Chapter 169: Back From The Dead

The moment the Saint Badge appeared, the entire hall froze.

Every influential figure present knew exactly what it was.

A Saint’s badge wasn’t just a symbol.

It was proof of association with a Saint’s authority, protection and power.

And a golden badge meant only one thing.

Saint Disciple.

Murmurs spread quietly across the hall.

Several Profound Lords exchanged glances.

Even the elders from the martial clans stiffened.

Ross’s eyes widened behind his glasses.

What was happening here didn’t make sense.

First, the masked intruder had somehow reduced the Star Power pressure of multiple Profound Lords at once.

Then he revealed a Saint Badge.

Which meant only one thing.

Miss Eve truly had a Saint backing her.

Ross had suspected as much.

In fact,

That had been the entire reason they had still risked running this operation in Tristan when Miss Eve had gotten wind of their operation.

It was to confirm it.

But if that was all, Ross would have accepted it.

But the situation didn’t stop there.

Because the man standing in the center of the hall.

Was someone who should have been dead.

Ross stared harder.

Even with the bone mask, he recognized him.

That sloppy disguise couldn’t fool him.

Adam.

A dead man had just walked back into the world.

The manager of Tristan’s Mission Hall stepped forward again.

His voice was calm and careful.

“What does the Saint demand?”

He didn’t know which Saint stood behind the badge.

But that didn’t matter.

All Saints were to be treated equally.

Fail to respect one and the consequences could be fatal.

Adam spoke for the first time.

“It’s simple.”

His voice echoed through the hall.

“To present evidence against Reliance.”

The room stirred.

Adam pulled out a small flash drive.

Then tossed it lightly toward the Mission Hall manager.

Inside it was a complete record of Hyper’s operations, testing logs, victim records and facility documentation.

Adam still held on to his own copy.

The manager caught the device and without hesitation, he turned to one of the acolytes accompanying him.

“Decrypt it.”

The acolyte stepped forward and connected the device to a portable terminal.

The hall fell silent again.

As everyone waited, while watching.

****

When the acolyte finished decrypting the flash drive, he froze.

“…It can’t be.”

The Mission Hall manager frowned.

“What is it?”

The acolyte didn’t answer immediately.

Instead, he turned the terminal and handed it over.

The manager’s eyes widened the moment he saw the screen.

More Profound Lords stepped closer, as they looked over his shoulder and one by one, their expressions changed.

From shock, to disbelief, then anger.

The terminal displayed far more than written reports.

There were video recordings.

Dozens of them.

In each clip, martial artists were injected with Reliance and minutes later.

Their bodies twisted, as they transformed into creatures identical to the strange creature lying on the floor.

Some of the test subjects were easily recognizable.

Missing martial artists.

Members of powerful clans.

Even heirs from influential families.

The hall erupted into whispers.

The Mission Hall manager slowly lowered the terminal.

Then he turned toward Ross.

“Mr. Cross.”

His voice was cold.

“What is the meaning of this?”

Across the hall, the head of Herbal X quietly tried to slip away but she didn’t get far.

Two acolytes blocked her path instantly.

Ross remained where he stood.

Silent.

The surrounding Profound Lords had already moved into position around him.

Adam had already lifted the Disable effect from them.

But Ross was still suppressed.

Ross sighed softly.

Then he turned his head toward Adam.

“So… you weren’t dead after all.”

Adam said nothing.

Ross tilted his head slightly.

“Did the Saint save you?”

The Mission Hall manager’s voice suddenly cut through the room.

“Answer the question, Cross!”

Ross looked at him slowly.

“…Are you brain-dead?”

The hall went silent.

“Or can’t you read?”

Ross gestured lazily toward the terminal.

“The evidence is right there.”

“So either arrest me…”

“Or shut up while I talk.”

The Mission Hall manager smiled.

Coldly.

“Get him.”

The acolytes and Profound Lords moved.

But before they could reach Ross.

BOOM!

The floor exploded.

Concrete shattered as Reliance-induced corpses burst up from beneath the hall.

Dozens of them.

A violent wave of Disable flooded the room.

Martial artists staggered as their Star Power plummeted.

Adam’s eyes narrowed.

I didn’t detect them earlier.

Which meant only one thing.

They had been teleported in.

And these monsters were different.

They were stronger than the ones he had fought at the base in Giant Sheep Hills.

Ross turned toward Adam, as his disguise peeled away.

White dreadlocks spilled down his shoulders.

His purple sclera gleamed under the lights.

“So,” Ross said quietly.

“If you don’t want to explain how you survived…”

“I’ll just kill you properly this time.”

But before Ross could move, Adam appeared in front of him.

The Reliance corpses had already begun rampaging across the hall.

Guests screamed.

Chairs overturned.

Combat erupted everywhere.

Adam spoke calmly.

“Bring the real you next time.”

Ross’s eyes widened, as Judgement flashed and Ross’s head fell from his shoulders, as his body collapsed.

But the corpse shifted the moment it hit the floor.

The body transformed into a completely different man.

Adam didn’t waste a second looking at it.

Instead, he turned toward the hall.

The Reliance corpses were already being held back.

Felecia.

Scott.

Remedy.

They fought alongside several Profound Lords, holding the monsters at bay despite their reduced Star Power.

Adam exhaled slowly.

“Time to end this.”

He pulled up his panel.

Adam’s panel appeared before his eyes.

╭───────────╮

〖Name: Adam〗

〖Rank: Profound Apprentice〗

〖Cultivation Talent: G〗

〖Special Talent: Equip ❖ Connect ❖ Analyze ❖ Fuse〗

〖Affinity: Wind ❖ Death+〗

〖SLOT〗

↳ SOUL (5): Rapid Charge D ❖

Cryogen D ❖ Cultivation D ❖

Mind Control E ❖ Bone Generation D

↳ BODY (6): JUDGEMENT

↳ Gene (3): Chaos

↳ Blessing: +5 Star Power

╰───────────╯

[Star Power: 52±]

[Existence: 23,000]

[Martial Spirit: Profound 3-Star]

Adam’s eyes moved straight to the last line.

Existence: 23,000.

More than enough.

He was finally able to reach this amount after his massacre inside Giant Goat Hill.

Thousands of monsters.

Dozens of agents.

Even a Profound Lord.

All of it had piled up into a massive reserve.

Which meant, he could finally upgrade his Martial Spirit.

Adam didn’t hesitate.

He spent 20,000 Existence instantly and a surge of power exploded behind him.

His Martial Spirit manifested into the physical world.

The spirit expanded rapidly.

Essence flooded the hall like a storm and the spirit continued growing.

Until, the transformation stabilized.

Martial Spirit: Profound 4-Star.

Adam slowly exhaled.

His senses sharpened.

Essence flowed through his body with far greater force.

His control over it felt cleaner.

Sharper and more complete.

The battle around him came back into focus.

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