terrifying.

He was caught off guard and fell victim to it without anyone noticing.

If it weren't for Xiao Hei's warning, he would have almost crashed!

Calm your mind.

Su Yu quickly turned to look at the five team members beside him.

Qin Xinran, Zhou Tian, ​​and the others all had lifeless eyes, staring intently at the two blood-red cinnabar eyes on the stage.

Their faces were adored with smiles of infatuation, happiness, or fervor.

"Time is running out."

Su Yu quickly calculated in his mind.

Although it felt like an eternity had passed within the illusion, in the real world, less than two seconds had gone by.

There's still time left before the three-second eye-to-eye death line that triggers the pattern!

"wake up!"

The [divine pressure] transformed into an invisible spiritual wave that violently shook the consciousness of the five people.

At the same time, to ensure absolute success, Su Yu immediately unleashed several violent, deep purple arcs of electricity from his fingertips, which attacked the five people respectively.

"Hmm!"

The five people shuddered violently, as if struck by a heavy hammer, and were pulled from the water like drowning people being forcibly pulled out of the water.

The mental pressure combined with the excruciating physical pain caused them to instinctively close their eyes, cutting off any eye contact with the vermilion eyes on the stage.

Almost at the same instant they looked away—

"Snap!"

A chilling, piercing crack echoed from the void.

The five pale bone scissors that had just formed in the void above their heads suddenly slashed in the dark air due to the loss of the causal lock of their gazes, and then disintegrated and shattered, turning into wisps of cold, gray-black yin energy that vanished without a trace.

Inside the main hall, heavy breathing echoed throughout.

Qin Xinran, Shen Lesheng, Zhou Tian and others slumped in their armchairs, their backs and foreheads completely soaked in cold sweat, their chests heaving violently.

Recalling the warmth he had experienced in the illusion, and looking at the bone shear marks that had just disappeared above his head, a chill ran down his spine and straight to the top of his head.

This kind of killing rule, which strikes at the deepest, most vulnerable part of the soul, is far more chilling than a direct confrontation with knives and guns.

They knew very well that if their leader hadn't jolted them awake at the last moment, they would have already been cut off from their most beautiful dreams and reduced to puppets on a stage!

"Thank you, Chief."

Zheng Qiang wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, his voice trembling.

"Thank you, Chief."

The others also expressed their gratitude, their eyes filled with lingering fear from what had just happened.

"Keep your mind focused."

Su Yu sat in the front row, his gaze fixed on the stage, and said calmly, "The show isn't over yet."

Upon hearing this, everyone immediately suppressed their excitement, composed themselves, and prepared for battle.

"Eeya—"

Behind the pale white curtain, the mournful singing of the female lead did not stop; instead, it suddenly rose a terrifying pitch.

The sound had completely transcended the realm of the living; it sounded as if someone's trachea had been severed, and they were desperately scratching at their throat with their fingernails, the sound echoing through the deep hall.

As the singing style changed, the rhythm of the erhu suddenly became faster.

The taut strings produced a piercing, cracking sound, and the originally melodious drumbeats now fell like hailstones.

Through the curtain, the paper puppets, which had been moving stiffly, began to convulse and dance wildly, exuding a hysterical frenzy.

The viscous smell of corpse oil in the air grew stronger, and the suffocating sense of oppression continued to rise.

All the strange phenomena indicated that this deadly shadow puppet show was about to come to its final end.

Listen carefully.

Su Yu leaned back in his chair and whispered to the five people behind him, "Clap your hands the moment the opera ends. Don't hesitate, don't forget."

applaud?

Upon hearing this instruction, everyone was filled with doubt.

Faced with a Class D vengeful ghost that could kill at any moment, you not only have to sit obediently in a chair and listen to it sing, but you also have to applaud and cheer for it after the performance is over.

This is utterly absurd.

But no one raised any objections at this moment.

Having experienced the initial deadly situation and the illusionary trap, they now have absolute trust in Su Yu.

If the leader tells us to applaud, then there must be a reason why we must applaud!

As for the rest... who cares!

……

Just now.

The frenzied singing in the blue dress rose again, the vocal cords violently rubbing against the edge of tearing, finally turning into a shrill shriek that could pierce eardrums.

The sound was abruptly cut off the next second.

The paper puppets dancing wildly behind the curtain froze in an instant, and the lingering sound of the erhu also came to an abrupt end.

The entire hall fell into a suffocating vacuum and deathly silence, even the surrounding cold winds stopped.

The shadow puppetry has now come to an end.

"when--!!!"

The brief silence lasted only half a breath.

At the very moment the singing faded away, a gong sound, far louder than any before, boomed out from the depths of the hall like a thunderclap!

A deadly threat looms.

The [Gong Soul-Shaking] and [Cinnabar Bewitching] effects are activated simultaneously at this moment!

The vengeful spirit of the shadow puppet is quite obvious.

It aims to stun the audience's souls with sound waves while simultaneously pulling at their consciousness with cinnabar-red light.

The goal was singular—to prevent everyone present from clapping!

Trigger the rules, cheers resound!

If the audience fails to cheer in time with the gong within 3 seconds of the opera ending, the shadow will immediately be removed!

"Clang! Clang! Clang!"

The terrifying sound of gongs rang out incessantly.

The violent sound waves shook the beams of the entire hall, causing them to rattle and splinter as wood chips fell down.

On the stage, the cinnabar eyes of the shadow puppets shot out dazzling blood-red light, wildly bewitching the audience's gaze.

But this time.

Thanks to Su Yu's advance warning, the five team members were well prepared!

"Close your eyes!"

Qin Xinran gave a low shout.

Everyone closed their eyes tightly, completely ignoring the blinding red light, thus physically cutting off the path of the hallucination.

Immediately afterwards, each of them used their abilities to resist the sound waves.

At the same time, bracing themselves against the sonic hammers powerful enough to shatter the souls of ordinary people, the five gritted their teeth and forcibly raised their hands.

"Slap! Slap! Slap!"

A crisp clap of hands rang out in the hall.

In the void.

The newly formed white bone scissors shattered and disintegrated the moment the applause erupted, as if encountering their nemesis.

The calamity of death was once again forcibly averted.

The sound of the gong suddenly stopped.

The hall fell silent once more.

"Splash—"

next second.

The huge, pale, semi-transparent curtain on the stage was suddenly torn apart from the very center by a tremendous force!

The pungent smell of blood mixed with the strong stench of corpses swept out like a storm.

The vengeful spirit of the shadow puppet has finally revealed itself.

Behind the curtain, a terrifying figure sat on a dilapidated armchair.

It has no skin.

All that remained of his body were dark red muscle fibers and pale bones.

The exposed flesh continued to ooze black pus, dripping onto the wooden planks of the stage with a grating, corrosive sound.

Its bloodied and mangled face had no eyes or nose, only an exaggerated smile that had been slashed open with blood and cinnabar, stretching all the way to its ears.

Its left hand was tightly gripping a rusty bronze gong.

In his right hand, he held upside down a huge pair of white bone scissors, two meters long, made of leg bones and ribs that had been polished and pieced together!

This is a Class D vengeful ghost, 【Shadow Puppet Ghost: The Master and the Puppet】!

As its true form is revealed.

A surge of extremely yin and death energy, several times stronger than before, suddenly spread out, instantly lowering the temperature of the entire hall to freezing point.

Qin Xinran and the others gasped for breath, their bodies instinctively tensing up.

The oppressive aura emanating from this D-level vengeful spirit caused a noticeable disruption to the energy flow within their bodies.

Faced with this terrifying monster.

Su Yu slowly stood up from the armchair.

He stood tall and straight, his black trench coat billowing slightly in the cold wind.

Su Yu stretched out his right hand and made a grasping motion in the air.

"Buzz—"

A silvery-white streak of light flashed by.

A heavy spear, its body a dark blue and its blade gleaming with a chilling light, appeared out of thin air in his palm.

The shaft of the Azure Spear struck the ground with a dull thud, shattering the blue bricks beneath its feet.

Holding a long spear, Su Yu's voice was calm yet cold, exuding an unquestionable air of authority: "When facing this kind of rule-based vengeful spirit, there are usually two ways to break the deadlock."

"Firstly, it's the same as before."

"Understand its logic, use the rules to fight the rules, block its murderous opportunities, and gradually drive it into a corner."

Everyone held their breath and listened quietly.

"Besides that, there is a second way."

Su Yu exerted force with his palm, his five fingers suddenly gripping the gun barrel tightly.

"boom!"

An overwhelmingly domineering and violent aura surged from his body.

Blinding purple lightning surged wildly down his arm, instantly transforming the dark blue gun barrel into a dazzling purple-gold hue.

Su Yu raised his eyes, his deep gaze piercing through the void, staring directly at the blood-soaked, vengeful ghost on the stage.

"That means suppressing them by force!"

"When destructive power exceeds its limit, all the rules it sets are nothing but a joke that collapses at the slightest touch."

Before he could finish speaking...

Su Yu raised his gun with one arm, the cold tip of the gun piercing the air and locking onto the bloodied remains on the stage.

Wild purple arcs of electricity raged through the hall, completely dispelling the eerie silence.

"Today, I'll show you what I'm capable of—"

"How to suppress a Class D vengeful spirit with absolute power!"