My Future Refreshes Weekly

Chapter 37: The Man Trapped in the Past

Dust, under the influence of Word-Spirit, drifted into the distance.

Jiang He and the others chased the traces of dust, weaving through alleys, cutting across several districts in succession.

The surrounding buildings grew lower and sparser, and soon vast fields of bluish-green wheat appeared, dotted with low farmhouses.

This was already the outskirts of Central State City.

Seeing that they had run so far, one of the security officers could not help but speak: “How much further?”

If the criminal had already left Central State City, would they have to keep chasing the trail all the way overseas?

“Wait a bit longer,” Chen Zhenbang said.

In fact, he thought this was a good thing.

If they could corner the criminal in the sparsely populated outskirts, they would have fewer scruples when it came time to act.

Just as they were speaking, Jiang He suddenly stopped.

“We’re here.”

The security officers perked up, looking ahead.

They were standing at the edge of a wheat field. Not far away stood several brick houses, beside which a small warehouse had been built.

The dust they had extracted from the crime scene drifted across the houses and into the warehouse.

Chen Zhenbang swept his spiritual power across the area, but he did not sense the slightest trace of life.

However, during that sweep, his power did encounter some interference, as though it had been obstructed by a transcendent item, partially screened.

That, too, was proof that this place was anything but simple.

“Old Xu, Little Qiu, stay outside with Little Jiang. If there’s trouble, we may need to continue tracking later…

“Old Li, the two of us will go in and take a look.”

After speaking, Chen Zhenbang entered the warehouse with one of the security officers.

From inside, it looked like an ordinary granary, filled with clutter and carrying the musty stench of rotting wood.

The dust floated in the center of the warehouse. When they arrived, it sank into the floor, seeping through cracks into the ground below.

Chen Zhenbang willed his power, lifting the ground open and revealing a pitch-black tunnel.

His spiritual power extended down the tunnel. The scene that had previously been blocked rushed into his mind—

Beneath the warehouse lay piles of corpses, all kinds of corpses!

There were men and women, farmers and civilians, and even bodies in blue security uniforms!

In addition, several masked, cloaked “Arc Light Thugs” were among them, equally lifeless, now nothing more than corpses!

The nearby Security Officer Li sensed this as well and exclaimed in shock: “Silenced?”

“No, they were never alive to begin with.”

Chen Zhenbang’s attention fell on a particular youth’s corpse at the very center.

This body was remarkably well-preserved. Not only was there no sign of damage, but even its complexion was flush with blood-red color.

Were it not for the complete lack of life, one would think he was only asleep, not dead.

And it was this face that jolted Chen Zhenbang’s memory, allowing him to grasp the truth in an instant. His expression darkened, and he clenched his teeth as he spoke.

“I was right, wasn’t I, Principal Jiang?”

At his words, Officer Li’s eyes sharpened, fury flashing within.

Within the underground chamber, the youth’s eyes suddenly opened. His face twisted into a stiff smile.

“Never thought you’d find this place so quickly, Director Chen.”

“I never thought the illustrious principal of Third High, a top B-rank transcendent, awakener of the B-rank talent 【String-Weaving】, would become a transcendent thug,” Chen Zhenbang said coldly.

“You forced this.” The youth’s face distorted with hatred. “When you killed Xiaoyi, I swore I’d make you pay.”

“Since you’ve come, die here.”

As his words fell, all the surrounding corpses opened their eyes. Along with the nearby objects, walls, everything—began to collapse!

From high above, one could see: centered on the warehouse, the houses, the wheat fields—everything disintegrated into countless crystalline threads of spiritual essence, weaving into a vast heavenly net!

At the core of the net, in the deep layers of string, a gaunt-faced middle-aged man reached out in obsession to caress the youth’s cheek.

“Look, Xiaoyi, Daddy will avenge you.”

“Everyone who hurt you will die.”

The youth said nothing. Threads of string seeped from his eyes.

“You’re insane!!” Chen Zhenbang’s voice trembled, but the net bound the sound, keeping it trapped inside, unable to spread outward.

“You think after this, the council will spare you?”

Jiang Li: “You’ll die before me.”

“Arrogant. I want to see how you plan to kill me!”

Chen Zhenbang erupted with power, tearing apart the threads around him.

But the shredded strings did not dissipate. Instead, they rewove, forming a colossal hand of strings that slammed Chen Zhenbang and the officer beside him into the silk ground!

The impact made the threads quiver. With just one blow, Chen Zhenbang was injured—

Transcendent strength varied wildly. Even among those of the same rank, the gap could be vast.

And that gap only grew wider with each higher tier of transcendence.

As a top-tier B-rank transcendent, Jiang Li had been entrenched in this realm far too long. Whether with his self-created profession or the transcendent profession he had obtained, his level far surpassed that of Chen Zhenbang and the others.

This meant he possessed more specialties, more skills, more bonuses!

Even facing multiple B-rank transcendent opponents, he held the absolute advantage.

Burying himself in the strings, he manipulated them like a god, toying with his foes, wearing down their strength with endless techniques.

Chen Zhenbang knew this as well.

Struck by the threads, he coughed blood but quickly shouted:

“Hold on. Once reinforcements arrive, he’ll be dead without a doubt…”

Before he finished, his defenses were shredded again, his body blasted away.

Elsewhere, Jiang He and the others—

They too were trapped inside the net of strings, like insects in a web, unable to break free.

Fortunately, in Jiang Li’s eyes, these low-rank transcendents were no more than insects, unworthy of attention.

And thanks to Chen Zhenbang’s foresight, Security Officer Xu, himself a B-rank transcendent with a protective talent and profession, had created a safe domain to block the strings. That was the only reason they remained unharmed.

Even so, strings kept infiltrating, like invasive worms, wriggling into the domain.

Inside, their strength was greatly weakened.

Zhang Zhiyong, Qiu Qiyuan, and Du Lingwei unleashed their powers, cutting away the strings as they intruded, barely managing to hold out.

Jiang He, meanwhile, was protected by the flames Du Lingwei released. Under the 【Flame Spirit Guardian】 of her top-tier talent, not a single string could approach him—everything was incinerated before it came close.

“Hold on. This battle is loud enough. Principal Zhong will arrive soon,” Officer Xu reassured.

Teacher Zhong…

Jiang He looked outward. The dense web of strings blocked everything from view.

As an E-rank transcendent, even with Word-Spirit, he was useless in a battle of this level.

But apart from Word-Spirit, he was also a top-tier summoner.

“Well, Master, should I act?” White Crane asked mockingly, unfazed by the terrifying scene.

To him, this battle was no more than children’s play.

Jiang He’s heart stirred: “You can kill him instantly?”

“…Do you really take me for a god?” White Crane’s face twitched.

“You killed a C-rank when you were F-rank. Now you’re an E-rank Heroic Spirit, and you can’t kill a B-rank?” Jiang He pressed.

“From F to E, the most I gained was turning one grain of sand into ten,” White Crane shook his head. “Against a star, that’s no difference at all.”

Jiang He understood.

White Crane was bragging that he used to be a star.

“Fine, then you go.”

White Crane’s lips curled.

This time, it wasn’t him acting on his own.

…

Inside the woven net of strings, Chen Zhenbang and the others were endlessly toyed with.

They could only hope to survive long enough for Zhong Honglian to arrive.

She was a top-tier A-rank transcendent.

The moment she appeared, Jiang Li would not last a second—he would be instantly slain.

Jiang Li knew this too. He poured all his power into the strings, desperate to kill his “enemy” Chen Zhenbang before reinforcements arrived.

But then—

He sensed something odd.

Within the net he completely controlled, an unfamiliar “object” appeared.

He turned his attention—and saw a white-haired stranger.

The man wore a solemn black formal suit, his pale hair hanging over an indistinct, blurred face.

Even Jiang Li, a top-tier B-rank, could not discern a trace.

This was…

The mysterious white-haired man who appeared during the attack on First High the other day?

When had he arrived here?

Seeing it wasn’t Zhong Honglian, Jiang Li relaxed slightly. But this unexpected presence gave him a sharp sense of danger.

He only wanted revenge—no distractions.

He directed the strings to seal the man away.

But then—

The white-haired man raised his right hand and snapped his fingers.

「Snap」

At that sound, Jiang Li’s heart clenched violently, as though struck, and stopped beating.

Not just his heart—his very life was declared 【Ended】 in that instant!

His eyes bulged, clutching his chest, face twisted, mouth gaping in silent agony.

As he writhed, the net did not collapse, but all the countless strings froze, their strength drastically weakened.

“Principal Zhong is here?!”

Chen Zhenbang and the others felt the change and rejoiced.

They burst free of the weakened strings, breaking out into the air.

But instead of the imagined Red Lotus flame, they saw the mysterious white-haired man.

Like Jiang Li, they recognized him.

“You?!”

Chen Zhenbang froze, then realized.

Whoever this man was, both times he had appeared, he opposed Arc Light and Jiang Li. He was clearly aligned with justice.

His identity mattered less than finishing Jiang Li.

At this moment, Jiang Li’s agonized voice resounded, harsher than before.

“I didn’t want to deal with you—you’re seeking death!”

Recovering, his heart resumed its beat. His face contorted as he clawed into his chest, tearing it open, letting blood spill.

Strings that touched his blood turned crimson, filled with killing intent, their strength soaring!

He was drawing on his Spiritual Blood, burning his very life.

Across from him, facing the crimson strings, the white-haired man spoke.

「God’s Gift」

The B-rank transcendents heard the words just as they were reeling from the crimson threads.

It was like hearing a divine edict. Their hearts jolted, surging with overwhelming power, their transcendent energy multiplying many times over!

Astonished, they tested it—

And the crimson strings, though strengthened, tore like paper before them, weaker even than before.

Only one conclusion.

The white-haired man’s strengthening far surpassed Jiang Li’s.

“Much obliged!”

Chen Zhenbang grinned, expression fierce.

“Little Jiang, you had fun just now?”

“Our turn!!”

They charged, tearing through the net toward Jiang Li’s body.

Seeing this, Jiang Li nearly ground his teeth to dust.

His blood-burning power was outdone by this stranger’s mere words?!

But he had no time to ponder. Against the newly empowered B-ranks, his tricks could no longer prevail.

The white-haired man stood silently in the air, watching.

In a sense, Jiang Li was the true culprit behind Jiang He’s parents’ deaths.

If not for his blind indulgence of his son, none of it would have happened.

So…

To return to the past—it really was something.

The man touched the scar on his collarbone. From it seeped faint flames.

The fire was so intense it warped space, its flickering outline humanoid.

At the same time—

Standing within the safe domain, Du Lingwei looked up in shock.

That was…

【Flame Spirit Guardian】??

The man lowered his eyes, gazing softly at the flame at his fingertips.

“Once more, I’ll have to rely on you.”

He pointed toward Jiang Li, miming a gun.

At that instant, Chen Zhenbang and the others heard his voice in their minds.

“Move aside.”

They had already torn away much of the strings and closed in.

At his words and gesture, they hesitated—then obeyed.

The man smiled.

He had lied again.

Not only had he stacked talents upon Word-Spirit, he even “possessed” another.

He said—

「Candle Dragon」

Flames erupted like a world-ending dragon, lighting the sky, ripping the air, bridging distance, engulfing Jiang Li in an instant.

His body-wrapping strings lasted but a heartbeat before being utterly incinerated.

Reaching for his son’s corpse, his hand extended—

The next moment, both were ash.

When the dragon vanished, the sky cleared. The remnants of the heavenly net unraveled, drifting down like a rain of light.

The white-haired man gathered a wisp of flame, turned, and vanished into the air.