A wide, white corridor stretched out before him. The lighting was soft, but the walls and floor were covered in the patterns of a light-blue Energy Barrier, clearly designed to prevent any form of energy from escaping or penetrating.
At the end of the corridor was a heavy alloy door. Standing before it were two medical personnel in white lab coats and a middle-aged man bearing the rank of Major General.
"General Wu." The middle-aged man stepped forward, his gaze quickly sweeping over Xu Wuyi. "Is this Martial Artist Xu?"
"He is," Wu Dingbo introduced. "Xu Wuyi, this is the deputy director of the general hospital and head of the medical department, Major General Lin."
Major General Lin extended his hand. "Martial Artist Xu, I’ve heard a great deal about you."
His palm was dry and firm. His Life Energy Level was around 40. Although he wasn’t a combat-type Martial Artist, his aura was steady and calm, a clear sign of his profound expertise in the medical field.
Xu Wuyi shook his hand. "General Lin, what’s the situation?"
"Follow me." Major General Lin said no more, turning to press his palm against a scanner beside the alloy door.
The door slid open without a sound.
Behind the door was a massive circular space, over fifty meters in diameter and more than ten meters high.
In the center of the space stood a silvery-white cylindrical device, about three meters tall and two meters in diameter. Its surface was covered in complex light paths and interfaces—the spiritual resonance device.
Dozens of monitoring instruments were connected to the device, their screens flickering with constantly changing waveforms and data. A dozen or so medical personnel bustled between the instruments. The atmosphere was serious and efficient.
An observation area was set up at the edge of the circular space, offering a full view of the interior through reinforced glass.
A few people were already standing inside the observation area. At their head was an elderly man in a dark gray tunic suit. His hair was graying and his face was gaunt, but his eyes were as sharp as an eagle’s.
"Deputy Minister Feng," Wu Dingbo whispered to Xu Wuyi. "The number two man in the military, a Spiritual Power Grandmaster."
Xu Wuyi nodded slightly. He and Feng Zhuohua were old acquaintances, though not many people knew it.
Feng Zhuohua’s gaze passed through the glass and landed on Xu Wuyi. It wasn’t an aggressive look, but it felt as if it could pierce through all pretense and see right to his very essence.
Xu Wuyi met his gaze calmly, without flinching.
After a few seconds, Feng Zhuohua gave a slight nod and said something to a staff member beside him.
The door to the observation area opened, and Wu Dingbo led Xu Wuyi inside.
"Minister Feng," Wu Dingbo saluted.
Feng Zhuohua waved a hand, looking directly at Xu Wuyi. "Xu Wuyi, I’ll be brief. The medical team is ready. In theory, you could rest for two hours before we begin, but Grandmaster Shen is running out of time."
"I understand," Xu Wuyi said. "I don’t need to rest. We can start now."
A flicker of approval showed in Feng Zhuohua’s eyes. "Good. However, before we start, Grandmaster Shen would like to see you."
He paused. "He just woke up and is insisting on speaking with you personally."
Xu Wuyi was somewhat surprised, but he had no intention of refusing.
"This way," Major General Lin said, leading the way.
On one side of the circular space was a smaller door that led to an adjacent intensive care unit.
The room wasn’t large and was sparsely furnished.
The most conspicuous features were the hospital bed in the center and the dense array of monitoring equipment surrounding it.
The air was filled with the faint smell of disinfectant and a subtle, almost imperceptible Energy Fluctuation.
When Xu Wuyi walked into the room, his eyes immediately fell on the person in the bed.
The Sword Emperor, Shen Jin.
This Peak Grandmaster, renowned throughout the Federation, was propped up against the headboard, dressed in a simple hospital gown. His face was pale, but his eyes remained bright and sharp.
He had the face of a middle-aged man with sharp, handsome features. There was a natural edge to his presence, like that of a sheathed blade.
However, Xu Wuyi could sense that beneath this sharp edge was a profound weakness, one that was being constantly eroded and drained away.
"Grandmaster Shen," Major General Lin said softly, "Martial Artist Xu has arrived."
Shen Jin turned his head, his gaze falling upon Xu Wuyi.
In that instant, Xu Wuyi felt an intangible pressure. It wasn’t a deliberate show of force from Shen Jin, but rather the natural presence inherent to a Grandmaster Level Martial Artist.
Even though Shen Jin was gravely injured, even with his power suppressed by the Sword Intention, the bearing he had forged through countless life-and-death battles still commanded respect.
But a moment later, Shen Jin smiled.
It was a peaceful, almost gentle smile, instantly softening the sharp edge about him.
"Xu Wuyi," Shen Jin began, his voice a little hoarse but his enunciation clear. "We finally meet."
Xu Wuyi took two steps forward and saluted. "Grandmaster Shen."
"Sit." Shen Jin gestured to a chair by the bed. "No need for such formalities here."
Xu Wuyi sat, while Major General Lin and Wu Dingbo retreated to a corner of the room, leaving the two of them some space.
Shen Jin studied Xu Wuyi carefully, his gaze sweeping from his face to his build before finally resting on his eyes.
"Qiao Tongyu has mentioned you to me many times," Shen Jin said. "He called you the most promising young man he’d ever met. I thought he was exaggerating at the time. Looking at you now, I’d say he was being conservative."
Xu Wuyi didn’t know how to respond, so he simply listened in silence.
"I’ve seen the data from your virtual battles," Shen Jin continued. "An eight-win streak, an average time of thirty-nine seconds per fight, an effective counter-attack rate of seventy percent... Very impressive."
"I know better than anyone the level of Ye Yixin’s Sword Intention. For you to find a way to counter it in such a short time proves that you’re not just talented, but also sharp."
He paused, his tone growing serious. "That’s why I specifically requested you."
Xu Wuyi looked up. "Thank you for your trust, Grandmaster Shen."
"It isn’t trust, it’s an assessment," Shen Jin said, shaking his head.
"The other two also defeated the Illusion, but their victories relied more on bursts of power and moments of inspiration. That method isn’t replicable, and my sea of consciousness can’t withstand such violent fluctuations, especially in its current state."
"Your tactics are different. They’re a systematic counter; you genuinely found a weakness in Ye Yixin’s Sword Dao. The Traits of your Heavy Water Heart Image, the concept behind your Gravity Swamp... Very clever."
Xu Wuyi hadn’t expected Shen Jin to understand his tactics so thoroughly.
"General Wu mentioned you don’t have much time while you’re conscious," Xu Wuyi began. "Shouldn’t we..."
"There’s no rush," Shen Jin interrupted. "Before we deal with the Sword Intention, there are some things I must make clear."
He leaned forward slightly, looking Xu Wuyi straight in the eye. "First, feel no pressure. You’re only Level 47. Asking you to enter a Grandmaster’s sea of consciousness to challenge Ye Yixin’s Sword Intention is an unreasonable demand in the first place. Success would be a miracle; failure is the norm."
"Second, if things go wrong, don’t try to force it. The medical team will be monitoring your mental state. The moment you show signs that you can’t handle it, they will forcibly sever the connection."
"You staying alive is more important than anything else. And that’s not just a platitude—the Federation needs young people like you."
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