Professor Li's gaze swept over the six figures at the tower entrance one by one.

With each person he looked at, the shock in his heart grew.

Although these people were doing their best to restrain their aura, the unintentional sense of oppression they exuded could not be faked at all.

As one of the top scholars in the Great Xia Nation, Professor Li had seen countless geniuses.

Yet any single one of the six people before him was enough to move him.

Their professional grades were at least above S-rank.

Stormy waves surged in Professor Li's heart.

"Friends?"

He glanced at the calm-looking Gandalf beside him and sneered in his heart.

Such nonsense might fool a three-year-old child.

Are Classer above S-rank like common cabbages? Can a whole group of them just be pulled out at random?

These people were definitely not ordinary friends.

This was clearly a group of top talents secretly cultivated by the military.

Only the military would have such terrifying resources.

Professor Li's mind spun rapidly.

Gandalf himself was a member of the military, of that there was no doubt.

Now he had brought such a large group of top combat power to his place, so desperately eager to increase their strength.

Could it be... that something major was about to happen?

Once he figured this out, Professor Li felt a chill run down his spine.

He quietly took a deep breath, forcing down the shock in his heart.

This kind of thing was not something a research professor like him should ask about.

The expression on Professor Li's face returned to its usual easygoing manner, though his smile was somewhat stiff.

He pointed at the six figures, his tone carrying a hint of uncertainty.

"They... all need to undergo the Body Tempering test as well?"

Zhou Huai controlled Gandalf and nodded calmly.

"Yes, Professor Li, is there a problem?"

Hearing this, the corner of Professor Li's mouth couldn't help but twitch.

"A problem?"

"It's a huge problem!"

He coughed twice to cover up his gaffe.

"I don't have a problem here."

"However, to perform high-intensity Body Tempering for so many people, the amount of Mortal Demon Source Stones consumed is no small figure."

He looked at Gandalf, a probing look in his eyes.

"Are the Mortal Demon Source Stones you have... enough?"

Zhou Huai smiled and said nothing.

He simply made a gesturing motion to "please" go ahead, signaling Professor Li to lead the way.

This act of playing mysterious made Professor Li feel even more uncertain.

He shook his head, stopped overthinking, and turned to lead everyone into the Body Tempering Tower.

The familiar laboratory, the familiar giant glass container.

Everything was no different from last time.

Professor Li walked to the control panel, starting the pre-startup preparations while speaking without turning his head.

"Take out the Mortal Demon Source Stones first. I need to adjust the machine's parameters based on the quality and quantity of the origin stones."

"Alright."

Gandalf replied.

He didn't move, only nodding gently to the melancholic silver-haired man behind him.

Moria understood and stepped forward slowly.

He raised his hand, and the simple and unadorned Storage Ring on his palm flashed with a faint light.

In the next second.

"Clatter, clatter—"

A crisp and dense clattering sound suddenly echoed in the silent laboratory, like the most beautiful movement of music.

Professor Li hearing the sound, subconsciously turned his head.

And then, his entire body petrified.

A curse of "Holy crap!" escaped his mouth.

Countless black crystals shimmering with a dark luster poured out of the tiny ring like a bursting torrent.

In the blink of an eye, they piled up on the open floor in the center of the laboratory, forming a shiny black hill that was as tall as a person!

Every single crystal exuded pure and majestic energy fluctuations.

The light in the entire laboratory seemed to dim slightly due to the appearance of this pile of crystals.

Professor Li's eyes widened more and more.

The expression on his face went from initial astonishment to shock, and finally to complete blankness.

His mouth opened uncontrollably, wide enough to fit a fist.

Time seemed to stand still at this moment.

One could hear a pin drop in the laboratory.

Only the occasional crisp sound of crystals sliding down proved that everything before his eyes was not an illusion.

"*Gulp.*"

Professor Li swallowed hard, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down.

He felt his throat so dry it was as if it were about to catch fire.

Having lived for nearly a hundred years, he considered himself well-traveled and knowledgeable.

But a scene with so many Mortal Demon Source Stones piled in front of him...

...was truly a first-time experience.

"You... you kid..."

"Did you empty out all the Mortal Demon Source Stones in the national treasury?!"

The smile faded from Zhou Huai's face, and his expression turned serious.

He stepped slightly closer and lowered his voice.

"The origin of these Mortal Demon Source Stones involves the highest military secrets. I cannot say more."

"Marshal Zhao attaches great importance to this matter."

"Before we left, the elder specifically instructed me that this is of grave importance and must not be leaked to the outside world at all."

"So, I hope Professor Li can keep this secret for me."

Hearing Gandalf say this,

Professor Li immediately showed an "as expected" expression.

To be able to casually produce so many Mortal Demon Source Stones...

...who else could it be but the military?

He quickly waved his hands.

"I understand, I understand, I understand completely!"

"Don't worry, my lips are sealed!"

"From now on, I saw nothing and know nothing."

"You can all rest assured!"

Seeing him like this, Zhou Huai laughed inwardly.

His goal had been achieved.

Professor Li rubbed his hands, his eyes turning back to the hill of crystals, the fanaticism in them almost overflowing.

"Since it is the Marshal's command, this old man will definitely fully cooperate!"

He walked in a circle around the pile of crystals, as if admiring a perfect work of art.

Then, he stretched out his palm and aimed it at the pile of Mortal Demon Source Stones.

"Hum—"

An invisible force welled up from his palm.

The mountain of black crystals on the ground seemed to lose its weight, turning into a black torrent that was completely sucked into the inconspicuous Storage Ring on his finger.

After doing all this, Professor Li clapped his hands and looked at Gandalf and the others.

"Wait here for a moment."

"These Mortal Demon Source Stones are still just raw materials. They contain too many impurities, and their energy is too violent to be used directly."

"I need to go inside to purify and dilute them, then blend them according to different Physique requirements to make specialized energy agents."

Zhou Huai bowed slightly with politeness.

"Then I will trouble you, Professor Li."

Professor Li waved his hand, unable to hide the excitement on his face.

"No trouble! No trouble at all!"

"To be able to process so many high-quality origin stones at once is also a rare experience for me!"

After saying that, he turned impatiently and walked quickly into the metal door.

"*Rumble—*"

The heavy door slowly closed, completely isolating the inside from the outside.

Silence returned to the laboratory once again.