Chapter 119: Participating in the Auditions

"How... how is this possible!" Officer Hao Shuai’s eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. This completely defied his understanding; even a high-level cultivator equipped with spatial storage gear couldn't pull this off!

After a long silence, Officer Hao asked, "Did anyone come by before this phenomenon occurred?"

"Yes," the gun shop owner replied. He immediately corrected himself: "Uh... no."

Hao Shuai looked at the shop owner suspiciously. "So, was there or wasn't there?"

"No!" The shop owner shook his head. Even if there were, I couldn't admit it. If you saw me threatening a customer with a gun, you'd throw me in prison in a heartbeat. The shop owner knew full well that illegally pointing a firearm at a customer carried a minimum sentence of ten years!

"I want to see the surveillance footage from two hours before the guns and ammunition disappeared," Hao Shuai said with a cold snort. He could tell this guy was definitely hiding something. You won't tell me? Fine, I'll see for myself.

"This... I only opened the shop a little while ago, the surveillance wasn't turned on before that," the shop owner broke into a cold sweat.

"Didn't you say the surveillance is on 24 hours a day? Why are you saying it wasn't on now? Move!" Officer Hao pushed the shop owner aside and adjusted the controls himself, witnessing the scene where the owner and his employees had colluded to point guns at a customer, forcing a transaction.

"Tsk tsk, impressive, truly impressive." Officer Hao stared at the shop owner for a long time, then sneered, "You really run a slick 'empty-handed wolf' operation, don't you? You extorted 20 purple gold coins in minutes. No wonder I could never catch you when people reported you for forced sales in the past. Try destroying the evidence this time, I dare you! Someone, copy this footage for the bureau, cuff him and take him away, and arrest those two employees as well. Right, find this kid from the video. Anyone carrying that much cash on them is definitely no ordinary person, and since he was the last to leave, we need to investigate him, regardless of whether he's a suspect."

The shop was sealed off. Chen Yun watched the police cars drive past and chuckled. Go ahead and investigate; if you can find Ye Ming in this world, I'll call you Grandpa!

"Time to clean out the backpack. I didn't expect it to have a bulk storage function; that saves me so much trouble." Chen Yun was pleased to see that all the guns occupied only one slot, the ammunition another, and the other scavenged junk a third. He had initially feared each gun would take up its own slot.

"Recycle all scavenged miscellaneous items," Chen Yun whispered to himself.

"Recycling successful. Player Chen Yun has received 20 purple gold coins, 1,667 gold coins, and 79 silver coins."

Looking at the money added to his balance—excluding his own 20 purple gold coins, there were nearly 2,000 gold coins—Chen Yun clicked his tongue. Just how many customers had this guy robbed to accumulate so much?

"Ill-gotten gains don't feel right to spend. Whatever, I'll donate them to the Azure Hotel when I have time," Chen Yun muttered, driving back to the hotel.

Imperial Capital, the Imperial Palace.

"Your Majesty, we have interviewed those in the know, reconstructed the surveillance records from the Tian Tian Entertainment Club that day, and combined that with the bullets found during the site cleanup. We have confirmed that the one who transforms into Ultraman is indeed Chen Yun, who has close ties with Jiang Tian. That day, Chen Yun went to the Tian Tian Entertainment Club to help Hu Daniu's family eliminate a gang of thugs. That location was a spy agency for the Red Sun Empire, and the two giant snakes at the scene were pets planted in the Empire by the Red Sun Empire’s level 10 cultivator, Baji, with Chen Yun as the target. The bullet carries Jiang Tian's aura. According to my investigation, Jiang Tian once granted Chen Yun a special, unlimited firearms permit and gifted him a 'Death-Dealer' pistol, and that bullet is a specialized round for that weapon," a figure shrouded in a black robe knelt in the hall to report to the Dragon Sky Empire's Emperor, Long Zheng. Judging by the voice, it was a woman.

"Chen Yun?!" Long Zheng narrowed his eyes, his brow furrowed. "How could it be him?"

"I was also shocked when I uncovered this information, but it is indeed him."

"This complicates matters. I had thought the object used to transform into Ultraman was in someone else's hands, and I could simply coerce or bribe them to take it. But with Chen Yun, it won't be easy," Long Zheng said in a deep voice. "The moment we make a move on Chen Yun, Jiang Tian will surely be alerted. With Jiang Tian's speed as a top-tier cultivator, he could arrive from the capital in a minute or two, and during that time, Chen Yun could easily hold out by transforming into Ultraman."

"Your Majesty, Jiang Tian's flight speed is too fast; only Yun Tian can stall him. You could promise Yun Tian some benefits to keep Jiang Tian occupied, and then I can join forces with Lian Bi to deal with the transformed Chen Yun. Once the three-minute limit passes, Chen Yun will have no power to resist."

"Hmm... Yun Tian is greedy. If I promise him a heavy reward, he will surely agree. Let's do that." A cold glint flashed in Long Zheng's eyes. "Once you and Lian Bi subdue Chen Yun, recruit him on the spot. If he is willing to serve me, bring him back and put him in the Imperial Kitchen. If he refuses, kill him after obtaining the transformation device. Those who cannot be used by me are enemies, and enemies must be eliminated without mercy!"

"Yes, Your Majesty. I will go and make the arrangements." The black-robed woman bowed and withdrew.

"Someone, prepare the carriage. We are heading to General Yun Tian's mansion."

Chen Yun was unaware that his transformation into Ultraman was already known to the Emperor, nor did he know that the Emperor was mobilizing two peak level 10 cultivators and one level 9 cultivator just for him. At that moment, passing by the stadium, he was staring blankly at a massive banner hanging above it.

"The 127th Dragon Sky Empire Youth Singer Competition auditions begin today. Lanyun City venue - City Stadium."

"The Youth Singer Competition starts today? How did I not know about this? Good thing I saw the banner, or I would have completely forgotten."

The stadium was packed with a sea of people—it was no exaggeration. The allure of the competition for commoners was immense; anyone who felt they could sing well wouldn't pass up an opportunity to potentially join the official ranks of the Empire.

The Lanyun City auditions consisted of two stages. For the first, there were 26 entrances around the stadium perimeter, each leading to a simple raised platform. Below each platform was a registration desk. Those who registered could go straight up to audition. Because there were so many participants, to save time, the judges only allowed contestants to sing a few lines before deciding if they could proceed to the second round.

Inside the stadium, there were six stages equipped with musical instruments. Those who passed the first round would go there for the second selection. If the first round was just to test if a contestant's voice was suitable for singing, this stage tested their performance level with accompaniment. Passing this would qualify them for the Northern Division preliminaries of the Youth Singer Competition.

Chen Yun frowned as he looked at the endless crowd ahead. The number of people participating far exceeded his imagination. Although there were 26 entrances to divert the flow, the base number was simply too large. At this rate, it wouldn't be his turn until nightfall, and he couldn't afford to waste an entire day standing in line.

Chen Yun looked around, and just as a security guard maintaining order walked by, his eyes lit up, and a plan formed.