Chapter 116: The Realm of Consciousness and the Investigation

Old Mu.

The lord of the First City of Humanity!

Once the only teammate of Emperor Li Er!

He is also one of the most legendary figures, lauded in human textbooks as a peerless titan!

It can be said that aside from the earliest generation, everyone born in the decades since has grown up hearing the tales of him and Emperor Li Er!

This was the first time Song Qi had come face-to-face with such a legendary figure. Even he couldn’t help but feel nervous!

“It’s me.”

Old Mu nodded with a kindly smile.

With a casual gesture, he conjured a chair out of thin air.

“Don’t be nervous, child. We could start by playing a few games to help you relax.”

“This is a space of consciousness—a realm where your mind governs everything.”

“As long as you wish it, you can manifest anything here.”

“Anything at all?!”

Song Qi asked in disbelief.

“Indeed. So long as your imagination is strong enough, you can create any object here, except for those with life.”

“May I give it a try?”

“Of course, child.”

Song Qi thought for a moment, then glanced to the side.

A ripple of energy hummed through the space.

A scantily clad figure, identical to that seductive demoness from before but clad in black stockings, began to take shape, emerging from illusion into reality.

With a flick of his finger, Old Mu shattered the image with a smile.

“Never mind. Let’s get straight to the point.”

“Such a shame...” Song Qi sighed with regret.

Yet Old Mu showed no hint of annoyance. Instead, he looked at Song Qi with deep satisfaction.

He had a soft spot for these frighteningly gifted, upright young men.

After all, they were the pillars upon which the future of humanity would rest!

The more he looked, the more pleased he became.

A little lust was nothing to worry about.

At the very least, it showed his tastes were firmly aligned with humanity.

“By the way, child, do you know how human geniuses are ranked?” Old Mu asked.

“I do. There are four ranks: third-tier, second-tier, first-tier, and top-tier geniuses,” Song Qi answered instinctively.

“Geniuses of different tiers receive different treatment.”

“Unfortunately, most of the talents in the cities are third-tier. Second-tiers are rare indeed.”

“And first-tier geniuses—every single one is a prodigy that appears only once in several years!”

“As for top-tier geniuses... only three have emerged in all of humanity over the past century!”

“Truly, they are rarer than one in a hundred years!”

“But you, Old Mu, and Li Zong are both top-tier geniuses.”

“And the benefits for a top-tier genius are so extravagant as to defy belief!”

“But as for the specifics, I’m afraid I don’t really know.”

He looked at Old Mu with anticipation.

“So... are you here to announce that I’m a top-tier genius?”

After all, today he had defeated Li Zong, himself a top-tier genius.

There was no reason he shouldn’t qualify.

Old Mu smiled, neither confirming nor denying.

“You’re half right.”

“To be precise, I’m here to assess whether you possess the qualifications to become a top-tier genius.”

“An assessment? No problem!”

Song Qi patted his chest confidently.

“However you wish to assess me, I’ll cooperate fully!”

...

As Old Mu explained, Song Qi gradually understood the reason for being summoned.

This was a space of consciousness.

A mental realm forged by Old Mu in combination with the abilities of the succubus race.

Here, only pure consciousness and spirit existed—no material form.

Within this space, any fluctuation of thought would clearly echo out.

Even a lie, or any attempt at concealment, would be instantly apparent to Old Mu.

Unlike a “truth potion,” where only outright lies are detected, here even withheld truths would not escape notice.

Thus, this was where Old Mu evaluated and screened those of exceptional talent.

At the same time, Song Qi learned a rather disappointing fact.

That alluring demoness from before was actually a high-ranking succubus who had signed a contract with Old Mu.

She didn’t take on clients...

After ten or so minutes...

Old Mu concluded their questioning with satisfaction.

From what he could sense, Song Qi’s background was spotless, his answers smooth and forthright.

There was no possibility of collusion with the extraterritorial demons or any other foreign race.

Aside from a somewhat unorthodox mind, there were no issues whatsoever.

“All right, child. Congratulations. You’ve passed the test.”

“From this moment on, you are the third top-tier genius of humanity!”

“Nice! I knew... Wait! The third?”

Song Qi was about to cheer, but suddenly realized something was off.

“Weren’t there already three top-tier geniuses among us? Does this mean...”

“That’s right.” Old Mu nodded.

“There have only ever been two true top-tier geniuses among humanity. The so-called third was merely a decoy—a target meant to distract traitors and the demon horde.”

“However, you won’t be announced as the third publicly. I’ll only declare you as a first-tier genius.”

“Of course, the resources you’ll receive will match those of a top-tier genius in every respect—there will be no reduction whatsoever.”

“I’ve already arranged for them to be delivered. You should receive them tonight.”

“Well then, if there’s nothing else, we’ll end our conversation here.”

With that, he turned to open the door and leave.

Song Qi quickly called out, “Wait, Old Mu! I have one more question!”

“A question? If it’s about how to contract a succubus, there’s no need to ask.”

“No, it’s a serious question.”

“Oh?”

Old Mu hesitated, then closed the door again.

“Go ahead.”

“Old Mu, I’d like to ask you...”

“What exactly... are the rules?”