30: Chapter 30 Conspiracy in the Dark

Lin Wu awoke to find himself lying on a hospital bed in the Medical Center.

The white ceiling, the pungent smell of disinfectant, and the bandages wrapped around his body all told him he was still alive.

"You're awake?" a familiar voice came.

Lin Wu turned his head and saw Fatty Chen sitting by the bedside, a look of concern on his face.

"Fatty..." Lin Wu's voice was hoarse, "What about Chu Tianjiao? How is he?"

Fatty Chen's expression turned somber. "Chu Tianjiao... he hasn't returned yet."

"What?" Lin Wu abruptly sat up, pulling at his wounds and gritting his teeth in pain. "How? I clearly saw him holding back Ye Wuhun..."

"The search and rescue team has been scouring the Sand Sea for three days, but they haven't found any trace of Chu Tianjiao," Fatty Chen said. "Dean Li is also missing. His fate is unknown."

Lin Wu fell silent.

He remembered the scene of Li Changfeng burning his life force to unleash the Spatial Collapse, and Chu Tianjiao desperately holding back Ye Wuhun. To save him, both of them had paid a tremendous price.

"What about Ye Wuhun?" Lin Wu asked coldly.

"Also missing," Fatty Chen replied. "The search team found signs of intense battle at the site, but no bodies."

"Damn it!" Lin Wu clenched his fists, his eyes flashing with anger.

Ye Wuhun, the Dark Night Organization—the masterminds behind all this. They not only sabotaged the joint forbidden zone exploration mission but also caused Li Changfeng and Chu Tianjiao's fate to be unknown.

"I will definitely avenge this!" Lin Wu said through gritted teeth.

"Lin Wu, calm down first," Fatty Chen hurriedly said. "Your injuries are severe. You need to rest properly."

"I'm fine," Lin Wu shook his head and began checking his physical condition.

His injuries were indeed severe—three broken ribs and varying degrees of internal organ damage. But for a Martial Artist in the True Essence Condensation Realm, these wounds weren't fatal. Given time, he would recover quickly.

"My True Essence..." Lin Wu suddenly frowned.

He felt that the True Essence Core in his Dantian had become somewhat unstable, its rotation speed much slower than usual.

"In the battle with Ye Wuhun, your True Essence was severely depleted, nearly damaging your Foundation," Fatty Chen explained. "The doctors said you need at least a month of rest to fully recover."

"A month..." Lin Wu gave a bitter smile.

A month was far too long for a Martial Artist. During that time, his Cultivation progress could stagnate, or he might even be surpassed by others.

"By the way, what about Su Qingxue and Bai Wuchen?" Lin Wu asked. "How did their mission go?"

"They ran into trouble too," Fatty Chen said. "The Ghost Gate Pass in the Nether Mountains saw a massive surge of Undead Creatures. Their mission was forced to abort, and they've already returned to the Academy."

"It seems this joint forbidden zone exploration mission was a complete failure," Lin Wu sighed.

"Not entirely," Fatty Chen countered. "Although casualties were heavy, we still collected some important data and samples. Moreover, the various national Alliances have decided to strengthen monitoring of the forbidden zones to prevent similar incidents."

"Data and samples..." Lin Wu remembered the massive spirit source crystal within the Heart of the Sand Sea. "Right, what about the spirit source crystal?"

"What spirit source crystal?" Fatty Chen asked, puzzled.

"Inside the vortex at the Heart of the Sand Sea, there was a huge spirit source crystal, over a meter in diameter," Lin Wu explained. "Ye Wuhun's appearance is likely related to that crystal."

"A spirit source crystal over a meter in diameter?" Fatty Chen's eyes widened. "How much would that be worth!"

"Money isn't the issue; its strategic value is," Lin Wu said. "A spirit source crystal the size of a fist is enough for a Grandmaster Realm expert to Breakthrough to the Legendary Realm. If that crystal falls into the hands of the Dark Night Organization..."

"The consequences would be unimaginable," Fatty Chen said with a grave expression.

"We must report this to the Alliance High Command immediately," Lin Wu said, trying to get out of bed.

"Hey, hey, what are you doing?" Fatty Chen quickly stopped him. "Your injuries aren't healed yet. You can't Move around!"

"There's no time," Lin Wu insisted. "If the Dark Night Organization gets that spirit source crystal, they'll undoubtedly nurture more powerful experts. The entire world could be in danger."

"But..."

"Move aside."

Lin Wu pushed Fatty Chen aside, gritting his teeth against the pain as he headed for the door.

"Lin Wu, why are you so stubborn!" Fatty Chen sighed helplessly and followed.

...

In the temporary base's command room, the Huaxia Alliance High Command was holding an emergency meeting.

Lin Wu pushed the door open, and all eyes turned to him.

"Lin Wu? What are you doing here? Your injuries..." A middle-aged man stood up, concern in his voice. He was the deputy commander of this mission, a Legendary Realm Early Stage expert.

"I have important information to report," Lin Wu said. "Regarding the spirit source crystal in the Heart of the Sand Sea and the Dark Night Organization's conspiracy."

"spirit source crystal?" The deputy commander frowned. "What spirit source crystal?"

Lin Wu detailed everything he had witnessed at the Heart of the Sand Sea. When he mentioned the spirit source crystal over a meter in diameter, everyone's expressions changed.

"A spirit source crystal over a meter in diameter... how is that possible?" an old man said tremulously. "A spirit source crystal of that grade has never been seen before!"

"If the Dark Night Organization obtains it, the consequences would be dire," the deputy commander said gravely. "We must act quickly to stop them."

"But the Heart of the Sand Sea is now guarded by the Lord of the Sand Sea, with Ye Wuhun lurking in the shadows. It will be difficult for us to approach," another high-ranking official pointed out.

"Then we must act jointly with the other national Alliances," the deputy commander stated. "Although this mission failed, every Alliance suffered casualties. They won't stand idly by."

"I agree," Lin Wu said. "The Dark Night Organization is an enemy of all humanity. We must unite to deal with them."

"Lin Wu, you should go back and rest now," the deputy commander said. "Leave the next steps to us."

"I want to participate in the next operation," Lin Wu declared.

"No, your injuries are too severe," the deputy commander shook his head. "Moreover, you've just been through a life-and-death battle. You need time to recover."

"But..."

"That's an order," the deputy commander said sternly. "Lin Wu, you are a Genius of the Huaxia Alliance, our hope for the future. We cannot let you take risks."

Lin Wu remained silent for a moment, then finally nodded. "I understand."

He turned and left the command room, his heart filled with frustration. But he also knew the deputy commander was right. In his current state, participating would only make him a burden.

"Lin Wu, don't lose heart," Fatty Chen caught up and comforted him. "Once your injuries heal, you'll have plenty of chances for revenge."

"I know," Lin Wu said. "Fatty, do me a favor."

"What is it?"

"Help me investigate information on the Dark Night Organization," Lin Wu requested. "I need to know everything about them: their headquarters location, member composition, action plans, everything."

"What do you plan to do?" Fatty Chen asked, surprised.

"Ye Wuhun caused Dean Li and Chu Tianjiao to go missing, their fates unknown. I must personally avenge this," Lin Wu's eyes flashed with a cold light. "But before that, I need to understand the enemy."

"Alright, I'll help you," Fatty Chen nodded. "But you have to promise me not to act rashly until your injuries are fully healed."

"I promise."

...

In the following days, Lin Wu rested at the base while Fatty Chen gathered intelligence on the Dark Night Organization for him.

The Dark Night Organization was a global terrorist group founded in the early days of the Spiritual Qi resurgence. Their leader, Ye Wuhun, was a terrifyingly powerful Legendary Realm Peak shadow-type Ability User.

The Dark Night Organization's goal was to reshape the world order using the Spiritual Qi resurgence. They believed the traditional national systems and the Ability Association structure were obsolete and that a new world ruled by the strong should be established.

To achieve this, the Dark Night Organization carried out various acts of sabotage worldwide, including attacks on Ability Academies, destruction of Spiritual Qi facilities, and assassinations of political figures. They had earned the deep hatred of all national Alliances, but thanks to their formidable strength and elusive movements, they had never been completely eradicated.

"The Dark Night Organization's headquarters is rumored to be deep within the Nether Mountains, one of the three major forbidden zones," Fatty Chen said. "But the exact location is unknown."

"The Nether Mountains..." Lin Wu frowned.

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The Nether Mountains are the most mysterious of the three forbidden zones. It is said to be a gathering place for Undead Creatures, filled with all sorts of strangeness and danger. Even powerhouses of the Legendary Realm dare not set foot there lightly.

"Aside from the location of their headquarters, the Dark Night Organization has another secret." Fatty Chen lowered his voice and said, "I heard they have connections with 'Outworlders'."

"Outworlders?" Lin Wu's heart jolted.

Outworlders are invaders from an otherworldly dimension with strength surpassing SSS-rank, representing the greatest threat to human civilization. In the first volume, Lin Wu had heard rumors about Outworlders but had always thought they were just legends.

"That's right." Fatty Chen nodded. "It's said that the leader of the Dark Night Organization, Ye Wuhun, once had contact with Outworlders and obtained their support. This is one of the reasons why the Dark Night Organization has been able to persist."

"If this is true, then things are serious," Lin Wu said with a solemn expression.

The strength of the Outworlders is far beyond human imagination. If the Dark Night Organization is truly in league with them, then all of human civilization will face a massive threat.

"Where did you get this intelligence?" Lin Wu asked.

"I found it in the academy's intelligence database," Fatty Chen said. "However, the reliability of this information is still uncertain and needs further verification."

"Keep investigating," Lin Wu said. "I want to know everything about the Dark Night Organization."

"Understood."

...

A month later, Lin Wu's injuries had finally fully recovered.

During this month, although his cultivation did not increase, he gained a deeper understanding of the power of the True Essence Condensation Realm. Moreover, through continuous cultivation, his control over True Essence had also significantly improved.

"It's time to go back." Lin Wu stood at the entrance of the base, gazing at the distant sand sea, his heart filled with complex emotions.

Chu Tianjiao and Li Changfeng were still missing. The search and rescue team had stopped searching, concluding that they had perished. But Lin Wu didn't believe it; he firmly believed that Chu Tianjiao and Li Changfeng must still be alive.

"Wait for me, I will definitely find you," Lin Wu said silently in his heart.

He turned and boarded the transport plane, flying toward the Huaxia Supernatural Academy.

...

Upon returning to the academy, Lin Wu found that the atmosphere inside had become somewhat heavy.

Li Changfeng's disappearance was a huge blow to the academy. As the academy's Dean and a powerhouse of the Legendary Realm, Li Changfeng was not only the academy's pillar of support but also an important figure in the Huaxia Alliance. His disappearance left the academy in a leaderless state.

"Lin Wu, you're back." Su Qingxue appeared before Lin Wu, her face carrying a hint of fatigue.

"Su Qingxue, are you alright?" Lin Wu asked.

"I'm fine," Su Qingxue said. "Although the mission to the Nether Mountains failed, we had no casualties."

"That's good." Lin Wu nodded.

"I heard you encountered Ye Wuhun at the Heart of the Sand Sea?" Su Qingxue asked.

"That's right." A flash of anger crossed Lin Wu's eyes. "He caused Dean Li and Chu Tianjiao to be missing, status unknown. I must avenge this debt."

"Ye Wuhun's strength is too great; you are not his match," Su Qingxue said. "If you want revenge, you must become stronger."

"I know," Lin Wu said. "So, I need to Breakthrough to the Grandmaster Realm as soon as possible."

"Grandmaster Realm..." Su Qingxue looked at Lin Wu, a hint of worry flashing in her eyes. "From the True Essence Condensation Realm to the Grandmaster Realm is a massive threshold. Many people are unable to cross it in their entire lives."

"I can definitely do it," Lin Wu said firmly. "To get revenge and to protect those I cherish, I must become stronger!"

Looking at Lin Wu's determined eyes, a wave of complex emotions welled up in Su Qingxue's heart.

"Alright," she said. "If you need help, you can come to me anytime."

"Thank you, Su Qingxue," Lin Wu said sincerely.

"No need for thanks," Su Qingxue said calmly. "We are friends, aren't we?"

"Friends..." Lin Wu smiled slightly. "Yes, we are friends."

The two looked at each other and smiled, everything understood without words.

...

That evening, Lin Wu went to Gu Cangwu's bamboo hut.

"Master, your Disciple has returned." Lin Wu bowed respectfully.

"It's good that you're back." Gu Cangwu nodded. "How is your recovery?"

"I've fully recovered," Lin Wu said. "Moreover, I have gained a deeper understanding of the power of the True Essence Condensation Realm."

"Very good." Gu Cangwu nodded with satisfaction. "Lin Wu, do you know the mysteries of the Grandmaster Realm?"

"Please guide me, Master," Lin Wu said.

"The Grandmaster Realm is the fourth Realm of Martial Dao cultivation and the stage where one truly enters the upper echelons of Martial Dao," Gu Cangwu said. "In the Grandmaster Realm, a Martial Artist needs to further condense the True Essence Core to form a Void Core. At the same time, one must comprehend their own Martial Dao True Intent and create their own Martial Dao Avatar."

"Void Core?" Lin Wu asked in confusion.

"That's right." Gu Cangwu nodded. "The Void Core is an sublimation of the True Essence Core, a product of highly condensed True Essence, containing even more terrifying energy. However, the Void Core is not a physical entity but an energy core that exists between the void and reality. Only upon reaching the Great Grandmaster Realm can the Void Core be further condensed into a true Golden Core."

"And what about Martial Dao True Intent?" Lin Wu asked.

"Martial Dao True Intent is a Martial Artist's understanding and perception of their own Martial Dao," Gu Cangwu said. "Everyone's Martial Dao True Intent is different. Some pursue the ultimate of power, some pursue the limit of speed, and some pursue the Perfection of defense. Only by finding your own Martial Dao True Intent can you create a Martial Dao Avatar that truly belongs to you."

"What is Master's Martial Dao True Intent?" Lin Wu asked curiously.

"My Martial Dao Avatar is a sword, so my Martial Dao True Intent is naturally 'One Sword Breaks Ten Thousand Laws'," Gu Cangwu said. "I believe that no matter how powerful the enemy or how complex the Move, it can all be broken with a single sword strike. This is my Martial Dao."

"One Sword Breaks Ten Thousand Laws..." Lin Wu murmured to himself, falling into deep thought.

What should his Martial Dao True Intent be?

Should it be the pursuit of ultimate power? The limit of speed? Or perhaps something else?

"Lin Wu, the comprehension of Martial Dao True Intent requires time and Opportunity," Gu Cangwu said. "You don't need to rush right now. First, Cultivate the True Essence Condensation Realm to its Peak and build a solid Foundation."

"Yes, Master." Lin Wu nodded respectfully.

"Also, there is something I must tell you." Gu Cangwu's expression became serious. "The Chu family has been making frequent Moves lately, and they seem to be targeting you."

"The Chu family?" Lin Wu frowned.

After Chu Tianjiao went missing, the Chu family had not made any public statements. Lin Wu thought they had given up on targeting him, but he didn't expect them to still be acting in the shadows.

"Chu Tianjiao is the Young Lord of the Chu family. His disappearance is a huge blow to them," Gu Cangwu said. "Some people in the Chu family believe that you caused Chu Tianjiao's death, so they want to retaliate against you."

"Absurd!" Lin Wu said angrily. "Chu Tianjiao went missing to save me. How could I possibly harm him?"

"I know, but some people in the Chu family don't think that way," Gu Cangwu said. "Be careful. The Chu family's influence is vast. If they truly decide to deal with you, it will be very troublesome."

"I understand," Lin Wu said. "But I will not back down. No matter what difficulties I encounter, I will face them bravely."

"Good!" Gu Cangwu laughed heartily. "That's my Disciple!"

"Go now and Cultivate well," Gu Cangwu said. "Once you Breakthrough to the Grandmaster Realm, you will have the qualifications to confront the Chu family head-on."

"Yes, Master!"

Lin Wu bowed respectfully and turned to leave the bamboo hut.

In the night sky, stars dotted the expanse, and the moonlight was like water.

Lin Wu stood in the bamboo grove, looking at the distant sky, his heart filled with firm conviction.

"Chu Tianjiao, Dean Li, wait for me."

"Ye Wuhun, Dark Night Organization, I will definitely find you and avenge those who died!"

"Chu family, if you truly want to be my enemy, then bring it on. I, Lin Wu, will never back down!"

"Grandmaster Realm, I will definitely Breakthrough!"

Lin Wu clenched his fists, his eyes burning with intense Battle Intent.

The path of Martial Dao is endless.

His journey has only just begun.