I, a cultivator, have ended up in the wizarding world

Chapter 654 Gathering

Nighttime, in some unknown place.

In the darkness, a kerosene lamp lit up by itself.

The dim yellow flame flickered inside the glass dome for a moment, then settled down, illuminating a small, blurry patch of space around it.

The stone slabs on the ground, the rough brick surfaces of the walls, and the seemingly endless staircase next to them.

This place looks like a basement, but it's deeper, colder, and the air is more stagnant than a typical basement.

One kerosene lamp after another lit up, outlining an oval space in the darkness.

The space is not large, and can accommodate about twenty or thirty people.

There were no windows in the walls, only a low iron door, through which no light could seep in.

Gradually, figures emerged from the darkness.

These figures seemed to have been "condensed" directly from the air.

First came the blurry outline, as if someone were quickly sketching on dark paper with a charcoal pencil.

Then the outline becomes clear, the lines become solid, and the color changes from transparent to opaque.

In a matter of seconds, a dozen people dressed in black robes appeared out of thin air in the glow of the kerosene lamp.

These people stood in a circle, facing the center.

The hood covered most of his face, leaving only his chin and mouth exposed.

After the men in black robes met, no one spoke; only the faint hissing sound of burning kerosene lamp wicks could be heard.

The person standing in the center was a head taller than the others, and the texture of his black robe was slightly different, appearing to be a slightly lustrous silk. The edge of his hood was embroidered with dark silver patterns, which shimmered faintly in the firelight.

"Half a month has passed, and the Shadow Thief still hasn't returned. The collection of life force has been interrupted for half a month." The person in the center spoke, his voice low and unhurried, as if stating a confirmed fact. "It can be confirmed that it has been captured."

No one spoke, but the lips under the hood tightened slightly.

"Over the past two weeks, the Psychic Association has significantly tightened its control. Most of our supply lines have been cut off, and personnel movement is restricted. Until the situation becomes clearer, everyone should minimize contact." The central official paused. "Unless ordered directly by me, no one is permitted to contact us proactively."

The black-robed figures forming a circle nodded slightly.

Meeting adjourned.

The person in the center did not wave, and the other men in black robes dispersed.

Some figures faded and disappeared, some turned and walked towards the low iron gate, and some stood in place for a while before slowly disappearing.

In the end, only two people remained.

One was tall and the other short; the tall one was the person who had just spoken in the center.

The shorter one stood to his right, his hood pulled low, almost completely obscuring his face.

"The Shadow Thief wasn't captured by the Psychic Association," the tall man said, his voice much lower than before, as if he were saying something that couldn't be heard by a third person.

"Are you sure?" The short man's voice was very soft, and it was impossible to tell if he was male or female.

"At least I haven't received any related information. If the Psychic Association really caught the Shadow Thief, I would definitely get the news." The tall man in black robes spoke casually, and from his words, one could tell that he must have a very high position in the Psychic Association.

The shorter man was silent for a few seconds. "So it's a third party."

"Yes, a third party." The tall man's tone carried an unusual seriousness. "It seems there were others in Fog City, not from the association, nor from our side, who caught the Shadow Thief before we could."

"This means that person also knows the Association's internal intelligence and is capable of making a capture without alerting the Association." "Not just knowing the Association's intelligence." The tall man turned around to face the short man.

The gaze beneath the hood settled on the other's face. Though the eyes were obscured, the weight of that gaze was undeniable: "To be able to capture a Shadow Thief so silently, that person's understanding of the supernatural is probably no less than that of the Association's top researchers. Perhaps even deeper."

Another silence followed.

The flame of the kerosene lamp flickered in the faint air, and the shadows of the two people swayed on the wall.

"What about the previous plan...?" the short man asked.

"I'll find a way to find a replacement for the Shadow Thief," the tall man replied without hesitation. "Also, since the Shadow Thief has been captured by a third party, let's release the Gap Man."

The short man shifted slightly, as if suppressing some instinctive reaction. "The Gap Man... wouldn't releasing it now be too risky?"

"We'll do it, even if it's risky." The tall man's voice was firm, leaving no room for negotiation. "The Shadow Thief and the Gap Crevice are twin anomalies, our most valuable asset. The Shadow Thief is responsible for stealing life force, and the Gap Crevice is responsible for ensuring the Shadow Thief doesn't escape. Now that the Shadow Thief is lost, the Gap Crevice is useless to us. But it still has a use... it can find the Shadow Thief."

"You mean...?"

"The connection between the Crevice and the Shadow Thief is bidirectional. Wherever the Shadow Thief is, the Crevice can sense it. Even if the Shadow Thief is sealed in a sealed container, even if it is locked up by layers of sealing runes, that connection will not completely disappear. This is determined by their very nature, and cannot be severed by any sealing technology."

The tall man raised his hand, palm facing up.

His palm was empty, but when the short man's gaze fell on that hand, his pupils contracted slightly.

"Release the Crevice Man." The tall man's voice was calm to the point of being chilling. "Let it go find him. Once it finds the location of the Shadow Thief, it will inevitably trigger a large-scale, eerie fluctuation."

"At that time, a significant and eerie crisis will occur in that area. As long as we keep an eye on the association's movements and see where they send people, we can roughly pinpoint who captured the Shadow Thief."

"and then?"

"Then," the tall man withdrew his hand, "we'll know who that third party is. Is it an individual, or an organization? Is they just researching the supernatural, or do they have other motives? Once we figure these things out, we'll decide how to deal with them."

The short man remained silent for a long time before finally nodding.

"I'll arrange it."

The tall man didn't say anything more.

His figure began to fade, starting from his feet, as if he were being "erased" from the ground upwards by some force.

A few seconds later, he completely disappeared from this space.

The short man stood there, facing the empty basement, the flame of the kerosene lamp burning in circles around him.

He looked down at his palm.

There is an almost invisible black line on the palm, extending from the base of the fingers to the wrist.

The pattern undulated slightly in the firelight.

Those are people caught in the middle.

The short man clenched his fists and turned to walk toward the low iron gate.

The iron gate closed behind him with a dull thud.

One by one, the kerosene lamps went out, and darkness once again filled the entire space.