Ling Cage: Twelve Talismans? I have everything I need.

Chapter 176 Climbing the Tower
Little Moon Goddess held the rabbit that had been transformed from the White Moon Sky, her eyes crinkling into crescent moons with laughter.

The rabbit twitched its nose and kicked its legs reluctantly, trying to escape Little Moon Queen's caresses.

Just then, footsteps and voices approached from afar.

Hongkou returned with the group of young hunters who had finished their visit, and they were still whispering among themselves about what they had seen and heard at the ecological base.

Yang Chen took the lifeless rabbit from Xiao Yuekui's hands, casually wiped it, and a flash of blue light appeared. The rabbit transformed back into Bai Yuetian, who was baring her teeth and rubbing her arm.

"Oh my god... Orange, you wait..." Bai Yuetian muttered.

Yang Chen ignored him, his gaze sweeping over the group of hunters whose eyes had changed, before he and Bai Yuekui went to meet them.

“Boss, Boss Bai.” Hongkou stepped forward. “We’re back. We’ve already shown them around the ecological base.”

"It seems the visit went well," Yang Chen said to Hong Kou with a smile, looking at the radiant faces of the young people.

Hongkou nodded and said with a smile, "They've all decided to stay."

“Very good.” Yang Chen’s gaze swept over the group of energetic faces, and his tone turned serious. “However, before you are officially settled, I need a few of you to come with me to the lighthouse first.”

Upon hearing this, the young hunters all showed a hint of surprise and confusion on their faces.

Yang Chen explained, “You don’t need to do anything. Just tell those people on the lighthouse who still have fear and prejudice against the ground everything you’ve seen with your own eyes on the ground, in Dragon Bone Village, and at the ecological base. Use your eyes and your experiences to tell them the truth.”

Yang Chen then turned to Bai Yuetian, who was stretching his muscles beside him, and raised an eyebrow to ask.

"What about you? Are you going to go take a look?"

Bai Yuetian shook his head vigorously: "No, no, I'd rather go back and play a couple of games."

"Really not going? Weren't you quite curious about that Dawn Hall before? Don't you want to go and check it out in person?"

Bai Yuetian blushed and retorted, "Pah! I was just joking around, who wants to go to such a lousy place for research! I'm leaving, I'm going back!"

After he finished speaking, fearing that Yang Chen might say something else, he quickly greeted Bai Yuekui and Xiao Yuekui and slipped away as if his feet were greased.

He glanced at the sky; the setting sun had already painted the horizon orange-red.

"It's almost time, let's set off now."

Bai Yuekui walked to Yang Chen's side and whispered, "Be careful."

"Don't worry." Yang Chen smiled and squeezed her hand. "I'll be right back."

Yang Chen didn't delay any longer and gestured to the hunters who chose to return: "Let's go, take your cars."

The group walked toward the Hunter Armored Vehicle that was already parked at the entrance of the village.

The hunters looked at their familiar vehicle, then at the vibrant village behind them, their feelings a complex mix of emotions.

The vehicle started and slowly drove away from Longgu Village, returning to the desolate land filled with ruins outside.

The atmosphere in the car was somewhat silent.

Several hunters occasionally stole glances at Yang Chen, who sat calmly in the passenger seat.

Finally, the hunter driving couldn't help but speak again: "Mr. Yang... are you really going to the lighthouse alone?"

Yang Chen glanced at the ruins rushing past the window and said calmly, "It's nothing. I'm just going to talk, not to fight."

After saying that, he turned to the hunter and said, "I'll speed things up for you. Relax and don't be nervous. The process might be a little fast."

Before he could react, the power of the rabbit talisman flashed, and the vehicle instantly accelerated and disappeared from its original spot.

All that remained were the terrified screams of the people in the car.

Soon after, the vehicle gradually slowed down as it approached the hovering area below the lighthouse.

Looking up, you can already see the base of the huge lighthouse, which resembles an inverted mountain peak, and the elevator platform that extends down from it.

Just as the vehicle approached, the vehicle's communicator rang, and a tense voice from the Lighthouse Communications Department came through: "Hunter vehicle, please verify identity! Repeat, please verify identity! And... is there only one ground representative in your vehicle?"

The hunter driving the car glanced at Yang Chen, and Yang Chen nodded.

"This is Hunter vehicle, number 007, identity confirmed," Hunter replied via communicator.

"On the bus... besides a few of us returning personnel, there was only Mr. Yang Chen, the ground representative."

There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the communicator, as if they were confirming and requesting instructions.

A moment later, the instruction came through: "Received. Approach permission granted. The lift platform is about to descend; please park your vehicle as instructed."

Amidst the roar of machinery, the massive lifting platform slowly descended from the base of the lighthouse, kicking up a cloud of dust.

Yang Chen looked up at the approaching platform and the area above it, and casually asked the hunter beside him for confirmation.

"Is that where we go up?"

The hunter driving the vehicle nodded hurriedly: "Yes, Boss Yang, according to the regulations, we need to drive the vehicle onto the platform, and then the platform will lift us up..."

Before he could finish speaking, Yang Chen shook his head.

“Too slow.” Yang Chen said, his gaze fixed on the platform entrance suspended in mid-air, a slight smile playing on his lips.

"Let's go straight up."

"Go straight...go straight up?" The hunters inside the vehicle hadn't yet grasped the meaning of those words.

The next second, they felt the car suddenly lighten, and a feeling of weightlessness suddenly came over them.

"what!"

Amid exclamations of surprise, the heavy armored vehicle defied gravity, lifted off the ground, and flew straight up towards the entrance of the still-uncompletely-landing elevator platform.

At the bottom of the lighthouse, the city defense troops responsible for operating the lifting platform and maintaining order also witnessed this astonishing sight.

The communication channel immediately erupted in chaos.

"Report! Report! The Hunter vehicle... the vehicle... it's flying!"

"What do you mean the vehicle flew up? Explain yourself!"

"That car! It didn't go onto the platform! I'm not kidding! It flew up by itself! And it's heading towards the entrance!"

The defensive emplacements at the edge of the lighthouse had just raised their guns, attempting to lock onto the armored vehicle.

However, the vehicle was moving at an astonishing speed, and almost in the blink of an eye, it had already approached the entrance.

The city defense soldiers standing at the gun emplacement could even see through the windshield the terrified face of the hunter in the driver's seat, as well as the calm-looking black-haired youth in the passenger seat.

Amidst the eerie silence and the gazes of countless horrified eyes, the heavy Hunter armored vehicle glided nimbly into the passage and came to a steady stop.

There was dead silence inside the car.

The hunters, still shaken, gasped for breath, feeling as if they had just narrowly escaped death once again.

Yang Chen unbuckled his seatbelt, pushed open the car door, jumped out, and stepped onto the cold metal floor inside the lighthouse.

He looked around and saw the city defense soldiers on both sides of the passage, who were on high alert and had their guns pointed at him, as well as the higher-ranking officers who had rushed over from a distance after hearing the news, their faces grave.

"Alright, we've arrived." Yang Chen patted the car body and said to the hunters who were still in a daze inside.

"Come down, take me to see your city lord."

His voice wasn't loud, but it echoed clearly in the tense corridor.

Meanwhile, inside the city hall of the Lighthouse, the surveillance footage clearly showed the armored vehicle that flew up from the bottom passage, and the composed black figure.

Lord Morgan stared at the screen, his pupils slightly contracting.

The way the other party arrived far exceeded his expectations.

This unexpected entrance instantly ignited the already tense nerves of all the city's defense troops.

Exclamations, the sound of weapons being cocked, and footsteps filled the air as countless dark gun barrels were instantly pointed at the people who had stepped out of the vehicle.

The seven hunters had never experienced anything like this before. Being held at gunpoint by their own men, they turned pale with fright and instinctively tried to raise their hands, but their movements froze in mid-air.

Yang Chen, however, seemed oblivious to the city defense troops who were on high alert around him. His gaze calmly swept over the heavily armed city defense troops, finally settling on the man whose right arm had been replaced by a prosthetic.

The atmosphere inside the passageway was tense and confrontational.

Victor suppressed his shock and took a few steps forward, his eyes fixed on Yang Chen.

"How...how did you get up here?" Victor's voice was hoarse. He had watched the car fly up with his own eyes, which completely overturned his understanding.

Yang Chen casually replied, "Just a little trick."

His gaze swept past Victor and into the depths of the passage: "Where is your city lord?"

This attitude of completely disregarding the lighthouse's defenses shocked and angered the surrounding city garrison soldiers, but no one dared to make a move.

Victor's expression kept changing. The composed young man in front of him reminded him of the white-haired woman who had come to the lighthouse with him years ago.

He stepped forward: "I am Victor, the commander-in-chief of the city's defense forces. Before I take you to see the city lord, I need to confirm that you are not carrying any dangerous items."

He pointed at Yang Chen and said, "I need to search you."

Upon hearing this, Yang Chen merely raised an eyebrow, then readily opened his arms, displaying an indifferent attitude.

"Yes, please."

His frankness surprised Victor.

Victor glanced at the soldiers standing by, signaling them to remain vigilant, and then stepped forward to begin a thorough examination of Yang Chen.

Victor examined everything meticulously, from the arms and torso to the legs, leaving nothing out.

He tried to find a trace of tension or pretense on Yang Chen's face, but the other man just stared at him calmly, his eyes even carrying a hint of... boredom.
After the body search was completed, Victor took a step back, his brow furrowed.

Apart from his ordinary clothes, Yang Chen was so clean that he didn't even have a small knife.

"Now, can you take me to see Lord Morgan?" Yang Chen lowered his arm, straightened his collar, and spoke in a calm tone.

Victor stared at him, trying to glean something from those deep black eyes, but found nothing.

He knew that there was no point in dwelling on the physical search anymore.

“...Follow me.” Victor said in a deep voice, turning to lead the way.

He whispered a few words into the communicator, clearly reporting the situation to Morgan.

A team of fully armed city defense soldiers immediately stepped forward, surrounding Yang Chen and "escorting" him in the middle. Although the muzzles of their guns were slightly lowered, their fingers were still tightly gripping the trigger guards, showing extreme vigilance.

The seven hunters were also required to follow behind.

Yang Chen paid no attention to the commotion. He followed Victor with ease, his eyes taking in the interior structure of the lighthouse with great interest.

As they passed through gate after gate, all the staff and city guards they encountered cast surprised and uncertain glances at them, and whispers spread after the procession had passed.

"So they're people from the surface?"

"I heard he's the leader of a ground force..."

"She looks very young..."

Finally, the group arrived at the heavy, massive door of the city lord's hall.

The door slowly opened, revealing a fairly spacious interior.

At the far end of the hall, atop a high staircase, Lord Morgan sat enigmatically in the chair symbolizing the highest authority of the beacon.

Below, on both sides, stood the important heads of various departments of the lighthouse. All eyes were focused on the entrance and on the black-haired youth who was being "escorted" in by the city defense army.

Victor strode down the steps and bowed to Morgan: "Lord, the man has been brought here. He has been searched and no weapons were found."

Morgan's gaze bypassed Victor and landed directly on Yang Chen.

He scrutinized the young man, trying to find any qualities in him that matched the identity of a "leader of ground survivors".

But aside from that composure that seemed out of place in the tense environment, all he saw was an ordinary-looking young man.

"You are Yang Chen?" Morgan's voice, carrying the authority of someone long accustomed to a high position, echoed in the hall.

Yang Chen met Morgan's scrutinizing gaze with a slight smile, and without stopping, walked straight past Victor to the center of the hall.

Completely ignoring the wary, hostile, or curious glances around them.

“Not bad.” He stopped and looked up to meet Morgan’s gaze on the platform.

His composure gave many people in the hall a strange feeling.

It was as if he were the master of this place, and they were the intruders.

"Yang Chen from Dragonbone Village," he simply stated his name. "I've come as arranged to speak with Lord Morgan."

"Mr. Yang."

"You said you came from the ground? Dragonbone Village?"

"Yes." Yang Chen nodded. "Lord Morgan must have received our previous communications."

He pointed to the seven somewhat nervous hunters beside him: "These people can prove that what I said is true. Most of your hunter team chose to stay on the ground, but these seven have come back to deliver a message."

Life on the ground? Passing messages?
Lord Morgan frowned, his sharp gaze scrutinizing Yang Chen and the hunters behind him, whose expressions were complex but who remained silent in their rebuttal.

The hall fell silent; everyone was astonished by Yang Chen's calm yet earth-shattering words.

Living on the ground? How is that even possible?

Is the surface really suitable for human habitation?
But looking at the person named Yang Chen, he didn't seem to be living a hard life. His eyes were bright and piercing, his skin was fair, and his clothes looked very clean. Moreover, he looked like the people of the old world.

This made them try to believe again.

Just then, Dr. Carrie, who was standing to the side wearing a white researcher's coat, stepped forward and stared intently at Yang Chen.

"You say you live on the surface, but the entire world is now polluted by the Mana ecosystem, teeming with Devouring Beasts, and the land is barren. How do you manage to 'live on the surface'? Do you live underground?"

Carrie's question hit the nail on the head and was the biggest question in the minds of all the Lighthouse executives.

Yang Chen looked at Carrie: "It's not like we have to live underground."

His gaze swept across the faces in the hall, each one filled with suspicion.

“We have a way to avoid being detected by the Devouring Beasts. If you want to learn, we can teach you how to live on the ground.”

"As for the contaminated land..." Yang Chen paused, "We possess the technology to purify and revitalize parts of the land, making it suitable for planting again. They..."

He pointed to the seven hunters: "They have also seen those green crops and plump livestock with their own eyes. They are all the result of our own planting and raising."

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, the hunters, though nervous, nodded vigorously to confirm Yang Chen's words.

“Lord City Lord,” one of them mustered his courage and spoke, “the surface is truly different from what we know! They have plenty of food, green plants, and… and devices that can shield them from Devouring Beasts! Captain Red Blossom and Lieutenant Dawn are also in Dragonbone Village, doing very well!”

Upon hearing Yang Chen's words, Dr. Carrie's breathing became noticeably rapid, completely ignoring the mentions of Red Bloom and Dawn by the hunter.

She couldn't help but press further: "How did you manage to avoid being detected by the Devouring Beasts? How did you purify the land? How did you manage to shield yourself from the Devouring Beasts?"

"Who are you...?" Yang Chen looked at Carrie.

Carrie replied, "My name is Carrie, and I am the Director of Medical and Ecological Affairs here, responsible for medical resource management and ecological research."

After introducing herself, Carrie quickly pressed on, "The ecological erosion is severe and the damage to the land is enormous. Can you really purify the land?! And what does it mean that you won't be discovered by the Devouring Beasts?"

Seeing the fervor in Carrie's eyes, Yang Chen nodded and said.

"We can indeed purify the land. If you're curious about the technology, you can come with me to the surface to see for yourself. As for avoiding being discovered by the Devouring Beasts..."

"The ultimate goal of the Mana ecosystem is to seize the life essence of humanity, and strong emotions will destroy that life essence."

Before Yang Chen could finish speaking, he was suddenly interrupted by Morgan's angry roar.

"enough!"

(End of this chapter)