Eunuch, do you really know these martial arts?

The violent explosion was accompanied by metal fragments and a shockwave of intense energy.

Like a flood bursting its banks, it surged into the energy core area from the entrance of the passage.

The entire space trembled violently, and large amounts of dust and debris fell down.

"Wow, they broke through faster than expected!"

The barrier let out a low growl, its massive body blocking the way.

The specially made energy shield in his hand instantly expanded to its maximum size.

The pale blue light curtain fluctuated violently, blocking most of the debris and impact.

However, he himself was so shocked that he slid back half a step.

Even someone as strong and robust as him would find it difficult to withstand such a powerful impact.

The ghost instantly assessed the situation.

Forcibly blocking the enemy in this open area, facing an unknown number and equipment of enemies, would be tantamount to suicide.

At this moment, there is no need for them to waste any more time; leaving as quickly as possible is the best solution.

"Sparrow! Lead the way!"

"Advisor Jiang, let's protect the target and retreat through the maintenance passage!"

"Fortifications, alternating cover!"

"go!"

Jiang Nian responded without hesitation.

He also knew that there was no need for them to continue entangled with the enemy in this place.

If they continue down this path, they will only be the ones who fail in the end.

The enemy kept coming in, and they only had a few people left.

The sparrow had already darted to the narrow maintenance passage entrance like a raccoon dog.

A multi-functional tool in hand quickly switched to the interface.

"Channel access has been forcibly bypassed! Quickly!"

The four-man team demonstrated exceptional tactical proficiency.

The barrier retreated while maintaining its shield.

The ghost fired a series of shots from its peculiar rifle, several blue energy beams precisely striking the smoke and dust.

As expected of professional special forces members, they were able to maintain stability even in such chaos.

They quickly moved towards the only escape route.

Jiang Nian, protecting the nutrient tank, was the first to retreat into the maintenance channel.

The passage was extremely narrow, allowing only one person to pass by bending over.

All around were cold, rough pipe walls.

The floating nutrient tanks almost filled most of the space, and the speed of movement slowed down immediately.

"They're coming in!"

However, they had only just walked over when they noticed the tail following them closely.

This organization is truly omnipresent; they found them so quickly.

The last retreat passage for the barrier.

Then, they planted two magnetically attached shock bombs at the entrance.

"Boom! Boom!"

Almost the instant the makeshift protective door closed, an even louder explosion came from outside.

Clearly, the pursuers had triggered a new trap, and the entire passage was shaking violently.

"Let's go! They'll realize what's happening soon enough!"

The ghost gave a low shout, propelling the spirit bird forward.

The maintenance tunnel was pitch black, with only the tactical spotlights on the Sparrow helmets and the faint light emitted by the nutrient tanks providing illumination.

Fortunately, they were all battle-hardened warriors, and even in the pitch black, they could quickly find the final way out.

Zero was in the nutrient tank, his hands pressed against the transparent tank wall, the pale blue nutrient solution rippling slightly with his movements.

His eyes, which were remarkably similar to Jiang Nian's, held no fear, but rather were filled with curiosity and a hint of barely perceptible excitement.

This gaze went almost unnoticed by anyone in the darkness.

Only Jiang Nian saw it clearly.

This moment left Jiang Nian somewhat confused, unable to believe the hint of excitement that flashed in his eyes.

What exactly is the reason for this?
War or death.

He seemed to be able to sense the energy fluctuations in the outside world, his gaze sometimes looking towards the direction of the pursuers behind him, and sometimes towards the endless darkness ahead of the passage.

After struggling forward for about five or six minutes, the sounds behind us seemed to be temporarily blocked out by the winding passageway.

But the detector screen in Lingque's hand flashed a blinding red light again.

"Boss, Advisor Jiang! The energy readings ahead are abnormal!"

"It's not a life signal, it's a spatial structure reading! The end of this channel may lead to an unstable spatial fold formed by an energy impact, or the remnant of a failed space experiment!"

The magpie's voice was filled with disbelief and shock.

Although the readings could deduce the spatial data, she had never actually seen any fluctuations in the data.

"Space technology?"

The ghost's tone was grave, "The Flint Research Institute has actually ventured into this field..."

Ahead lies an unpredictable spatial anomaly, behind are relentless pursuers like wolves and tigers.

Everyone's heart sank.

This is a dead end!
Just then, Zero, who had been quietly staying in the nutrient tank, suddenly slapped the tank wall hard, attracting everyone's attention.

He held up one finger, not pointing in the direction of the detector alarm at the front of the passage.

Instead, it points to a seemingly perfectly sealed metal wall to the side and below.

"There."

Zero's voice came through the built-in speaker, still carrying a raw electronic tone, yet with a strange certainty: "The back is empty. It's safe."

Everyone looked in the direction he pointed, and there were only cold metal walls and thick pipes, no different from the surroundings.

At this moment, everyone was somewhat incredulous.

Jiang Nian took the first step forward.

"Trust him once."

Jiang Nian said in a deep voice, his gaze meeting Ling's.

This boy may possess potential that they have yet to understand.

The sparrow immediately aimed the detector at that area, and after a careful scan, let out a soft exclamation.

"The surface scan showed no abnormalities, but the deep energy flow analysis did reveal a weak guiding effect! There might really be a shielded space behind it!"

Without saying a word, the barrier stepped forward and used the hydraulic shears on his equipment to forcibly pry open a metal plate that appeared to be welded shut.

With a sharp, grating sound of metal tearing apart.

A narrow opening, barely wide enough for a person to crawl through, was revealed.

"It's a natural fissure leading into the mountain! It might connect to an underground river or a cave system!"

Lingque exclaimed in delight.

This is undoubtedly a miraculous escape from a desperate situation!

"Quick! Go inside!"

The ghost acted decisively.

The four people, protecting the nutrient tank, struggled to crawl into the unexpected escape route one by one.

The last one to enter the barrier struggled to restore the pried-open metal plates to their original state as much as possible.

Less than a minute after they finished concealing themselves, chaotic footsteps and energy scan fluctuations swept past from the maintenance passage outside.

They did not stay.

They headed straight ahead towards the dangerous spatial anomaly zone.

Within the cramped natural crevice, the group leaned against the cold rock wall, finally able to catch their breath briefly. In the darkness, only their heavy breathing and the low hum of the nutrient tanks could be heard.

"He saved us."

Lingque looked at Zero in the nutrient tank, her tone complicated.

Ghost and Barrier also watched Zero in silence, their eyes still wary, but now with a hint of scrutiny and astonishment.

This clone is far more complex than they imagined.

There are too many unknowns about his background and abilities.

Jiang Nian took a deep breath, but the turmoil in her heart was hard to calm.

The existence of zero possesses both unpredictable value and risk.

"We are not completely out of danger yet."

Jiang Nian broke the silence, her voice echoing in the narrow space.

"Find a way out and get out of here as soon as possible."

Guided by Zero's seemingly innate keen senses, the team trudged through this intricate underground cave system.

After trekking for several hours, they finally found an exit hidden by vines, following a faint wisp of air and light.

They finally escaped the dangerous laboratory and returned to land.

After several attempts, the signal was finally connected with difficulty.

After some twists and turns, a vertical takeoff and landing transport plane painted in desert camouflage landed silently like a ghost at the designated location far from the ruins of the research institute.

The transport plane's cabin door closed, and it took off smoothly, flying into the distance.

Everyone in the cabin finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Barrier and Sparrow almost immediately slumped into their seats, checking their dwindling equipment and tending to their wounds.

The ghost then began encrypted communication with the command center at the rear, briefly reporting the situation.

Jiang Nian sat beside Zero's nutrient tank, watching the sky gradually brighten outside the window, and the vast and desolate Gobi Desert rushing past below.

Zero curiously pressed himself against the side of the trough.

Several hours later, the transport plane did not return to its usual military base or safe house.

Instead, they landed at a secret research institute located deep in the mountains.

This is an institution with a higher level of security than the laboratory directly under Bai Yongxu's jurisdiction.

The cabin door opened, and Bai Yongxu was already waiting for him on the tarmac.

His face was grave, and he had heavy bags under his eyes, clearly indicating that he hadn't slept well for the past few days.

Behind him stood a group of researchers in white protective suits with serious expressions and fully armed guards.

When Bai Yongxu saw the nutrient tank that Jiang Nian had carefully escorted down with his internal energy, and the boy in the tank who looked similar to Jiang Nian, he was moved.

Even though he was mentally prepared, his pupils still contracted sharply, and his face was filled with shock and disbelief.

I already knew that there was a perfect clone sample in that lab.

Unexpectedly, it turned out to be a completely intact human being, without any alterations.

“Old Bai,” Jiang Nian walked up to Bai Yongxu, his voice tinged with weariness but unusually firm, “I brought the person back. But he is not an object or a sample.”

Bai Yongxu took a deep breath.

He shifted his gaze from Ling to Jiang Nian and nodded emphatically.

“I understand. The highest level of isolation and protection measures are in place. The expert team will conduct a comprehensive, non-invasive assessment of him.”

“But Jiang Nian…” He paused, his tone heavy, “His final fate is probably not something you or I can decide alone. The higher-ups are paying close attention.”

Jiang Nian paused for a moment; he knew, of course, what this meant.

The existence of zero touches upon too many sensitive areas.

These fields, like those mysterious organizations, cannot be simply made public.

Once discovered, it will inevitably be subject to public scrutiny.

Moreover, the results of these studies may be contained within Zero.

"I know."

Jiang Nian only said these three words in the end, but his eyes had already shown his attitude.

Zero was carefully transferred to an isolation observation room.

Before entering the isolation room, he glanced back at Jiang Nian.

"Father……"

He called softly.

Jiang Nian stood outside the isolation room, nodding to him through the thick special glass, making a reassuring gesture.

For the next few days, Jiang Nian stayed at this secret research institute.

He needs to cooperate in completing a detailed task report and undergo physical examinations and psychological assessments.

At the same time, he also closely followed the preliminary research progress on zero.

The expert panel has reached preliminary conclusions.

Zero's physical functions are almost perfect.

It contains energy that originates from the same source as Jiang Nian, but is more gentle and restrained.

He has an exceptional learning ability and can master complex languages ​​and information in a very short time.

However, his emotional system and social cognition were like a blank sheet of paper, and he was extremely dependent on and trusted Jiang Nian.

Simply put, just as they expected, the lab simply treated it as an experimental sample.

Although it is a successful product, like the sample, it still has many shortcomings.

Meanwhile, external intelligence analysis has also yielded results.

The attackers at the Flint Research Institute were confirmed to be one of the main forces of that mysterious organization. Their goal was very clear: to seize core research data and zero.

They just didn't expect the energy outburst at the research institute, and they certainly didn't expect Jiang Nian to take Ling away first.

A fragmented document concerning the "Perfect Cloning Project" and the "Advent Protocol" has been preliminarily deciphered.

The text mentions enigmatic terms such as "container," "guide," and "key," seemingly pointing to a larger and more terrifying ultimate goal.

Zero plays a crucial role in this process.

All of this made Jiang Nian feel the pressure on her shoulders growing heavier and heavier.

A few days later, Jiang Nian returned to his suburban villa.

The gravity training room still stood quietly in the basement, but he found that he could no longer devote himself to training as single-mindedly as before.

Zero's eyes, filled with dependence; the terrifying scene deep within the research institute; the enormous shadow of the organization hidden behind the scenes; and that incomplete information about the "arrival"...

Like tangled threads, they were wrapped around his heart.

He stood in front of the villa's floor-to-ceiling windows, gazing at the city lights in the distance.

My phone rang; it was a message from Wei Zheng.

He was reporting on the latest developments of the "iPartment" crew.

Everything is getting better, and it's full of ordinary vitality.

Yang Mi also sent a message to inquire whether he was alright.

He knew that the peace was short-lived.

The organization will not let this go easily, Zero's future is uncertain, and his own path to becoming a grandmaster seems to have undergone subtle changes due to this sudden entanglement.

He took a deep breath, his eyes regaining their sharpness and determination.

No matter what lies ahead, he must keep going.

To protect everything he cares about, he needs greater strength and to face the sudden responsibility that comes with it.

He picked up his phone and dialed Bai Yongxu's number.

"Old White, make the arrangements. I need to see Zero regularly. Also, I need to know all the latest developments regarding the Advent Plan."

Now that this organization has its eye on him, he must take the initiative.

Otherwise, who knows if they might create even stranger and more bizarre monsters?

He didn't want to be the father of too many sons without experiencing the pain. (End of Chapter)