The next day, Shen Han was about to go find Principal Wang Siyuan to inquire about the Star Eclipse Council when he received a call from Principal Wang Siyuan.
"Shen Han, are you alright? Have you encountered anything unusual?" Principal Wang Siyuan's tone was urgent.
"I'm fine. Principal Wang, has something happened?" Shen Han vaguely felt that things were not simple.
"Be careful recently, don't run around. Even if you go out, stay in a safe place," Principal Wang Siyuan warned.
"Principal Wang, what exactly happened?"
"Listen to me, recently, the top ten Genius Martial Artists in various provinces across the country have frequently been attacked and assassinated. Almost all of them have been targeted. We suspect this is the work of the Star Eclipse Council," Principal Wang Siyuan's voice carried a hint of heaviness.
"Star Eclipse Council? What kind of force is that?" Shen Han's heart tightened. He was just about to learn about this organization.
"The Star Eclipse Council is a public enemy of the nation and even the world. Its members believe in the so-called 'True God' and actively recruit Genius Martial Artists, with branches in various countries worldwide. One of the Star Eclipse Council's goals is to win over Genius individuals from all over. If someone refuses to join their faith, they often receive death threats. No one knows who is truly backing the organization," Principal Wang Siyuan slowly explained.
"Can't anyone stop their actions?" Shen Han pressed.
"Members of the Star Eclipse Council are extremely secretive, often blending in with ordinary people, almost never revealing their whereabouts. Furthermore, they are skilled in Spiritual Manipulation. Those who are controlled often have no memory of their actions afterward, which makes investigations incredibly difficult, and it's even hard to define these individuals as moles," Principal Wang Siyuan's voice was filled with helplessness.
Shen Han felt a hint of unease. "What is their purpose in targeting Genius individuals?"
"Some speculate that the Star Eclipse Council's goal is to weaken humanity's overall strength and eliminate future threats in advance. There are also theories that they are backed by Strange Beast (alien beasts), or that they don't belong to this world at all," Principal Wang Siyuan whispered.
"Another world?" Shen Han was shocked beyond words. This news was difficult for him to process at once.
"Very likely," Principal Wang Siyuan said gravely. "Lan Star, where we live, is just one planet in the Universe. It is speculated that other similar worlds do exist. However, you cannot delve into this information at your current stage. For now, act cautiously and remember, absolutely do not go out casually before school starts. There have already been cases of top ten Genius individuals being assassinated in other provinces, so we cannot underestimate this."
Shen Han hung up the phone, his mind unable to settle for a long time.
Another world, the Star Eclipse Council, Spiritual Manipulation... these words seemed to open a new door in his understanding, but he knew that all of this was still very far from him.
He had personally witnessed the terrifying Spiritual Manipulation power of the Star Eclipse Council. Those who were controlled completely became Puppets without their own will, manipulated at will, like marionettes.
"I must figure out whether this control is an ability of a different system, or a method that can be remotely controlled," Shen Han pondered to himself, a hint of worry subtly emerging in his heart.
How terrifying would it be if one day he unknowingly became their chess piece? Moreover, if those close to him were secretly controlled... this thought made his spine chill as soon as it appeared.
He would likely have many opportunities to deal with the Star Eclipse Council in the future. He must always remain vigilant against this evil organization. Currently, all he could do was continuously improve his strength to cope with unknown threats.
In the following time, Shen Han focused on Cultivating, waiting for school to start.
September 1st each year was the day universities started, and this was also the first time Shen Han had left Yang City for a big city since coming to this world.
"I wonder how it compares to the developed cities of my previous life."
Shen Han packed his luggage and boarded the high-speed rail from Yang City to Mingzhu. He didn't expect to run into some familiar high school acquaintances at the entrance.
"Han-ge, over here, over here!" In the crowd, Li Muhua waved his hand, calling out to him excitedly, dragging a huge suitcase beside him.
"Are you two also going to Mingzhu?" Shen Han asked, a little surprised. He had spent the entire summer Cultivating at home and hadn't paid attention to where his high school classmates were going.
"Yeah, the universities we applied to are all in Mingzhu. I'm going to report to Nanjiang Martial Arts University's Mingzhu branch, and Song Ziqing got into Lingjiang Martial Arts University, also in Mingzhu."
"That's good. You can look out for each other then," Shen Han nodded.
Song Ziqing, standing nearby, smiled a little awkwardly when Shen Han mentioned her.
While waiting, the three casually chatted about summer news.
"Have you heard? This summer, the top National Higher Education Entrance Examination scorers and the top ten Genius Martial Artists in several provinces were assassinated," Li Muhua said, his brows furrowed. "They say it was done by that notorious cult organization, the Star Eclipse Council."
Upon hearing 'Star Eclipse Council,' Shen Han immediately perked up.
"Were any of them caught?"
Li Muhua shook his head and sighed. "No, the Star Eclipse Council members are very cunning! Their methods are bizarre. I heard that several cases involved acquaintances, and only afterward was it discovered that those acquaintances had been spiritually controlled... That control is too terrifying."
As he spoke, he looked at Shen Han with a teasing expression, "Han-ge, you're the top scorer in our Nanjiang Province. You haven't encountered anyone from the Star Eclipse Council, have you?"
Shen Han gave a wry smile. "Not really. Principal Wang kept a close eye on me this summer, so I was Cultivating in seclusion every day. My current strength probably isn't even enough to fill the Star Eclipse Council's teeth."
The high-speed rail soon arrived at Mingzhu Station.
The three got off the train, greeted by bustling crowds and colorful school signs.
Almost all major universities had set up reception points for new students here. Senior students held up school signs, guiding new students through the enrollment process.
Shen Han bid farewell to Li Muhua and Song Ziqing, watching them head to the reception points for Nanjiang Martial Arts University and Lingjiang Martial Arts University. He couldn't help but feel a little emotional. They would see each other much less often from now on.
Then, he took a deep breath, picked up his luggage, and walked towards Mingzhu Martial Arts University's reception point... Somewhere in Dragon Country, Star Eclipse Council Branch.
"What progress has been made in recruiting Genius Martial Artists from Dragon Country this time?" asked a solemn-faced old man seated on a high chair, his tone cold.
"Reporting to the Bishop," a black-clad subordinate stepped forward and answered in a low voice, "In this operation, several deacons dispatched dozens of believers to various provinces to recruit Genius Martial Artists. More than thirty people were contacted, five of whom successfully joined the Star Eclipse Council, thirteen could not be converted and have been 'eliminated,' and the rest either escaped or were rescued... It's just..."
"Just what?" The Bishop's brows furrowed slightly, his sharp gaze sweeping over him.
"It's just that Deacon Ming Qianying and his team lost contact during the operation and are presumed to have perished."
"Hmph, useless!" The Bishop snorted coldly, his tone revealing displeasure. "Can you find out who was responsible?"
The subordinate lowered his head, his expression remorseful. "We can't find out for now. The other party acted cleanly and left no clues. We have sent people to investigate, but... currently, we have found nothing."
A suffocating silence filled the air. Only the Bishop's cold gaze stared into the dark distance, seemingly brewing deeper schemes.