I can receive unlimited protection; my parents handed me over to the state.

When Qin Shan's communication came through, Lu Yuan was packing his luggage.

"Brother Lu! Brother Lu, you didn't see that?!" Qin Shan's face filled the entire screen, his cheeks trembling with excitement. "That bastard Gao Yang is now the laughingstock of the whole school! He just tried to argue with the principal, but Lord Canglong stopped him on the spot, saying he was 'unstable and unworthy to enter Xingyun Academy,' and immediately revoked his guaranteed admission!"

"Hahaha! You didn't see his face; it was as green as if he'd eaten ten pounds of bitter melon!"

Lu Yuan folded a piece of clothing, put it in his backpack, and didn't even look up.

"And that woman, Shen Meng!" Qin Shan's voice grew even more excited. "She broke down on the spot, crying her eyes out, and even tried to go find you, but Old Wang stopped her. Now her parents have been called to the school, and I heard her dad was so angry he slapped her across the face!"

Lu Yuan's hand paused for a moment, but only for a moment.

"Qin Shan." He looked up at the chubby face on the screen, which was flushed with excitement. "What's past is past."

Qin Shan was stunned for a moment, then chuckled and scratched his head.

"I understand, I understand, Brother Lu, you're so magnanimous! You don't stoop to the level of those petty people! By the way, when are you leaving? My dad said he's treating you to dinner tonight, saying it's a farewell dinner!"

"No need." Lu Yuan zipped up his backpack. "I'm leaving tonight."

"Huh? So soon?" A hint of disappointment flashed across Qin Shan's face, but he quickly perked up again. "Alright! Good luck, Brother Lu! When you become a big shot, just don't forget your brother!"

"I won't forget." Lu Yuan smiled and ended the communication.

The room fell silent again.

Lu Yuan stood by the window, looking at the familiar scenes in the veterans' compound outside. The setting sun bathed the entire compound in a warm yellow light, and several veterans were playing chess in the yard, with occasional bursts of hearty laughter.

He grew up here and spent eighteen years here.

But from today onwards, this place will become his "past".

"Lu Yuan! Dinner's ready!"

His mother, Lin Rou's, voice came from the kitchen, interrupting his thoughts.

---

The table was laden with dishes.

Braised pork belly, sweet and sour pork ribs, steamed sea bass, garlic broccoli... these are all dishes that Lu Yuan loves to eat.

Lin Rou kept rambling on as she put food into Lu Yuan's bowl.

"Eat more, eat more. I don't know if I'll be able to eat Mom's cooking over there... These ribs are your favorite, so I stewed them a little longer until they're tender and flavorful..."

Looking at the mountain of food piled up in his bowl, Lu Yuan felt a lump in his throat.

Lu Tianhe sat opposite him, silently drinking his wine. Today, he made an exception and opened a bottle of aged baijiu that he had treasured for many years, drinking it alone without saying a word.

"Dad, drink less," Lu Yuan said.

Lu Tianhe raised his head and glanced at Lu Yuan. His eyes, which were once as sharp as an eagle's, were now somewhat moist.

He put down his wine glass, took out a yellowed leather notebook from his pocket, and solemnly pushed it in front of Lu Yuan.

"What's this?" Lu Yuan picked up the notebook and turned to the first page.

On the title page, a line of text was written in pen:

**[Lu Tianhe's Battle Diary: Black Tide Chapter]**

"This is my battle record from back in the 'Black Tide'," Lu Tianhe's voice was a little hoarse. "It records the weaknesses and combat techniques of all the star beasts I encountered, as well as some... lessons learned in blood."

Lu Yuan quickly flipped through several pages. Each page was densely covered with writing, and also included hand-drawn anatomical diagrams of star beasts and tactical annotations.

"You're a blacksmith, not a warrior. But the place you're going to is even more dangerous than the Black Tide of yesteryear." Lu Tianhe's right hand trembled uncontrollably. He clenched his fist tightly to suppress the tremor. "This notebook might save your life at a crucial moment."

Lu Yuan gripped the notebook tightly and nodded.

"I will come back alive."

"Okay." Lu Tianhe picked up his wine glass, drank it all in one gulp, his eyes reddening, and said only this one word.

Lin Rou wiped away her tears, took out a delicate little box from her pocket, and pushed it in front of Lu Yuan.

"Mom doesn't have anything good for you." She opened the box, inside which were three light blue potions neatly arranged, with labels on the bottles—**[Grade E Mental Energy Restoration Potion]**.

"This was bought with my savings after my mother pulled a lot of strings." Lin Rou held Lu Yuan's hand. "Your talent consumes mental energy, and this can save your life in critical moments. Remember, don't use it unless absolutely necessary."

Lu Yuan looked at the three vials of medicine, his throat tightening slightly.

He knew the market price of Grade E potions. Each vial cost at least 100,000, and even then, they were rarely available.

His mother had to ask countless people for help and owe countless favors in order to prepare these three doses of medicine for him.

"mom……"

"Stop talking," Lin Rou interrupted him, tears finally streaming down her face. "Mom only has one request: come back safe and sound, do you hear me?"

"I heard you."

The meal was eaten slowly and quietly.

There weren't many words, but every bite of food felt substantial.

---

After dinner, Lu Yuan shouldered his luggage and left home.

Lu Tianhe and Lin Rou stood at the door to see him off.

"Go ahead." Lu Tianhe patted Lu Yuan on the shoulder. "Remember, you're a member of the Lu family. Don't embarrass me."

No, it won't.

Lu Yuan turned around and strode towards the courtyard gate.

He didn't turn around.

Because he knew that if he turned back, he might not be able to leave.

---

The moment Lu Yuan stepped out of the veterans' compound, he clearly sensed a change in the atmosphere.

The entire compound was placed under silent curfew.

Every five meters, a soldier armed with a gun stood at attention, his expression stern, his eyes scanning the surroundings warily.

From time to time, formations of drones flew low overhead, emitting a soft buzzing sound.

This entourage looks like they're escorting some national treasure-level important figure.

And this "national treasure" is him.

Lu Yuan felt a mix of emotions.

He was just an ordinary high school student who had just awakened his talent, but because of his ability of "unlimited protection," he was treated with such special treatment by the country.

This trust is incredibly profound.

At the entrance of the compound, a black maglev armored vehicle stood quietly.

The car's lines are sleek and powerful, its surface covered with a layer of scale-like armor that gleams with a dark metallic sheen under the streetlights. On the side of the vehicle is a dragon emblem, a unique military symbol.

A familiar figure stood beside the car door.

Su Lie's adjutant—codename "Ice Wall".

He was dressed in a black combat uniform, his face was cold and stern, and his temperament was like an unbreakable block of ice.

"Mr. Lu." Bingqiang nodded slightly, his voice devoid of any emotion. "Please get in the car."

Lu Yuan stepped forward and was about to open the car door when the ice wall suddenly spoke.

"Mr. Lu, from this moment forward, all your actions will be classified as top secret. Anyone attempting to approach you will be considered an act of hostility."

Lu Yuan was taken aback for a moment, then nodded.

He understood what this meant.

From this moment on, he was no longer an ordinary person, but a strategic resource of the country.

The car door opened, and Lu Yuan got in.

The car has a spacious interior, and the seats are made of high-grade memory material, making them exceptionally comfortable. The windows are one-way, so you can't see inside from the outside.

The vehicle started silently and smoothly glided into the night.

Lu Yuan looked out the car window at Jianghai City as it gradually receded into the distance.

Neon lights flashed, tall buildings stood tall, and people came and went on the streets.

This city remains prosperous and bustling.

But for him, all of that has become background.

---

The vehicle drove out of the city and into the suburbs.

The night grew even darker.

Lu Yuan noticed that fighter jet formations frequently roared across the sky, their exhaust streaks cutting through the night and leaving trails of light.

On the ground, armored vehicles guarded every intersection, and heavily armed soldiers vigilantly scanned passing vehicles.

This is not a simple "enrollment registration".

This is a national-level strategic shift.

Lu Yuan leaned back in his seat, closed his eyes, but his mind was racing.

One month is enough to create one weapon with an S-grade effect.

This task is neither particularly difficult nor particularly easy.

The key is that he needs enough resources, enough mental strength, and enough time.

And he is currently lacking all three of these things.

"Mr. Lu," the ice wall suddenly spoke, interrupting his thoughts, "we will arrive at the teleportation hub in ten minutes."

Lu Yuan opened his eyes.

Through the car window, he saw a huge military base ahead.

The base was surrounded by high walls, which were covered with a dense array of turrets and energy shield generators. At the main gate, dozens of fully armed soldiers were inspecting vehicles entering and leaving.

The vehicle passed through multiple layers of inspection before entering the base.

The base was vast, bustling with soldiers and transport vehicles. Huge warehouses, training grounds, command centers... everything was in perfect order.

The vehicle eventually stopped in front of a huge, hemispherical building.

The building's surface is covered with intricate runic circuits, emitting a faint blue glow.

"We're here." Ice Wall opened the car door. "Please follow me."

---

Lu Yuan followed the ice wall into the building.

The interior of the building is a huge spiral passage that extends downwards, with a psionic lamp every few meters on the walls, emitting a soft white light.

The two walked down the passage for a full five minutes before reaching the bottom.

The sight before him made Lu Yuan gasp in shock.

This is an enormous underground space, at least hundreds of meters high.

At the center of the space is a silver-white circular platform with a diameter of over fifty meters.

Surrounding the platform are countless thick energy pipes and complex rune matrices, with energy flowing through them like liquid starlight, emitting a low hum.

The air was filled with dense psionic energy fluctuations, making it difficult to breathe.

At the edge of the platform, a dozen researchers in white lab coats were busy operating various instruments.

"This is..." Lu Yuan murmured.

"【Place-based spatial teleportation array】," the ice wall explained. "This is currently the most advanced spatial teleportation technology in China, capable of instantly transporting a person to a designated location thousands of kilometers away."

"The [Central World] you're going to is located deep beneath the capital city. Ordinary means of transportation cannot reach it; it can only be reached through this teleportation array."

Lu Yuan nodded.

He walked onto the platform and stood at the central teleportation point.

A researcher walked over and handed him a silver bracelet.

"This is the access key. Please wear it. The transmission process may be a little uncomfortable, but there will be no danger."

Lu Yuan took the bracelet and put it on his wrist.

The bracelet lit up instantly, resonating with the rune matrix below the platform.

"Ready to activate." The researcher stepped aside and spoke into the communicator, "Target: Zenith World, coordinates locked, countdown beginning."

"Ten...nine...eight..."

Lu Yuan took a deep breath and glanced at the ice wall behind him.

The ice wall nodded to him.

"Three...two...one...start!"

boom--!

A beam of light shot into the sky from the center of the platform, instantly engulfing Lu Yuan.

---

The world spun around.

Lu Yuan felt his body being torn apart by a tremendous force, as if he were being broken down into countless particles.

The scene before my eyes became bizarre and surreal, with countless streams of data and lines of laws rushing past me, and a sharp buzzing sound filling my ears.

This sensation lasted for about three seconds.

Then, everything returned to calm.

Lu Yuan opened his eyes when he felt a solid touch under his feet.

Blue sky, white clouds, and air so fresh it's almost unbelievable.

In the distance are continuous snow-capped mountains, their peaks covered with snow that never melts.

Several enormous islands float in the sky, covered with buildings, like a fairyland from mythology.

A surge of powerful spiritual energy washed over him, causing every pore on Lu Yuan's body to open up.

He reached the zenith.