Chapter 34

Chapter 34

Adepts have their own hierarchy, just like cultivators, but the cultivation system for abilities is different. Without guidance from predecessors, they just follow their natural hunger for power and level up step by step. For now, only three tiers are known: low, mid, and high.

The two adepts that died while catching the Xian Fish earlier were only low-tier.

In their country, the US, the Adept Management Bureau already has a superhuman project that's fully set up. Anyone with an affinity for the five elements can get their latent potential—their abilities—unlocked through tech.

However, most adepts awakened through such tech means stay low-tier forever. Due to insufficient innate talent, most of them can't cultivate and advance. That's why the US didn't grieve over the two who died that day. Low-tier adepts can be mass-produced as long as there's a need.

Of course, this whole artificial creation thing is strictly banned in the cultivator community. They can only do it on the down-low, pretending it's just unlocking innate talent, and must not openly violate the convention. Otherwise, cultivators worldwide could ignore the convention and wage war against them directly.

Ousen was different. He was a high-tier adept, one of the top adepts in the US, and he was also a descendant of the Shadow Warrior family.

The so-called Shadow Warrior families in the US started out as assassins. Their abilities are earth-based, great at hiding their aura and sneaking around using earth power. They have their own cultivation methods, which are not passed on to outsiders.

Losing such an adept was a heavy blow to the US.

Now that the loss had been incurred, their goal was to pressure China and try to recoup as much of the loss from that high-tier adept as they could.

In the special meeting room of the Management Bureau, Hull sat silently in his chair, while the adepts who came with him sat in a row beneath him.

Ike—the blond that Bai Zhizhi clawed—had teamed up with Ousen and the others to cause trouble for Bai Zhizhi, something Hull knew nothing about.

He had been busy negotiating quotas with Chinese cultivators when he was told that Ousen's Ability Core had been destroyed, and the most likely culprit was that fox. Hull then seized the opportunity to demand an explanation through official channels.

Since Ousen was already useless, he might as well squeeze every last bit of value out of the waste.

The Bureau Chief sat in the center, while on the other side of the conference table sat a row of cultivators. Several team leaders who hadn't entered the energy field but had come to the capital due to the energy field incident were also present.

The atmosphere in the meeting room was tense, with a palpable sense that war could break out at any moment.

This time, Hull didn't make a big scene like before. Some stuff you can argue by yelling, but other stuff works better if you don't. This time, he was determined to force the Chinese Management Bureau to hand over Bai Zhizhi. With old grudges and new grievances combined, he would make that fox understand the cost of offending a powerful nation.

The team leaders on the other side exchanged glances, feeling the pressure. For the Deputy Bureau Chief to personally fetch someone, this little fox demon must have more tricks up his sleeve besides being the keyholder to the energy field. Today's matter likely wouldn't end peacefully.

Song Cheng entered with his people, instantly heightening the already tense atmosphere to its peak.

Bai Zhizhi swept his gaze over the room, finally landing on Hull, whose expression hid smugness beneath malice. He followed Song Cheng inside, calm as could be.

Song Cheng gestured to his people, and several team leaders quickly stood up to vacate two seats. Bai Zhizhi sat down without ceremony, looked at Hull, then glanced around the row of adepts beside him. "Didn't the one who got crippled come?"

Hull raised an eyebrow and smirked. "We're here on a mission of bilateral diplomacy. You crippled one of our men—are you declaring war on our country?"

The Bureau Chief glanced at Hull, but before he could speak, Bai Zhizhi laughed. "Your 'bilateral diplomacy' means first framing us, then, when that fails, trespassing on my territory, and when you're outmatched and get crippled, you use the nation to pressure me?"

Hull: "What evidence do you have that we trespassed on your territory? I think you're just nursing a grudge and getting back at me out of spite!"

Bai Zhizhi let out a "wow." "First time I've seen someone act but then not own up to it."

Even the cubs in his clan wouldn't do such a thing. If you act but won't take responsibility, everyone looks down on you.

Hull slammed the table. "Cut the crap! Your country crippled our US adept. If you don't give us an explanation, our country will terminate all cooperation!"

The moment he finished, a crisp slap rang out, and Hull was sent flying backward.

As soon as Bai Zhizhi made a move, the US adepts tried to counterattack, but out of nowhere, a small bell appeared. It flew to the center of the table and gave a gentle shake. With a resonant hum, the adepts preparing to strike were forced to their knees by an overwhelming pressure.

Bai Zhizhi looked at Hull, whose mouth was full of blood from the slap. "I wasn't planning to settle scores with you. After the Luoxia Creek incident, I promised Jiang Lin that if you didn't provoke me, I wouldn't hold a grudge. What made you think you could keep coming after me?"

Song Cheng spoke up. "Zhizhi."

Bai Zhizhi turned his head. "You humans are disgusting. You twist the truth and refuse to admit what you've done."

The Bureau Chief cleared his throat. "People aren't all the same, just as demons differ from one another, right? I can't speak for others, but I can swear no Chinese cultivator would do that. We sure as hell act and own up to it."

Hull's face turned ashen. The moment he moved, another slap came flying at him from across the room. Before he could even get up, he was knocked dizzy, stars swimming in his vision.

Bai Zhizhi raised his hand, and Hull was lifted into the air. His limbs were bound by an inescapable force, and even the powers inside him felt sealed off, completely unusable.

Just then, a video call came in. The Bureau Chief glanced at it—it was the director of the US Adept Management Bureau. He answered, and the scene in the meeting room was transmitted directly.

The US Director took in the situation and said, "Director Shang, Hull is representing our country in negotiations with China over the distribution of Spirit Soil. Your country has a saying: 'Don't kill the messenger.' Given this situation, are you looking to take this to an international court?"

Bai Zhizhi looked at the man on the big screen. "Are you the boss of these guys?"

The US Director turned his gaze to the handsome fox demon from China and smiled. "This matter is no longer just a personal feud between you and Hull. It's between nations. Director Shang, I don't think you'd want a rash move that messes up relations between our two countries."

Bai Zhizhi looked at the Bureau Chief. "What stability? You're twisting the truth, and we're supposed to just eat the anger?"

The Bureau Chief faced the screen. "This incident was indeed provoked by your people. We can stop here, and I hope you'll know when to back off."

The US Director sneered. "If your cultivator had their cultivation crippled on our soil, would you be able to 'back off'?"

Bai Zhizhi was about to speak, but the Bureau Chief held him back. "If it were our cultivator, and they provoked first and lost due to inferior skill, I'd be too embarrassed to go get revenge for them."

The favoritism in his words was utterly undisguised. The US Director said, "In that case, please ensure the safety of Hull and his people. I'll send someone to retrieve them immediately. Our cooperation will be suspended until this matter is resolved. I hope that new energy field has what you want."

They had studied the newly discovered energy field in China for years. Based on available data and notes left by predecessors who had entered, it was filled with strange rock formations and mines, but no Spirit Plants. The mines were valuable, but compared to Spirit Soil capable of growing Spirit Objects, they seemed less significant.

As they spoke, Hull felt the breathable air getting thinner and began to struggle involuntarily. The US Director saw Hull's condition through the camera and said coldly, "Director Shang!"

Bai Zhizhi pushed the Bureau Chief aside. "What are you shouting for! Right now, he's offended me. Whether to release him is my call. Forget China or the US—this is now between my fox clan and your human race."

He then turned to the cultivator side's Bureau Chief. "I won't make things hard for you. What are you cooperating with them for? Spirit Soil? I've got loads. You're better off begging me than begging them."

With that, Bai Zhizhi tossed out a small pouch the size of a sachet. It flipped over in midair, and black soil poured out endlessly. The rich spiritual energy filled the meeting room, leaving the cultivators momentarily dazed as they instinctively started sucking it in, cycling their spiritual power to cultivate.

The US Director's expression shifted. He couldn't tell if it was real Spirit Soil through the screen, but seeing the cultivators' reactions, it likely was. Beyond that, the storage item holding the Spirit Soil caught his attention.

They hadn't yet mastered spatial energy, so they couldn't create storage items. The existing ones were relics from predecessors, found in energy fields, and their numbers were extremely limited. The entire US, having explored numerous energy fields, had fewer than ten.

This fox actually had a storage item. Compared to the Spirit Soil, he craved that even more.

The small pouch seemed bottomless, pouring out Spirit Soil in a torrent that soon piled into a small mountain in the meeting room. The adepts kneeling on the ground were buried up to their necks.

The Chinese cultivators were both thrilled and at a loss, feeling like they could laugh in their dreams just from being buried in Spirit Soil like this.

Before the room could be completely flooded, Bai Zhizhi sat on the table, put away the pouch, and looked at the white-haired old American guy on the screen. "I'll give you two choices. One: this is a personal conflict between me and Hull. Two: this is a conflict between my fox clan and your US. Pick one."

The Bureau Chief interjected at the right moment. "Sorry to interrupt. The key provider for the newly discovered energy field is Bai Zhizhi. Director Wells, the final entry list will be up to Mr. Bai Zhizhi."

The US Director's face ran through a bunch of expressions before he finally smiled. "Adults gotta own up to what they do. Hull, since you were outmatched, apologize properly."

With that, the US Director ended the video call. He didn't know the fox demon's full strength, but producing so much Spirit Soil at once meant he wasn't some ordinary demon. While high-tier adepts were valuable, they weren't worth making a powerful enemy.

Chinese demons—he wondered how they compared to the wolf clan or the vampire clan. Until he understood the fox's background, it was best not to act rashly.

After Wells ended the call, Bai Zhizhi was momentarily stunned. He turned to the Bureau Chief. "So he's just bailing on it?"

The Bureau Chief smiled. "That seems to be the idea. But Zhizhi, if they're willing to apologize and admit their mistake, would you be big enough to let it slide and spare their lives?"

Even if Wells had backed off, they couldn't just ignore the situation. Killing Hull would just make it worse.

Bai Zhizhi didn't respond to the Bureau Chief. Instead, he looked at Hull, whom he had bound, tilted his head with a grin and spit out poison: "Looks like your boss dumped you."