Chapter 71

After discussing the entrusted matters with the administrator, Sun Ran remained in his room in meditation from noon until dusk, and then until deep into the night, his body unmoving the entire time.

It wasn't until midnight that Sun Ran's body suddenly became blurry, and then a gentle breeze appeared in the room, blowing through the gaps and disappearing into the night sky.

This was the special ability of a Saboteur: Astral Projection. By mobilizing the AI to observe data below the threshold, a vague and ethereal consciousness could be formed, an unparalleled skill for espionage.

This consciousness could be called a soul. Due to the limits of the AI's observation, the data volume was not significantly different, but the structure varied greatly, with vast differences in strength.

The weakest was called a Yin Soul. This kind of consciousness was very fragile and could collapse if the wind blew too hard.

A bit stronger was the Yin Spirit. Yin Spirits could appear at night but could not withstand sunlight; one exposure and they would be destroyed.

Even stronger was the Yang Spirit. Yang Spirits could appear in broad daylight, indistinguishable from real people, but they dared not face thunder.

A single thunderclap could destroy not only a Yang Spirit but also most Saboteurs, even with physical protection, and it would affect their real brains.

To withstand thunder with a physical body, one had to be a Celestial Immortal with Level 9 authority. To withstand thunder with a consciousness, one had to achieve the state of a Sage, an immortal being. In the entire Federation, such people could be counted on two hands.

Sun Ran's soul floated out of the county office, rising to a height of several hundred meters, overlooking the entire Hebian County.

Here, Sun Ran paused, his body quietly suspended in mid-air. After ten minutes, he quietly obtained sufficient authority, then suddenly opened his eyes and activated the Heavenly Eye.

Heavenly Eye: The strongest spiritual eye in Daoism, capable of tracing time, revealing the past, and perceiving the mysteries of heaven!

A subtle and mysterious aura emanated from Sun Ran's consciousness, spreading throughout Hebian County.

In the observation of the Heavenly Eye, the data of the virtual world began to reverse, time started to rewind, from midnight to dusk, and then from dusk to noon. Every movement of everyone in Hebian County was reflected in Sun Ran's eyes.

Soon, Sun Ran's gaze fixed on a waiter in a tavern.

"An Observer. Just as I suspected, this guy couldn't resist." Sun Ran stopped using the extremely draining Heavenly Eye and switched to the simpler Dharma Eye and Fire Eye, focusing on the waiter.

He was very familiar with the Observer organization. They always transmitted messages at night, especially during the deepest part of the night, when everything was most tranquil. The Observer's messenger was a Yin Spirit, commonly known as a Night Wanderer.

After waiting for a while, Sun Ran indeed saw the waiter quietly get up, light a candle, and go to the underground wine cellar to burn a soul-summoning talisman.

A few moments later, the Night Wanderer appeared.

In Sun Ran's Dharma Eye, this creature was a faint, blurry shadow, easily overlooked. Once the Night Wanderer left the tavern, Sun Ran immediately followed.

The Night Wanderer was extremely fast, weaving through the streets and alleys. Ten minutes later, it left Hebian County and reached the plains outside the city. After walking for a while, its figure suddenly disappeared.

Sun Ran knew this was because the Night Wanderer had exited the Confucian world. They didn't exit directly in the city because the city had a City God Temple guarded by the game administrator, making it easy to be discovered. Outside the city was safer.

This was no problem for Sun Ran. His figure also exited the game world, entering the vast virtual network. In this boundless sea, he quickly spotted a faint shadow hurriedly flying in one direction.

This was the Night Wanderer, and Sun Ran quietly followed.

The Night Wanderer was very cautious. After flying for a while, it entered a logical maze. Sun Ran flew over to observe and quickly realized it was a Solachy-style maze, a level higher than the Pandora maze used by most Saboteurs.

This was no problem for Sun Ran. He followed and began to solve the maze, finding the exit in less than a minute. He observed the area near the exit and found no redundant data, knowing the Night Wanderer hadn't arrived yet. He hid nearby and waited patiently.

After ten minutes, the Night Wanderer finally appeared, exiting the maze without noticing anyone following.

Beyond the maze was the Observer headquarters. Inside, Night Wanderers were everywhere, these were the messengers in various worlds.

With so many people and eyes, it was difficult to continue tracking the soul, but this was no problem for Sun Ran. He compressed his body, leaving only the simplest observation point, becoming almost non-existent, and followed the Night Wanderer from the Confucian world.

This guy was a loyal guide, honestly leading Sun Ran to the information output port, transmitting the information he had obtained from the waiter.

Sun Ran seized the opportunity, diving into the output port and entering the information transmission channel. Inside, there were several information detection methods to filter out junk information and prevent intrusion. In Sun Ran's eyes, it was like a sea of knives and fire.

If it were a regular Saboteur, the tracking would have ended here, but for Sun Ran, this was child's play. His figure spun, transforming into a small, round bead, and he drilled into the correct information, using it as a protective charm while reading the content.

After reading, a hint of a cold smile appeared on Sun Ran's face. This time, he would let this Saboteur know who he had provoked!

Because this was the correct information, it acted like a powerful spacecraft, carrying Sun Ran through the sea of knives and fire, protecting him from any harm and safely delivering him to the information receiving port.

Sun Ran promptly jumped out of the information 'spaceship' and observed the surroundings. There was a faint shadow standing quietly. After receiving the message, its figure flickered, clearly showing great agitation.

In the virtual network, Saboteurs were invisible, these ethereal entities were extremely difficult to track and easy to use, commonly used by most low-level Saboteurs. Some described the online gathering places of Saboteurs as 'a place of ghostly shadows, with no living souls,' which was quite fitting.

This Saboteur never expected to be tracked. Following his usual habit, he retraced his steps through the Pandora maze, easily followed by Sun Ran all the way to his real-world residence.

In the real world, Sun Ran effortlessly obtained the highest authority of the house's smart system, gaining access to all the information within.

Soon, the Saboteur's real name and all the information he had used online were fully exposed to Sun Ran.

"Li Tan, male, 38 years old, lives in the 15th and 16th floors of the 9th building in the Prestigious Family Compound on Pegasus Street, Second Level, District 32. Codename: Three, a key figure in the Scorpion Mercenary Group, with the highest skill being a Level 4 skill: Rune Sniping. Aggressive personality, luxurious lifestyle, currently single, but according to the holographic images stored in the secret data storage area, he has had close relationships with 57 women, three of whom are still in intimate relationships."

These images were comprehensive and multi-angled, making Sun Ran's blood boil with envy and jealousy. In the past, he would have directly punished the opponent, spreading his private information everywhere.

But now he didn't act impulsively. Instead, he quietly withdrew, as he was a legal Order Maintainer and needed to consult with the Central AI before doing anything bad.

Returning to the virtual network, Sun Ran contacted the Central AI and once again entered the blank virtual space. He presented the information on Number Three to the AI, who appeared as a black-clothed figure: "The third member of the Scorpion Mercenary Group wants to kill me. What do you think should be done?"

The black-clothed figure flipped through the information Sun Ran provided and praised, "Impressive. How about you help me locate Saboteurs and find their real names in the future? I'll help you get a generous reward from the committee."

Sun Ran sneered, "Finding real names isn't that simple. This time was easy because the opponent was too weak. For example, with my Sage disciple, I would need to go undercover for at least ten years and analyze a massive amount of data to succeed."

Any Saboteur would tightly guard their real name, using all possible protective measures, as it was a matter of life and death.

The black-clothed figure was just talking, but he proposed a handling opinion: "This Li Tan has at least seven Order Maintainers' lives on his record, all brain-dead, a ruthless and violent criminal. The Federation has already issued a death warrant for him. If you have no objections, I will activate the Finger of God now."

Sun Ran stopped him, "No need to rush. He only revealed his identity and was killed within half a day of sniping me. This is too coincidental and could raise suspicion. How about this: I think this guy is very unsatisfied with this failure and will definitely make another move. You monitor him, and when he targets me, take the opportunity to strike with thunder in the game, so no one will suspect me. Also, his codename is Three, closely monitoring him might lead to One and Two, potentially uprooting the entire Scorpion Mercenary Group."

This was a good plan, and the black-clothed figure nodded in agreement, "Alright, anything else to add?"

"Of course. After completing this mission, our Thorn Rose will be promoted to Bronze level. Lan Xin wants to apply for a larger house. You need to give me a good place," Sun Ran took the opportunity to seek personal gain.

The black-clothed figure smiled, "Of course, no problem. Rest assured, I will arrange it carefully to ensure your satisfaction."

With the AI's promise, Sun Ran was reassured. He waved his hand and said, "See you later, I've been away from the Confucian world for too long and need to get back."

Without waiting for the black-clothed figure's response, his figure suddenly disappeared. A moment later, Changqingzi in the Confucian world opened his eyes and looked out the window. It was still dark, and occasionally, the sound of roosters crowing could be heard. It was around three in the morning.

Light footsteps came from outside the door, followed by a knock on the window. A voice called out softly, "Rose calls Rose Tree, are you there?"

Recognizing the voice as Ke'er, Sun Ran wondered what she was doing at this hour.