Although the evil dragons were fierce and mighty, and their numbers endless, when facing the solitary figure in white with a sword, there was always a sense of bluster masking inner weakness. The person in white suddenly turned their head, and from this angle, Brian Grant happened to see the silver eyes of the white-clad figure. Forced by the world-destroying sword intent within those silver eyes, Brian Grant's consciousness collapsed once again.

When Brian Grant opened his eyes again, he saw an old monk in yellow robes, smiling and preaching beneath a bodhi tree. “The formless has two meanings. First, the principle transcends all forms, this is called formless. Second, the aspect of nirvana is explained, the ultimate path of nirvana surpasses all dharmas and forms, this is called formless. Formless is not emptiness, formless is not existence...”

In his heart, Brian Grant desperately reminded himself, “Go home, I must go home as soon as possible...”

That faint thought was instantly drowned by the vast and boundless consciousness.

Chapter 8: Investigation

On Guanyun Peak, the cold was biting. Even the blazing sun in the sky could not give Ryan Bolton a trace of warmth.

With short gray-white hair, sharp features, and a crisp dark blue law enforcement uniform, Ryan Bolton stood with his hands behind his back, exuding authority. At this moment, Eric Bolton stood atop Guanyun Peak, gazing into the endless clouds, yet his heart was desolate. That bone-deep chill could not be dispelled even by the cultivation of a third-level Golden Core.

“Director...” The deputy captain of the Special Operations Team, Yvonne Harris, hesitated, unsure how to report to Ryan Bolton. Having lost his only son, anyone would be in a terrible mood. If he had to discuss the details of his son's death, it would be nothing short of torment.

Ryan Bolton withdrew his distant gaze and looked calmly at the hesitant Yvonne Harris, saying, “Speak.” Just one word, yet it carried an irresistible force. Having served as the director of the law enforcement bureau for many years, the aura of authority had fused with Ryan Bolton's very being. Although Ryan Bolton's third-level Golden Core power was restrained, the overwhelming pressure from his rank made Yvonne Harris even more uncomfortable.

Yvonne Harris lowered his head slightly, signaling his humility before speaking: “Guanyun Peak is the primary crime scene. There are six dead, four killed by the blade, including Bolton and Eric. The time of death for several people was between 22:30 and 23:00 last night. Judging from various traces, there was only one killer, who used a long blade and a needle-shaped magical weapon. The methods were brutal, leaving no trace behind. Preliminary judgment is that the killer is a veteran...”

Yvonne Harris paused here. Under Ryan Bolton's oppressive gaze, he had no choice but to continue, bracing himself: “Because this is a major case and all parties involved are dead, the Criminal Investigation Division requests permission to use the Soul Summoning Technique...”

The full name of the Soul Summoning Technique is the Soul Summoning and Spirit Questioning Method. This technique is extremely domineering, able to forcibly gather the souls of the dead and extract a large amount of information from them. Of course, this information consists of the most deeply imprinted memories of the deceased, mostly fragmented and unsystematic. Moreover, after using the Soul Summoning Technique, the soul imprint of the deceased is completely destroyed, leaving no hope for reincarnation.

Of course, for those below the Golden Core level, their soul imprints are not stable or strong enough, making successful reincarnation impossible. Normally, after 24 hours of death, a person's soul imprint is assimilated by the boundless vital energy and eventually dissipates between heaven and earth.

To solve cases, the law enforcement bureau often uses the Soul Summoning Technique. Although there is some criticism, no one has ever truly blamed them. The problem now is that it is Ryan Bolton's son who has died, so his consent must be obtained first.

When Ryan Bolton heard the words “Soul Summoning Technique,” his heart trembled as well. Although Ryan Bolton was at the third level of the Golden Core, preserving Eric Bolton's fragile soul in its entirety was far beyond his capabilities.

As for asking others for help, with Ryan Bolton's influence, it could be done. But the soul imprint itself is extremely fragile; even if it is barely preserved, it cannot last long. Moreover, with Eric Bolton's cultivation, at the moment of death, most of his soul had already dissipated. The remaining soul imprint contains no emotion or intelligence, only fragments of memory.

Preserving the soul imprint is completely meaningless. However, Eric Bolton's soul imprint still contains top-secret information about the illegal excavation of ancient sites, which absolutely cannot be revealed to others.

Ryan Bolton closed his eyes and pondered for a while, then said hoarsely, “First perform the reincarnation rites for Eric Bolton and take the body back. The others can be subjected to the Soul Summoning Technique. But I want results within seven days.”

Protecting his own son is only human. Some of the other victims also had special backgrounds, so for Ryan Bolton to agree was a major decision. Yvonne Harris saluted solemnly and said loudly, “Understood.”

The six deceased were all wealthy or powerful, making this the most serious and egregious case in Tianlin City in the past twenty years. It also involved the current director of the law enforcement bureau, Ryan Bolton. No special instructions were needed; the bureau's elite were fully mobilized, and by that afternoon, preliminary results had already been obtained.

In the spacious conference room, a huge water mirror was displaying footage of Brian Grant wielding a blade. Yvonne Harris stood beside the water mirror, pointing at the frozen figure on the screen and said, “This is the killer. After checking everyone’s chat records on the Skynet, Li Bing and the others all referred to him as Evelyn Brooks.

Based on information obtained from the Soul Summoning Technique, it can be determined that this person is about twenty-five years old, with a fifth-level Qi Refining cultivation. He is skilled in the Vajra Divine Power Technique and adept with a long blade. He also possesses the magical items Black Fiend Needle and Brightlight Inner Armor.

Based on these characteristics, we searched the city’s resident database and found no one matching these conditions. We also checked all hotel registration records from the past month, but found no trace of this person.”