In the Longxia Empire.
If the military acted as the frontline defense against the Abyss, the Psychic Affairs Bureau was the key to maintaining internal order.
Issues like monster outbreaks in secret realms or crimes involving supernatural abilities were fully handled by the Bureau.
Encountering a violent organization like the Holy Spirit Cult, a law-abiding citizen like Baili An naturally reported the incident to the Bureau immediately.
The official agencies in this world could indeed be trusted.
He also worried that after killing those three cultists, the Holy Spirit Cult might use some special means to track him down.
Upon entering the Bureau, Baili An briefly explained his situation to the front desk.
The receptionist's expression immediately turned serious and invited him into an interrogation room.
Soon after, a man in formal attire entered.
Tall and imposing, with distinguished features and calm, piercing eyes, he radiated a natural air of authority.
From the moment he stepped in, Baili An felt a faint, subtle psychic presence observing him.
"Hello, I'm the Deputy Director here," the man said. His voice was steady, measured, giving off a reassuring sense of calm.
"Hello," Baili An replied politely with a nod.
It was clear the authorities were extremely sensitive to the Holy Spirit Cult.
The fact that someone of this rank personally came after such a simple report spoke volumes.
Behind the one-way glass beside the interrogation room, three specialized officers were observing and recording the interaction.
"Could you provide more details about the incident?"
The Deputy Director maintained a neutral expression, but inside he was impressed by Baili An's youth and the depth of his psychic power.
Even during his tenure in the imperial capital, he had never seen such a prodigious psychic among teenagers.
Baili An spent several minutes explaining everything in detail.
When he mentioned killing the Gluttonous Slime and using illusion techniques to deal with the two cultists, Baili An caught a fleeting look of surprise on the man's otherwise composed face.
He also informed the Deputy Director that the Holy Spirit Cult might attempt to assassinate a student from First High School, without explaining how he knew this.
The Deputy Director chose not to press further.
"The bodies were hidden in nearby grass. It should still be possible to retrieve them," Baili An added.
Once the Bureau reached the scene, they had special methods to verify the cult affiliation and confirm his report.
"We will dispatch personnel immediately to search," the Deputy Director said, nodding. He did not question why Baili An hadn't brought the bodies with him.
"Anything else to add?"
"No," Baili An shook his head and signed a document under the Deputy Director's guidance.
Finally, the Deputy Director stood and looked at Baili An with genuine gratitude.
"Thank you for the information. Once it's verified, the Bureau will provide a reward."
He handed Baili An a business card. "Here is my contact. If you encounter anything related to the Holy Spirit Cult in the future, you can call me directly."
Baili An accepted the card and promised to do so before leaving the Bureau.
The three observers stepped out of the interrogation room. One, a man wearing glasses, spoke to the Deputy Director.
"At just seventeen, he can easily take down three fifth-tier operatives. Granted, they were peripheral cult members, but it's still impressive."
"According to the database, Baili An's power level was only E-rank when he first awakened. Now, it seems he has undergone a second awakening."
"Second awakening…" The Deputy Director looked at Baili An's retreating figure, a faint smile appearing on his otherwise serious face.
"Dispatch personnel to monitor him discreetly until the national selection," he instructed.
The others were surprised, glancing at him. The man with glasses questioned, "Is that necessary? The cult isn't even targeting him, and our manpower is limited."
"Precaution is warranted. A prodigy like this is bound to attract the cult's attention. We should prevent him from being drawn into unnecessary trouble," the Deputy Director explained.
"This boy's talent is remarkable. Could he really be this exceptional?" the glasses-wearing officer asked further.
The other two observers quietly respected the man's insight. Clearly, he had the confidence of someone from a powerful family.
The Deputy Director glanced at him. If his intentions were not for the Bureau's good, even someone with his connections would face consequences.
"With his psychic strength, once he masters the secret psychic techniques, he could elevate his powers to sixth-tier within a year," the Deputy Director added.
The man with glasses' eyes widened. After a moment, he admitted, "Then it does make sense to take precautions."
The next day, early morning.
Baili An naturally woke before six, following the biological rhythm he had cultivated over the years.
After washing up and a quick breakfast, he didn't rush out like usual.
From now on, he would no longer train in the secret realms. Over the past six months, his skills in martial arts, swordsmanship, illusions, and fire-based abilities had become nearly flawless.
Even throwing weapons reached an astonishing level with just minimal practice.
With his Sharingan, his progress had accelerated tremendously.
The true strength of the Sharingan likely lay in this ability.
Having trained so long, Baili An knew it was time to plan his next step, particularly the national selection for third-year students with supernatural abilities.
With free time in the morning, he spent a while reading.
"Speculations on Abyss Consciousness Based on Hive-Mind Thinking" appeared to be a treatise on the Abyss but, between the lines, revealed much about human nature.
By eleven, he changed and left for Kaiping First High School.
It was his first time returning in two and a half years.
Holding his old student ID, he explained briefly to the security and was allowed entry.
The bell rang, marking the end of morning classes.
Old He returned to his office after a morning of practical lessons.
Just before entering, a colleague called out, "Old He, there's a handsome young man here to see you."
Old He froze in surprise and responded.
A handsome young man?
The practical students had already left. Could it be a student from the academic department?
Pushing open the office door, he saw an unexpected figure.
Tall, well-built, and strikingly handsome, the youth exuded a graceful aura. Despite two years apart, Old He immediately recognized him.
Baili An had also noticed the door opening and saw his former homeroom teacher.
His hair was still thin, and his scalp less shiny than before.
Baili An smiled genuinely. "It's been a long time, Teacher…"