SSS-level catastrophe? That's my wife!

Holy Capital.

The research and development base has the most heavily guarded experimental building in Zone Z.

Inside the deepest part of the control room, the four walls were covered with monitoring screens, and the flickering light reflected on the wrinkled faces of the three elderly men.

The three sat upright on the bench, the air filled with a solemn atmosphere.

Dean Zhu tapped his knuckles on the table, his face grim as he looked at the other two: "How did the Sixth Special District of Zhenbei City end up like this?"

"The statement issued by the central government this afternoon was just a small-scale lockdown in response to the disaster."

"But now, the entire Sixth Special District is a mountain of corpses and a sea of ​​blood. What exactly are they doing?"

His eyes swept over the bloody, mangled image on the screen, and his Adam's apple bobbed.

Dean Ma held a burnt-out cigarette between his fingers, oblivious to the ash covering his hands. His brows furrowed. "Leaving aside the central government, they're just puppets. But what is the purpose of the entire Zhen'e Court's mobilization?"

"Does Ning Mo intend to lead the remaining forces of the Zhen'e Court to clash with the forces behind the central government?"

"This is tantamount to a moth flying into a flame; he's prematurely destroying Zhen'e Court!"

"not necessarily."

Dean Ming said calmly, "The army monitoring Shangzhen Erting is divided into four routes. If Ning Mo really wanted to confront the central government head-on, he wouldn't have dispersed his forces like this."

"Moreover... Ning Mo is not a reckless man; he would never engage in a clash with such a disparity in strength."

His gaze fell on the screen, a fleeting, almost imperceptible thought flashing in his eyes.

"Alright, let's get to the point!"

Dean Zhu's eyes narrowed sharply, his voice filled with suppressed anger: "You've all seen the video footage sent back from Zhenbei City; it's absolutely breathtaking!"

"While we don't know exactly what happened, do you really believe the tragedy of 25 years ago won't repeat itself?"

"Do you really believe that the R&D base will remain unaffected this time?"

He slammed his hand on the table and shouted, "When the nest is overturned, how can the eggs remain intact!"

"Zhen'e Ting is now the only light in the world. If they are destroyed, the research base will be next!"

"Old Zhu, you're overreacting."

Dean Ma stubbed out his cigarette, his eyes calm: "Hasn't the research and development base always adhered to the principle of staying out of worldly affairs? Besides..."

At this point, his eyes suddenly turned fierce, and the aura of a mid-stage seventh-level cultivator emanated from his body: "As long as we are still here, the research and development base will be safe."

"With the three of us working together, even if a seventh-tier high-level Awakened One leads an army, we can still fight them!"

Dean Zhu sneered, a mocking smile playing on his lips: "Heh... what if two seventh-tier high-level cultivators came?"

"Or perhaps three, four, or even more? What will the research and development base use to defend itself?"

"Old Zhu!"

Dean Ming took a deep breath, suppressing his emotions, and calmly replied, "Where in this world are there so many seventh-level high-level awakeners?"

"You should know that the highest combat strength of the Zhen'e Court and the Central Elder Council is only at the middle level of the seventh rank, which is on par with us. You are worrying too much."

"That's right."

"We don't know what really happened in that war 25 years ago."

"I don't believe that the forces behind the scenes at the central level could easily destroy the research and development base."

"If they truly had the capability, they would have done it 25 years ago. Why wait until now?"

Dean Ma echoed in a deep voice, picking up another cigarette with his fingertips, but not lighting it...

Deep down, he also harbored a sense of uncertainty.

Dean Zhu's face grew increasingly gloomy. He looked up at the two of them, his eyes filled with disappointment: "Back then, it was because our own strength was not strong enough that we chose to mind our own business."

"But now that the R&D base is powerful enough, do we still want to choose to be cowards?"

"Are you truly indifferent to this world stained with blood and shrouded in darkness?"

"so what?"

Dean Ming looked at him calmly, a hint of weariness in his voice: "Do you want the research and development base to join this war to the death?"

"Even if the three of us perish and the research base is completely destroyed in the end, will that change the situation?"

He paused, lowered his voice, and said with a hint of helplessness, "Old Zhu, darkness will always exist."

"The world's strongest guardian of the nation, and the world's only light, are both dead."

"A single spark can start a prairie fire, let alone us."

Dean Zhu abruptly stood up, strode towards the metal door, and left without looking back, his voice echoing in the empty control room:

Even in the darkest of times, countless faint lights will gather together and carve a ray of light through the darkness.

"Wait a minute." Dean Ma suddenly called out to Dean Zhu, his voice low, "Old Zhu, there's something else. Why isn't Bai Jue's sacred artifact at the base?"

Dean Zhu paused, his eyebrows suddenly raised, and as he turned around, a hint of impatience flashed in his eyes: "It's just a scrap metal hilt. Yan Yan likes it, so I'll give it to her."

"That's against the rules." Dean Ma's tone remained firm.

"rule……"

Dean Zhu sighed softly, his voice tinged with a helpless sigh:

"It is these rules, big and small, that keep people stuck in one place for their entire lives."

His tone suddenly turned cold, and he looked up at Dean Ma: "I will have Yan Yan return the sacred artifact."

After saying that, he strode away, and the metal door slammed shut with a loud bang, leaving only a dull echo in the air.

Dean Ming opened his mouth, hesitated for a long time, and finally sighed: "Old Ma, although he is right, once we take this step, there is no turning back, so..."

Dean Ma waved his hand to interrupt him, tapping his fingertips on the table, his tone calm: "Let's wait and see."

"We can't just rely on his passion and take the entire R&D center with him on his crazy escapade."

……

Mingcheng, Yinlong Mountain Range.

A chilling wind, carrying the stench of blood, swept past. The underground palace beneath the dragon's spine, already cold and desolate, was now even more shockingly stained with dark red blood.

The deepest part of the underground palace.

A gray-robed man, exuding the aura of the initial seventh-level realm, lay prostrate on the ground, his back riddled with deep, bone-revealing wounds, blood trickling into the ground like small snakes.

His body trembled uncontrollably, his eyes filled with extreme terror as he looked at the two people in front of him, and his voice was so shaky it was almost incoherent:

"Zhen...Zhenbei City...Don't kill me..."

With a raised eyebrow, Tie Qiao suddenly slammed the black shovel in his hand into the ground.

With a loud bang, a deep crater was smashed into the ground, sending debris flying: "Zhenbei City?"

"Make yourself clear, I have hundreds of ways to torture people!"

Lin Mu's heart sank suddenly, as if struck by a heavy hammer—Zhenbei City? Su Nianhe was there!

His eyes suddenly turned icy blue, and a terrifying killing intent erupted from his body, as if the air itself had frozen.

The gray-robed man trembled even more violently, managing to squeeze out a few words: "Your Excellency... Your Majesty personally... led the army to kill... the Red King..."

The moment the words left his mouth, "whoosh!" a transparent blade of light suddenly flashed past!

The gray-robed man's body was instantly cleaved in two, and blood splattered onto the stone wall.

The shovel was taken aback at first, then his expression changed drastically.

He suddenly remembered his brother's relationship with the Red King, and was about to speak: "Brother..."

"To Zhenbei City!"

Lin Mu's voice was icy, and the moment he finished speaking, he transformed into a blur and flashed out of the underground palace.

His heart was filled with shock, anger, and anxiety, and countless thoughts flashed through his mind: Why did the kingdom choose to mobilize all its forces on this particular day?

When did the Zhenguo Envoy discover Zhenbei City?

Su Nianhe, did you already know you'd been discovered?

Why didn't you tell me...?

You're making me very angry!

He quickened his pace, the wind whistling in his ears, but only one thought occupied his mind:

But as long as you're not hurt by the time I get there, I won't be angry with you anymore!

You absolutely cannot get hurt!

Su Nianhe, wait for me!