Light Barrier

“Transcendents… appeared a long time ago. In order to maintain order, the Parliament chooses to hide the truth from the public. But as times change, it has become more and more difficult to conceal it.

“After Deep Sea connected the entire world, the East Continent officially established the Adjudication Bureau, and the authorities began to recruit unaffiliated transcendents. Due to restrictions, I won’t tell you about this part.”

“Senior Sister?”

“There are some matters you shouldn’t know now. You only need to know that the Adjudication Bureau has two main missions. One, imprison out-of-control transcendents, and two, recover transcendental sealed objects.

Luo Er stretched out a hand.

Above her palm, invisible currents swirled and transformed into dispersed energy. This cycle repeated, creating a whistling sound akin to tearing paper, which was oddly pleasant to the ears.

“At this stage, we still can’t explain what transcendental power truly is. Nature has ironclad laws and rules, while transcendental power is a kind of chaotic force that ‘breaks’, ‘ignores’, and ‘transcends’ these rules.

“Because of the existence of this force, many truths are no longer truths.

“For example, a broken mirror can’t become whole again.”

Luo Er looked to the side.

Whoosh!

A large glass mirror at the end of the training ground instantly shattered like mercury pouring onto the floor. The moment Senior Sister Luo finished speaking, the thousands of fragments flowed backward and neatly pieced back together the large mirror.

“Another example is, spilled water can’t be gathered again.”

A water pipe suddenly burst, spraying water out from the floor like a fountain.

The next moment, it was as though time were flowing backward. The water droplets scattered everywhere converged into a water pillar and compressed inch by inch. Finally, the burst pipe repaired itself and swallowed all the water. All noise disappeared, leaving only the quiet yet turbulent sound of water flowing beneath the floor.

A miracle.

This was a supernatural phenomenon beyond the comprehension of ordinary people.

And the initiator had only flicked her fingers and spoke a few words before casually bringing about this marvel as effortlessly as sipping tea.

Everything happened.

Yet nothing seemed to have happened.

“According to the current information, anyone at any age has the potential for transcendental power awakening. Awakened ones will possess formidable power, but at the same time, they will face the risk of losing control. This is the greatest crisis you will face in this assessment.” Senior Sister Luo paused. “Because of the fire case, your danger rating is extremely high. The Parliament won’t allow the possibility of a monster like you losing control.”

Out-of-control individual… Gu Shen recalled his initial encounter.

A-009 was an out-of-control individual. According to Mr. Tree’s information, many years ago, she had just been a normal member of the Ancient Text Society.

Because of his contact with A-009 and the fire incident, was he now considered at risk of losing control?

“So, the first lesson you need to learn is control.”

Control transcendental power?! I’m just an ordinary person. How can I control this imaginary power?! Gu Shen became deeply worried. The Adjudication Bureau didn’t know that the scene of his transcendental awakening was actually created by the Ruler of Truth. According to what Senior Sister Luo said earlier, it should be a transcendental sealed object.

The Adjudication Bureau was responsible for detaining out-of-control individuals and containing sealed objects. They should be afraid of the potential damage the two might cause if they wandered outside. If the Ruler of Truth fell into the hands of evildoers, it could very well lead to a catastrophe.

“Mr. Gu Changzhi, who once held the highest seat in the Parliament, once said that the relationship between the mind and the body is the foundation of all cultivation. The two are like water and a bowl. If one side gains momentum, the other side must keep pace. Both are indispensable. Those who lose control do so because of the imbalance between the two. If you want to eliminate it from the root, you need to work hard on your body first.”

Gu Changzhi, a name that still resounded like thunder to this day.

He was a hero that many people of the East Continent revered and worshiped twenty years ago. He became world-famous at a young age and had accomplished many legendary feats, but he had not been seen for a long time.

Gu Shen asked, “Is he related to the Adjudication Bureau?”

“Of course. The establishment of the Adjudication Bureau had a lot to do with Mr. Gu Changzhi,” Senior Sister Luo said softly. “Our teacher obtained a lot of support from him, including… something very important that can help you control transcendental power.”

She seemed to be searching for the right word.

The term ‘something’ was actually not very appropriate.

But there was no better word for it.

“Is it… a sealed object?” Gu Shen was curious.

“No.” Senior Sister Luo shook her head.

“You’ll know when I show it to you.” She extended a finger and tapped between Gu Shen’s eyebrows.

Buzz!

The entire training ground fell silent in an instant.

The sound of the wind, water, and fluttering insects were amplified infinitely. The entire world was in an extremely contradictory state of utmost silence and utmost clamor. Gu Shen felt a surge of drowsiness overwhelming him. In an instant, his eyelids felt as though they were full of lead, carrying a weight of millions of kilograms. He felt himself plummeting downward yet falling into a soft and fluffy cloud.

Am I being hypnotized? I can’t just fall asleep like this! In a flash, Gu Shen struggled and tried to wake himself up.

But… to no avail.

The force pulling him into the dream was too powerful and impossible to resist.

…

“He’s entered the dream.”

At the critical moment, Nan Jin stretched out a hand and caught the young man, stopping him from falling to the floor. She supported him and brought him to a bench at the edge of the training ground. Gu Shen had his head lowered and was in a deep sleep, his breathing deep and steady.

“He’s really not simple. He actually struggled for a bit.” Senior Sister Luo smiled. “Seems he’s a kid with secrets, but… I’m not interested in his little secrets.

“I still remember that when I first joined the Adjudication Bureau, I only received an A-grade evaluation.”

Luo Er fell into reminiscence and chuckled softly. “To comfort me, Teacher showed me Jingzhe (the awakening of hibernating insects due to thunderstorms), and I ended up sleeping for eight hours in that dream. The fastest person that year only took two and a half hours.”

“Senior Sister, the person you’re talking about is Han Dang, right? He can’t compare to you.” Zhong Wei’s tone was solemn. “In that dream, not only did you finish reading Jingzhe, but you even completely transcribed it. To this day, no one in the entire Adjudication Bureau has accomplished this.”

The mental dream that carried Jingzhe could not be described in words or replicated with technological means.

To comprehend it, people could only use the original copy left by Gu Changzhi in the Adjudication Bureau. Moreover, applying to read it required certain qualifications, authority, and contributions.

But there were always exceptions.

“So, our Jingzhe is imparted by Senior Sister’s Dream Induction, and Teacher never used the original copy of the Adjudication Bureau again.” Nan Jin looked enlightened.

Their senior sister had actually completely transcribed the Jingzhe Dream.

She frowned. “Han Dang, Zhu Wang’s favored disciple?”

“Yes, that Smiling Tiger who’s surly and temperamental. This teacher and disciple have to impeach Teacher every year,” Zhong Wei said angrily. “This time is no exception. Only when Teacher steps down can Zhu Wang rise to power as his replacement. They’re using the pardon order as leverage and refusing to let go of it. If nothing unexpected happens, they will scrutinize Gu Shen’s assessment very closely.”

Nan Jin was deep in thought.

In terms of qualifications, reputation, and strength, Zhu Wang was one of the very few figures in the Adjudication Bureau who could go toe-to-toe with their teacher. However, the two of them had never gotten along and never met, let alone cooperated. Their disciples even had a faint sense of confrontation and division.

In Mr. Tree’s lineage, Senior Sister Luo was the face.

And the leader of Zhu Wang’s lineage was Han Dang.

“The online meeting last night was intense. Gu Shen’s matter has attracted too much attention. Some people have stomachs full of bad ideas and are worried that there’s nowhere to release them.” Zhong Wei sighed. “In the meeting last night, everyone decided to conduct Gu Shen’s assessment in Oto City. I hope Han Dang doesn’t cause trouble.”

“We’ll deal with whatever comes our way.” Senior Sister Luo waved her hand. “Han Dang isn’t worth mentioning. It’s better not to tell Gu Shen about these matters to avoid putting too much pressure on him.”

“Hmm…”

Both of them nodded in agreement.

“Oh, by the way,” Nan Jin asked curiously, “Senior Brother, how long did it take you to finish reading Jingzhe?”

“Four hours and nine minutes, ten minutes slower than you,” Zhong Wei said with a smile. “Those who are qualified to read Jingzhe in the Adjudication Bureau are considered geniuses. As long as they can finish reading it and wake up from the dream in twelve hours, it’s considered a success.”

“Four hours is indeed a very good result.” Senior Sister Luo sank into her memories and sighed softly. “It was only later that I learned this isn’t a simple visualization dream, and the length of time it takes isn’t that important. Mr. Gu Changzhi, who created the Jingzhe Dream, actually left a very big secret mental treasure in it…

“So.” Luo Er looked meaningfully at the young man slumped on the bench and asked, “Do you think… Gu Shen has a chance to see that secret treasure inside?”