At the same time, but the crazy

Chapter 643 The Decisive Battle is About to Begin
As the last heavy, mountain-like alloy gate slowly closed behind him, emitting a dull, final thud, Gu felt as if he had stepped into another era.

The scene before him completely overturned his entire understanding of the word "city".

The ground beneath my feet was not soil or rock, but a smooth, metallic surface that gleamed with a dark light, through which countless streams of light flowed like blood.

My gaze went upwards, and upwards again, until my neck ached, but I still couldn't see the tops of those steel behemoths.

The skyscraper pierces the clouds, its surface not a smooth mirror, but covered with complex pipes, heat dissipation vents and energy nodes, exuding a cold and powerful industrial aesthetic.

In the air, a network of multi-layered, three-dimensional transparent pipes crisscrossed, and strangely shaped shuttle-like vehicles silently darted through them at high speed, leaving trails of dazzling light.

What shocked Gu Xin even more were the people in this city.

They walked along the wide streets, each with a different expression: some were soldiers hurrying along, some were researchers engrossed in their screens, and some were ordinary people chatting idly on the street.

Their faces lacked the numbness and despair of wilderness survivors; instead, they displayed a deep-seated confidence and sense of order.

This is not a refuge that is merely clinging to life, but a truly living city, brimming with the flames of civilization.

"This is just the tip of the iceberg of human cities."

Yang Lie seemed already accustomed to the awe of newcomers. His cold face showed little expression, but his voice carried a barely perceptible hint of pride.

"Hao used the Haotian Mirror as its core to create a spatial barrier covering the entire city. This city is located inside and is more than a hundred times larger than what you see from the outside. It folds space and forms its own world."

The group continued on in silence.

Jun pushed up his glasses, rapidly analyzing the astonishing technological capabilities of the city with his own talent.

The other rescued compatriots were speechless with astonishment at the sight before them. They greedily breathed in the clean air, as if they wanted to expel a century of suffering and filth.

Soon, Yang Lie stopped at a fork in the road and briefly gave instructions to several black-clad soldiers who had rushed over upon hearing the news.

The soldiers gave him a standard military salute, and then led the survivors behind him toward the resettlement area on the side.

"You guys come with me."

Yang Lie said to Gu Hejun, then turned around and led the two toward the most magnificent and imposing building in the city center—the City Lord's Mansion.

The city lord's mansion was less of a residence and more of a massive war fortress.

The cold metal walls are engraved with countless mysterious runes, perfectly integrated with cutting-edge technology, radiating a heart-pounding energy fluctuation.

After passing through layers of guards, they arrived at an unusually spacious and empty hall.

In the center of the hall, there was only one person standing.

The man wore a simple gray robe, had a gaunt face, and gentle yet deep eyes that seemed to hold the stars and the passage of time.

He was standing there, yet he gave the illusion that he was integrated into the entire space and was omnipresent.

"Yang Lie, you're back."

He spoke, his voice calm yet carrying a calming power.

"Hao, these are the two people I was talking about..."

Yang Lie concealed all his sharpness and bowed slightly.

Hao's gaze passed over Yang Lie and landed on Gu Yujun.

His gaze lingered for a moment on Gu Na's still-present golden armor, then looked at Jun's all-seeing eyes, a complex emotion appearing on his face, a mixture of relief and sadness.

"Welcome home, kids."

Hao said softly, and then raised one hand, and an ancient octagonal bronze mirror, seemingly reflecting all the heavens and the myriad worlds, quietly appeared in his palm.

【Haotian Mirror】!
hum-

The mirror surface shimmered, and an invisible, intangible transparent barrier instantly spread out from him, enveloping the entire hall.

All light and sound from the outside world were shut out, turning this place into an absolutely independent realm.

"Is it necessary to go to this extent?"

Jun looked at this scene with a hint of confusion in his eyes.

He learned from Yang Lie that humanity had a mortal enemy, but his understanding of it remained at the conceptual level.

"need."

Hao's voice became low and serious.
"Our enemy, that 'serpent,' had already begun to align with the Heavenly Dao of this world a hundred years ago. If He so desires, nothing that happens on this primordial continent can escape His notice."

A hundred years ago, His first target was Deputy Commander Zhang Qi, which is enough to show that Zhang Qi's importance in His eyes far exceeded that of any of us.

Therefore, any intelligence related to him must be concealed with the highest level of security.

These words made Gu Hejun instantly realize the seriousness of the matter.

They were facing an enemy who was almost omniscient and omnipotent.

Gu then recounted in detail his entire experience, from meeting his master "Qi" to learning martial arts, to infiltrating the fortress, and finally meeting Yang Lie.

When Lian Hao heard that Zhang Qi was spreading human writing and civilization in a sparsely populated small tribe, just like an ordinary schoolteacher, a look of emotion appeared on his face.

"This……"

Hao pondered, his expression somewhat confused.

I don't understand why Zhang Qi chose to hide his existence after escaping.

Through Hao's words, Gu also learned for the first time about his master's magnificent past.

"This war, which has lasted for a century, may finally be coming to an end."

Hao took a deep breath and looked intently at Gu Hejun. This was one of the few pieces of good news he had heard in a hundred years.

With the return of Deputy Commander Zhang Qi, there is now hope for the awakening of the Commander-in-Chief, who is still in a deep sleep.

Only then will humanity truly possess the resources to fight the "snake" to the death.

"but,"

After digesting this information, Jun raised a crucial question.
"That Lord Qi... what exactly is his ultimate goal?"

This question caused both Hao and Yang Lie to fall into deep thought. With Zhang Qi's wisdom, he would never simply wait passively.

As if to answer his question, the Virgo Gold Cloth on Gu's body reappeared on its own.

Then a golden beam of light, condensed to the point of being tangible, shot out, tracing a mysterious trajectory in the air before piercing straight into Hao's brow.

Hao's body jolted violently, and his eyes closed instantly.

His expression shifted a thousand times in an instant, from initial astonishment to shock in the middle, and finally to realization and... unparalleled awe.

After a long while, he slowly opened his eyes and exhaled a long breath.

"So that's how it is... So that's how it is..."

He muttered to himself, his gaze towards Gu completely changed.

"What a grand gesture... What a brilliant... 'cutting off the fuel supply'!"

"Lord Hao?"

Yang Lie pressed for an answer.

"Deputy Commander Zhang Qi... is doing something that could overturn the entire era."

Hao's gaze swept over the three of them, his voice trembling slightly with excitement:
He paused, trying to process the shock of the massive flow of information.

"He is plotting two things. First, he will use the innate spiritual treasure, the Investiture of the Gods, as a catalyst to sever the connection between the 'snake' and the rules of this world! The reason why the 'snake' can control all races is because all races are remnants of the previous era."

Without the protection of the 'Snake' with the power of the [Investiture of the Gods], it would inevitably suffer the mad rejection and annihilation of the Heavenly Dao of this world.

This is the root cause of the mutual destruction between all races and the 'serpent'.

"And the second thing Lord Zhang Qi wants to do is to use another innate spiritual treasure he controls, the Reincarnation Disc, to rebuild the Underworld and open up the cycle of reincarnation!"
He wants to 'cleanse' the souls of all races from the very root!
From this point forward, all races reborn through reincarnation will bear the imprint of this era, no longer being 'outsiders' in need of protection! They will no longer be bound by the [Investiture of the Gods]!

Upon hearing this, even Junzhi, whose wisdom was as profound as the sea, changed his expression.

This is going to sever the very foundation of all races!
“No race would willingly sacrifice its freedom to become a dog for a ‘snake’ if it weren’t for survival.”

Hao's voice was strong and clear.

"Once these two things are accomplished, the 'snake' camp will collapse without a fight!"
His message was clear: before these two measures are fully completed and the 'snake's' final counterattack is triggered, we must gather all available forces and prepare for a full-scale decisive battle.

The hall was deathly silent, save for the heavy breathing of the three people.

(End of this chapter)