CHAPTER 87: CULTIVATOR OF THE QI PATH!

A War...

A war with another world—an unknown world, teeming with dangers they had no information about. And worse, they stood on a knife’s edge. A single wrong move, and not only would their Bureau be wiped out by fellow Souler inhabitants of Earth...

But with no worshippers left, Zeus’ wrath would turn toward Earth itself. The planet would be destroyed.

"Other Empires are currently gathering their forces as we speak. At this instant, all teleportation gates must be made ready. The Great Lumen Empire, powerful as it is, is just one Empire. It will not survive a full-scale incursion if the beasts—or worse, the inhabitants—of that world break through the portal."

He looked around, his expression steeled.

"As for our armies stationed in Labyrinth branches across the world—we wait and hope they arrive in time, before a dungeon break occurs. Once they arrive, we move. Some forces will remain to guard this base... while the rest of us will enter the dungeon."

He inhaled deeply.

"We do not stand against Earth. We stand with Earth. Though we oppose some of Deus’ actions, we acknowledge that much of it was done for the greater good."

"We simply hold a different belief. A different path. And we hope—truly—that the soul-energy wielders of Earth will come to understand this."

He stood up from his seat, his voice rising now with power and conviction.

"This world is our flesh and blood! All of us here know what our ancestors went through to protect it. Even though an outside force helped us win back then, their sacrifice must never be in vain!"

His eyes burned with fervor.

"We must fight with all our strength... and vanquish our enemies—FOR EARTH!"

His voice thundered through the Grand Hall.

"FOR EARTH!!" they all responded in unison, the chamber shaking from the force of their voices.

The patriarch raised a clenched fist. "If we win this fight, not only will we gain more strength... but our world will also advance! So I urge you, all of you—cast aside petty grudges. Forget brotherly feuds."

"Right now, we face a common enemy. If we turn on each other... we’ll be crushed."

"But if we fight together..."

His voice deepened, final and resolute—

"Then we will surely win!"

"FOR EARTH!!!"

"FOR EARTH!!!"

The chant echoed endlessly, resounding like war drums through the hallowed walls of the Grand Hall.

Meanwhile, Alaric and the new recruits were on their way to their quarters. The meeting they had just left behind wasn’t meant for them—it was for elders and other high-ranking members of the Bureau. Those who knew the true motto of the Salvation Bureau.

Alaric and the others had no idea what was going on behind closed doors, and the Bureau had no intention of letting them join the battle. After all, their cultivation level on the Qi path was still far too low.

Their only priority was to increase their strength. Nothing else mattered.

They were all indebted to the Bureau in one way or another. Each of them carried their own story. A past that tied them, in loyalty or guilt, to the Bureau’s cause. So they followed its instructions without question—some out of gratitude, others because they had no choice.

As they walked down the smooth, stone-lit corridor, glowing crystals embedded in the walls casting soft golden light around them, the recruits trailed behind Alaric like ducklings behind a mother goose.

And as expected, they were bootlicking. Shamelessly. Trying to make a connection with him. Trying to stand out.

"Master Alaric was so cool back there," one of them said, voice filled with admiration. His eyes were practically shining.

"Hey, Senior... do you think Master’s Great Sword is sentient?" He asked with excitement, bouncing slightly on his heels as he caught up to Alaric.

"I can’t say for sure," Alaric replied calmly.

"My relationship with Sword Saint Victor isn’t as close as you all think it is."

He didn’t slow down, didn’t even glance their way.

His voice carried that flat, matter-of-fact tone—the kind that said he wasn’t interested in entertaining their chatter.

One of the recruits tried to fill the silence.

"This is the first time I’ve ever been to a Labyrinth," he said. "I didn’t even realize we entered one until it was too late. I just stepped through the portal and... boom. Here we are."

Another quickly added, "This Labyrinth is cool though! It’s all day—no night! Are all Labyrinths like this, Senior Alaric?"

Alaric sighed. It wasn’t exasperation—just tiredness from answering questions that had no real value.

"No, not all Labyrinths are like this one," he said.

"This Labyrinth is special. Every beast that lived here had an affinity to light. They used light elements to attack. The environment, the energy, even the terrain—it’s all been shaped by that affinity."

He glanced around briefly as if remembering something.

"It’s rumored that this was once the Labyrinth of Zeus, the patron god of our bureau. That alone makes it unique. There are many types of Labyrinths. Some are entirely water. Some are covered in eternal night. Others switch between day and night, like Earth."

He paused again, his tone a little more serious.

"We of the Bureau have to live here because coming into contact with Soul God’s soul energy for too long... would do great damage to our dantian."

The recruits were quiet for a moment. Some of them blinked in surprise—this was the first they were hearing of it.

Then, another voice spoke up. "Senior Alaric... how did you get recruited into the Saviour Bureau?"

Alaric closed his eyes. He didn’t stop walking, but his voice changed. It lowered slightly, carried by a distant kind of weight as a tragic memory surfaced in his mind...

"I was saved by Sword Saint Victor during a beast tide in the Outlands..." His words slowed.

"I used to be a Two-Star Souler. But to repay Sword Saint Victor, I made a choice. I gave up my Soul Subspace. I replaced it with a Qi Dantian. Started all over again... as a cultivator of the Qi path."