Aegis Iron Island! A gathering place for the world's strongest!

"Alright, since everyone is here."

Su Li took a deep breath, suppressed the inexplicable emotion in her heart, stepped forward, and regained the calm and decisive demeanor of a strict drill instructor.

"I announce the official formation of the Longxia Country's 'God Slaying Expeditionary Force'!"

"For this operation, Consultant Lin Yuan will serve as the Supreme Commander-in-Chief! And I will serve as the Deputy Commander!"

"During the operation, everyone must unconditionally obey any order given by Consultant Lin! Violators will be dealt with by military law!"

Her cold yet authoritative voice echoed in everyone's ears.

All the Prodigies, including the unruly Xiao Lie, immediately straightened their expressions and answered in unison:

"Yes!"

Lin Yuan glanced at Su Li, who had suddenly become "all business," and then at the group of young people with their "ready to die" expressions, and impatiently curled his lip.

"Why make it so formal?"

"Let's hurry up and leave, finish the fight quickly, and call it a day."

After speaking, he took the lead, hands in his pockets, and strolled leisurely toward the distant floating airship dock.

The crowd exchanged glances, then smiled wryly and quickly followed him.

The group boarded the Longxia Country's most advanced "Kunpeng"-class Strategic Transport Ship.

The atmosphere inside the spacious cabin was somewhat heavy.

Participating in a major global operation for the first time, even these arrogant Prodigies inevitably felt a degree of nervousness.

However, when their eyes fell upon the corner of the cabin, that nervousness strangely dissipated by more than half.

They saw that their Commander-in-Chief, Consultant Lin Yuan, had somehow found a comfortable sofa recliner.

At this moment, he was wearing an eye mask and headphones, covered with a small blanket, and was... asleep.

His unmoving, 'lazy fish' posture made it seem as if he wasn't going to a war that would decide the fate of the world, but rather on vacation in Hawaii.

Everyone: "..."

For some reason, watching this scene, their anxious hearts suddenly settled down.

With such a big shot holding the fort, what did they have to be afraid of?

They just needed to lie flat and let him handle it!

Su Li watched the figure from whom faint snoring was now emanating, then looked at Gu Ningxue and Chen Ruoxi, who were gathered nearby and occasionally stealing glances in their direction, and she couldn't help but tightly purse her red lips.

"Boom—!!!"

The transport ship's engine let out a roar.

The massive hull slowly ascended, eventually transforming into a silver streak of light, piercing the clouds and speeding toward the boundless ocean... The engine sound of the Kunpeng-class Strategic Transport Ship gradually smoothed out after penetrating the final layer of clouds.

Lin Yuan rubbed his slightly heavy temples.

The blinding white light outside the window disappeared, replaced by an overwhelming expanse of azure—they had arrived at the Vast Sea.

He lazily got up, walked to the porthole, and looked down.

The next second, even in his eyes, which were almost indifferent to everything in the world, a flicker of imperceptible emotion flashed.

At the edge of the sea level, a colossal object, like a sleeping steel behemoth, quietly occupied the center of the Vast Sea.

That was not a naturally formed island.

Viewed from high altitude, the outline of Shield Island was so regular it looked as if it had been measured with a ruler.

The edges were straight metal seawalls, extending for tens of kilometers, enclosing the entire island into a giant oval shape.

The island had no rolling mountains or dense vegetation; instead, there were rows of towering skyscrapers.

Those tall buildings were not ordinary civilian structures; the exterior walls of every one were covered in dark grey alloy armor.

On the walls, dense gun barrels and energy conduction patterns were faintly visible, making them look like standing steel fortresses.

"This is Shield Island?"

Gu Ningxue leaned toward the porthole and couldn't help but let out an exclamation of awe.

She had visited the most prosperous Magic Capital of Longxia, but even the Magic Capital's CBD looked like children's building blocks compared to Shield Island.

The total area of Shield Island already far surpassed most island nations in the world; calling it a "small continent" was no exaggeration.

"According to the data, Shield Island was jointly funded and built seventy years ago by more than twenty major global powers."

Su Li walked up to the group, her tone carrying a sense of gravity, "Ostensibly, it was built to monitor the spatial rift deep within the Vast Sea, but in reality, this is humanity's first and strongest line of defense established on the ocean."

As soon as she finished speaking, the transport ship began to descend slowly.

As the altitude dropped, the details of Shield Island became clearer—

On the metal seawall surrounding the island, a hundred-meter-tall energy cannon turret stood every hundred meters.

The barrels aimed at the boundless sea, and the cannons themselves shimmered with faint blue energy halos, exuding a heart-stopping deterrence.

Dozens of silver fighter jets circled above the island like Falcons. Their fuselages bore the symbols of different powers, yet they uniformly maintained a state of alert.

Inside the island, transport vehicles laden with weapons and ammunition sped along the crisscrossing maglev tracks.

On both sides of the tracks were anti-aircraft missile defense positions half-buried underground, with the missile silo covers open, ready to launch and intercept targets at any moment.

"Even sci-fi movies wouldn't dare film something like this..."

Xiao Lie gazed at the scene below, which resembled a futuristic metropolis, and couldn't help but murmur to himself.

He had served in Longxia's border fortresses and had seen the most advanced defensive structures, but compared to Shield Island, those fortresses seemed like primitive earthworks.

Cold Moon, holding her longsword, also showed a ripple of emotion in her clear, cold eyes.

She could clearly sense it.

Beneath every inch of Shield Island's land lay massive energy sources; the entire island felt like a living war machine, ready to unleash world-destroying power at any moment... The transport ship finally landed on a massive floating airship dock.

Dozens of aircraft from various powers were already parked there.

There were the sharp-edged "Raptor"-class fighters of the White Eagle Country, the streamlined "Nightingale" transport ships of the Oulu Alliance, and the "Polar Bear" heavy landing ships of the North Bear Country, resembling steel behemoths. Each one exuded a powerful technological aura.

As Lin Yuan and his group stepped out of the hatch, an invisible pressure rushed toward them.

The dock was already filled with experts from all over the world.

The White Eagle Country team was the most conspicuous, led by a middle-aged man in black combat uniform.

He was tall, his arms covered in a layer of silver mechanical armor, his eyes sharp as an eagle's, and two exaggerated energy pistols were holstered at his waist.

Furthermore, a violent aura emanated from his entire body!

He was the Deputy Director of the White Eagle Country's "Imperial Shield," nicknamed "Falcon," Barton. His strength had reached the Late Stage of Gathering Essence Realm, making him one of the leading figures among the younger generation of the White Eagle Country.

The Oulu Alliance team appeared more elegant, led by a golden-haired, blue-eyed woman wearing a white robe.

She held a staff inlaid with purple gems, and faint elemental fluctuations surrounded her.

Every movement carried the grace of nobility.

She seemed not to belong to this era, but rather a Saintess who had walked out of a distant classical period.

She was the Saintess of the Oulu Alliance's "Magic Council," Isabella, skilled in elemental magic, and her strength was equally unfathomable.

The Magic Council was the largest power in the Oulu Alliance, besides the Holy Knights Order and the official forces of various countries... The North Bear Country team was the fiercest, led by a two-meter-tall muscular man.

He was shirtless, his muscles bulging like granite, his body covered in hideous scars, and he carried a huge alloy war hammer.

Just standing there, he resembled an unshakeable mountain.

He was Ivan, the Captain of the North Bear Country's "Polar Bear Special Forces."

This person was famous for his strength, having once killed an Ancient Exotic Beast with a single punch. His strength had reached the Peak of the Late Stage of Gathering Essence Realm.

In addition, there were the "Jungle Hunters" from the Andes Alliance, the "Totem Warriors" from the African Continent, and the "Ocean Guardians" from the Southern Cross Front... The leader of every team was a globally renowned expert!

When these global top experts saw Lin Yuan and his group, their gazes converged on them.

Initially, their eyes held clear scrutiny and caution—

After all, the Longxia Country had adopted the most resolute stance in this conference.

Everyone wanted to see how strong the team dispatched by the Longxia Country truly was.

But when their eyes fell upon Lin Yuan, everyone's expression changed.

Lin Yuan was wearing ordinary casual clothes, his hands shoved into his pockets.

He looked like a regular young tourist, completely out of place with the surrounding Killing Intent-filled atmosphere.

"Is that the representative sent by the Longxia Country? He doesn't look like much..."

A "Jungle Hunter" from the Andes Alliance muttered softly, his tone carrying strong disdain.

No sooner had he finished speaking.

A "Totem Warrior" from Africa standing beside him suddenly changed expression, yanked him sharply, and whispered, "Shut up! Are you looking to die? That is Lin Yuan!"

"Lin Yuan?"

The "Jungle Hunter" froze for a moment, and his face instantly turned pale.

This name had already spread among the high-levels of all top global powers in recent days.

Shattering an Ancient Grand Formation with one finger, sweeping away the Death Passage with one sword, annihilating a Blood Fiend Emissary at the Peak of the Origin Gathering Realm, and even resealing an Primeval Demon God!

Every one of these deeds was enough to shock the world, and the one who accomplished all this was actually this seemingly inconspicuous young man right before them!

The gaze that had just held disdain instantly turned into reverence and apprehension.

Barton withdrew the sharpness from his eyes, Isabella lowered the staff in her hand, and Ivan also restrained his fierce aura.

They all knew very well that this young man before them was a true "monster," an existence capable of changing the entire course of the war.

Lin Yuan was completely indifferent to the surrounding gazes; he didn't even spare a second look at those global top experts.

He simply looked up at the sky above Shield Island, which was enveloped by an energy shield, and casually said to Gu Ningxue, Su Li, and Chen Ruoxi beside him, "It's quite lively here. I just wonder if those guys from the Divine Court dare to come here to die."

His voice wasn't loud, but it clearly carried across the entire dock.

All the experts were stunned upon hearing this sentence, and then fierce Battle Intent ignited in their eyes.

That's right!

With such a monster holding the fort, what did they have to fear?

What if it's the Divine Court?

This time, upon this steel fortress, they would utterly crush that shadow that had plagued them for a thousand years!