Chapter 408 – The Third Breakthrough

Time passed day by day.

As time went on, the impact caused by the Midnight Labyrinth seemed to gradually fade away in Tianfeng City.

Although people still occasionally mentioned the Midnight Labyrinth online and brought up the names on the casualty list, such was the life of a Professional – living day by day, always at risk of sacrifice.

Despite the significant number of casualties this time, Professionals didn’t fall into despair. Instead, it strengthened their resolve, igniting fighting spirit in many and sparking a wave of diligent cultivation, training, and undertaking missions to earn resources.

Even the buzz around Su Ming had somewhat subsided. While major Families and influential forces still kept an eye on him with their own agendas, ordinary Professionals had moved on from discussing Su Ming’s affairs.

Some observant individuals noticed that as news about Su Ming quieted down, his established team ‘Azure Mercury’ had also ceased activities, remaining in their headquarters and rarely venturing out.

Even the resources that had been continuously delivered to Su Ming’s villa recently seemed to have stopped, with no more shipments from Tianfeng City officials.

Some people took note of this and quietly tried to gather information in secret.

Unfortunately, they couldn’t obtain any information. Only Xu Xiayan had learned some details through a phone call with Chi Qian, while everyone else remained in the dark about what was happening.

This situation also sparked discussions among various interested parties behind the scenes.

Under these circumstances, these people had no idea that even the girls living in the same villa with Su Ming didn’t know what was really going on.

That day, the girls gathered in the living room to discuss the matter.

“Is the Commander still hiding in his room?”

Feng Qing’er said this with both boredom and concern in her voice.

“The Commander is still in his room,” Tong Xinyao answered Feng Qing’er’s question while expressing her own worries. “It’s been several days now. The Commander either stays in his room or only comes out for a meal and a bath. At most, he occasionally visits the underground training ground before returning to his room. What’s going on?”

“Sister Yan, do you know what the Commander is doing?” Feng Qing’er looked at Mu Yan, who was reading a book nearby, and asked, “There were a few times when the Commander didn’t come out for meals, and you were the one who brought food to him, right?”

“Mm,” Mu Yan didn’t look up, continuing to read her book with an indifferent tone. “I brought him breakfast this morning too. If he doesn’t come out for lunch, I’ll probably have to deliver it again.”

“Then do you know what the Commander is doing, Sister Yan?” Tong Xinyao asked quietly. “The Commander being so absorbed that he forgets to eat and sleep is really worrying.”

Hearing this, Mu Yan slightly raised her head.

“Indeed, it’s been several days, and the Commander has been like this all along. It is quite concerning,” Mu Yan said. “But I think the Commander should be fine.”

This statement not only caught the attention of Feng Qing’er and Tong Xinyao but also drew the notice of Chi Qian, who had been looking at her Terminal, seemingly gathering information online.

“Why do you say that?”

Chi Qian asked Mu Yan this question.It was clear that Chi Qian was also somewhat concerned about Su Ming’s current state.

Mu Yan glanced at Chi Qian before speaking.

“During these past few deliveries of meals, whenever I saw the Commander, he almost always had a beaming smile and seemed to be in very good spirits,” Mu Yan said. “So, I don’t think the Commander has encountered anything bad.”

“On the contrary, the Commander might have come across something good.”

“That’s why he’s in such a good mood.”

Upon hearing this, the women were momentarily stunned.

“A beaming smile?”

“In very good spirits?”

Feng Qing’er and Tong Xinyao exchanged puzzled looks.

“Encountered something good…?”

Chi Qian, however, furrowed her brows and fell into deep thought.

But Mu Yan hadn’t finished speaking.

“Besides that, the Commander’s presence also feels different to me.”

As she reached this point, Mu Yan’s tone began to sound uncertain.

Her uncertain tone piqued the curiosity of the other girls.

“What kind of feeling?” Feng Qing’er chimed in. “Has the Commander become more handsome?”

Tong Xinyao let out an awkward chuckle at Feng Qing’er’s naive remark.

Mu Yan didn’t even glance at Feng Qing’er, instead turning her gaze to Chi Qian.

“I can’t quite put it into words,” Mu Yan said to Chi Qian, hesitating for a moment before continuing. “Let me put it this way: even though the Commander looks no different from usual, I keep feeling as though I can’t take my eyes off him.”

“It’s as if a voice inside me is telling me that the person before me isn’t someone I can casually overlook. It’s very strange.”

Mu Yan’s words left everyone exchanging glances once more.

Chi Qian’s frown deepened, and she even seemed somewhat restless.

She didn’t dismiss Mu Yan’s words.

Although Mu Yan’s description sounded peculiar, Chi Qian knew that given Mu Yan’s character, if she said it, there must be some truth to it.

But this only made Chi Qian more confused.

“What could have happened to make Yan Yan feel this way about the Commander?”

Chi Qian couldn’t figure it out.

She hadn’t seen Su Ming these past few days, having only met him once when she brought back the Amber Potion and the Seven-Colored Eye Potion—and even that was a hurried encounter.

Su Ming had merely come out to take the potions before immediately retreating back into his room.

Even when the resources of unknown origin were delivered by the Tianfeng City authorities, Su Ming didn’t appear in person. Instead, the women received them on his behalf, placing them one by one outside his door for him to collect when he had time.

As a result, over the past few days, Chi Qian, like Feng Qing’er and Tong Xinyao, hadn’t seen Su Ming again.

Only Mu Yan, through her meal deliveries, had seen him several times.

And now, Mu Yan was saying such things.

Could it be…

“Has the Commander used the continuously delivered resources to undergo some kind of change?”

Chi Qian secretly pondered this.

She didn’t know why those resources were being sent here.

But Chi Qian had taken a brief look and found that almost none of the delivered resources were ordinary.

Just from roughly identifying a few of them, she realized they were extremely precious treasures capable of directly enhancing one’s personal strength.If all those resources were treasures of this caliber, then it was only natural that Su Ming would undergo some changes after using so many precious resources.

Of course, the main question was: after consuming so many resources, how strong had Su Ming become now?

Had he already advanced to become a Peak Six-Star Hunter?

Or had he broken through the Five-Star level and become a Six-Star Sorcerer?

Or perhaps… even more…?

As she pondered, Chi Qian couldn’t quite articulate what she was feeling right now.

A bit of anticipation?

And also… a bit of trepidation…?

After all, it hadn’t been long at all since Su Ming became a Six-Star Hunter.

Just over a month ago, Su Ming was still only a Five-Star Hunter.

The speed of his advancement was truly unbelievable.

If Chi Qian, thinking this way, were to learn that just a few months ago Su Ming wasn’t even a Hunter at all, one could only imagine what expression she would make.

At this moment, Feng Qing’er was also intrigued by Mu Yan’s words.

“How about we go check on the Commander?” Feng Qing’er seemed to have her curiosity piqued.

“B-better not, right?” Tong Xinyao shrank back slightly. “The Commander seems very busy. Wouldn’t it be inappropriate for us to disturb him now?”

“I don’t want to bother the Commander either.” Mu Yan returned her gaze to the book in her hands, speaking calmly. “The Commander must truly have important matters to attend to, which caused such significant changes. Disturbing him now wouldn’t be wise.”

“Let’s not.” Chi Qian also thought for a moment before shaking her head. “Since the Commander is so absorbed that he’s forgotten to eat and sleep, whatever he’s doing is undoubtedly not something we can casually interfere with. It would be worse if we caused problems with good intentions.”

Hearing everyone’s objections, Feng Qing’er, whose curiosity had been completely aroused, gradually abandoned her idea.

“Alright then.” Feng Qing’er could only say rather disappointedly. “Since none of you want to go, we won’t go then.”

Watching Feng Qing’er suddenly become listless, the others exchanged smiles but didn’t bring up the matter again.

Suddenly…

“Ding-dong!”

A clear doorbell chime echoed through the villa, reaching the ears of the several young women in the living room.

“The doorbell?”

Both Chi Qian and Mu Yan were momentarily startled.

“Do we have a visitor?”

Tong Xinyao looked somewhat suspicious.

“I’ll get it!”

Feng Qing’er immediately shook off her listless demeanor, as if she’d found something to occupy herself with, and ran outside.

Seeing this, all the young women stood up and hurried after her.

Before long, everyone arrived at the villa’s main entrance.

Feng Qing’er had already opened the door, allowing Chi Qian and the others to see the visitor outside.

“Hello.”

A voice that was soft and tingling, making one feel genuinely captivated, very alluring, and extremely seductive came from the person outside the door.

“This is Young Master Su’s Separate Residence, isn’t it?”

As this heart-stirring voice sounded, the group of young women looked at the visitor outside the door one by one, revealing expressions of extreme astonishment.

Chi Qian spoke with great surprise as she identified the visitor’s identity.

“You are… the Chief Auctioneer of Wanbao Auction House?” Chi Qian said in amazement. “Chief Qin?”

Yes.

The visitor was none other than Qin Qing.The mastermind behind the Wanbao Auction House, the Qin Family’s Young Miss, and the Royal Family’s Princess—Her Highness the Princess—had suddenly arrived at the Azure Mercury’s base.

Gazing at that exquisitely charming, breathtakingly beautiful figure so alluring that even those of the same gender felt their hearts stir, the young women present were both dazzled and slightly unnerved.

Among them, Feng Qing’er was the most affected.

The girl who had been the first to rush over and open the door—and thus stood closest to Qin Qing—remained frozen in place for a long moment upon seeing her. Then, as if transformed into Tong Xinyao, she hastily retreated to hide behind Mu Yan.

It couldn’t be helped.

The charm of Young Miss Qin was simply too overwhelming, making even a fresh beauty like Feng Qing’er feel somewhat insecure, utterly unwilling to stand beside Qin Qing and be starkly contrasted.

If even Feng Qing’er reacted this way, there was no need to mention Tong Xinyao, a mere fourteen-year-old girl. Her gaze upon Qin Qing was as if beholding something dazzlingly brilliant, deeply admired, yet too intimidating to approach.

Only Chi Qian and Mu Yan managed to maintain their composure.

“Welcome to the Azure Mercury base, Chief Qin.”

Chi Qian stepped forward, offering a salute as she inquired.

“Might I ask if there is something you require?”

Chi Qian’s question was met with Qin Qing’s affirmative response.

“I’ve come to pay a visit.”

Qin Qing smiled enchantingly, casting the surroundings into shadow, leaving only her radiant countenance to shine brilliantly.

“Pay a visit?”

Chi Qian furrowed her brows.

“Indeed.” Qin Qing nodded and said, “Is Young Master Su here? Qin Qing wishes to see him!”

The expressions of Chi Qian and the others instantly turned somewhat peculiar.

“The number one beauty of Tianfeng City personally paying a visit, openly declaring she wants to see the Commander?”

Had any man ever encountered such fortune in the past?

Chi Qian and the others vaguely foresaw it.

They foresaw what tomorrow’s trending headlines would be.

…

Meanwhile, in Su Ming’s room.

At this moment, Su Ming was sitting on his bed, eyes closed, as if he had entered some mysterious state.

Before him, two empty potion bottles lay discarded carelessly.

On the bottles, embossed in gold leaf, were the names of these two alchemical potions.

————「Amber Potion」.

————「Seven-Colored Eye Potion」.

These were precisely the two precious potions Su Ming had entrusted to Chi Qian for commissioning their creation.

Amber Potion: An alchemical potion, Supreme Grade, capable of significantly boosting a Sorcerer’s Spirit Power. It carries a certain probability of inducing a state of enlightenment in the Sorcerer, leading to substantial advancement in strength. If consumed by an ordinary person, there is a chance to Awaken a Spirit Constitution and become a Sorcerer.

Seven-Colored Eye Potion: An alchemical potion, Divine Grade, possessing the unique effect of enhancing visual perception. If the consumer is a Hunter, they gain superhuman eyesight, enabling them to capture even the movement of an enemy’s muscle tissues and react accordingly. If the consumer is a Sorcerer, they acquire an extraordinary Spirit Sense, rendering nothing able to escape their detection.

These two alchemical potions had just been consumed by Su Ming.

They were also the final batch of Extraordinary Items Su Ming used to enhance his own strength.

Su Ming had deliberately saved them for last.

The reason was none other than…These two alchemy potions—one was the pinnacle among supreme-grade potions, only a step away from the Divine-Grade, while the other was a genuine Divine Grade potion, exceptionally precious.

Now, Su Ming had consumed them and entered an indescribable state.

This state was both the effect of the Seven-Colored Eye Potion, which enhanced all aspects of perception, and the effect of the Amber Potion, which allowed one to enter a state of enlightenment.

In this state, Su Ming clearly felt himself becoming even more extraordinary.

His vision and Spirit Sense were wildly intensifying.

His spirituality and Spirit Power were skyrocketing.

Pop…

At a certain moment, as if an invisible barrier had been broken through, Su Ming ascended to another level.

This was already the third time in recent days that Su Ming had felt such a breakthrough.

Astonishing spirituality erupted within Su Ming’s body but was swiftly and masterfully controlled by him, contained around his person.

Had Su Ming not restrained the diffusion of this spirituality, in an instant, it would have surged skyward, making all Professionals and even Mortals within a hundred-mile radius feel its overwhelming pressure.

Su Ming slowly opened his eyes.

Within them, a terrifyingly powerful gleam flickered, lingering without subsiding.

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(End of Chapter)