239: Chapter 238 A Shocking Change at the Peak! A Hidden Arrow Pierces the Sky, the Crisis is Hard to Avert and a New Journey Begins (3)

Mu Li's heart sank, and his tone grew heavy: "You've worked hard, Xia Wan. You must prioritize your safety; don't push yourself too hard. Also, I have something critical to tell you—the Aurora Alliance has an even bigger conspiracy. They want to activate an ancient energy source sleeping deep within Home's mantle. Once activated, the entire Home will face a cataclysmic disaster. I've already directed the intelligence department to investigate their specific plans and location with everything they've got. I'll notify you as soon as there's news."

"What? An ancient energy source?" Xia Wan's expression changed instantly, her heart filled with shock. "Alright, I understand, Mu Li. I'll be careful, and I'll do my best to manage the medical support and coordination on-site to buy you guys some time. You take care too; don't let anything happen to you."

"Don't worry, I will," Mu Li's voice softened slightly. "Contact me immediately if anything happens."

After hanging up the communicator, Xia Wan's mood became very somber. She hadn't expected things to escalate to such a degree; a seemingly simple attack on the summit actually hid such a terrifying conspiracy. She took a deep breath, suppressed her emotions, and continued treating the injured—she knew that all she could do now was her absolute best to save every wounded person, maintain the security of the site, and buy more time for Mu Li and the others to prevent that devastating disaster.

Inside the temporary command post, the technicians finally completed the development of the new emergency counter-attack program. "Engineer Mu! The new emergency counter-attack program is finished and debugged; it's ready to launch!" the Technical Team Leader shouted excitedly, an agitated smile appearing on his face. His eyes were full of exhaustion, yet also brimming with a sense of achievement.

A flash of light instantly crossed Mu Li's eyes, and his tone was urgent and firm: "Launch it immediately! Target every Aurora Alliance terminal worldwide attacking xuanguang equipment. Strike back with full force, completely destroy their attack systems, and restore the normal operation of all global xuanguang equipment!"

"Understood!" The Technical Team Leader immediately pressed the launch button, his eyes glued to the screen, his expression tense and expectant.

Once the new emergency counter-attack program launched, the display on the main console underwent a world-shaking transformation. The originally dense red alarm prompts began to gradually decrease and disappear. Operational data for xuanguang equipment around the world also began to slowly return to normal, with parameters like voltage and energy output gradually returning to their thresholds. Like a sharp blade, the counter-attack program accurately struck the Aurora Alliance's attack terminals. A large number of terminals were directly breached, the intensity of the attacks weakened instantly, and soon, they stopped completely.

"Great! The counter-attack program is working! Global xuanguang equipment operational data is returning to normal!" the technicians cheered, their faces showing smiles of relief after surviving a catastrophe. Their nerves, which had been taut for hours, finally relaxed completely.

Mu Li also let out a sigh of relief, his tense shoulders drooping slightly, but he did not let down his guard entirely—he knew clearly that this was only a temporary victory. The Aurora Alliance would never give up just like this; their conspiracy to activate the ancient energy source had not yet been stopped. An even greater crisis was still waiting for them.

Just then, Mu Li's private communicator rang again. It was the intelligence department. "Engineer Mu, we've found the specific plan and location for the Aurora Alliance's activation of the ancient energy source!" the intelligence officer's voice carried a hint of urgency, yet was also full of excitement.

Mu Li's spirit was instantly roused, and he asked urgently, "Speak! Where is the location? What is the specific plan? When is the activation time set for?"

"The location is beneath the Antarctic ice sheet," the intelligence officer's voice steadied as he reported in detail. "According to our deep investigation, the Aurora Alliance has established a secret base under the Antarctic ice. They plan to utilize the unique geological environment there, combined with Xuanguang Technology, to activate that ancient energy source. The specific activation time is twelve o'clock tonight! Furthermore, they have deployed a large number of armed personnel and advanced weaponry around the secret base. The defenses are extremely tight; entering the base will be exceptionally difficult."

"Antarctica? Twelve o'clock tonight?" Mu Li's expression instantly became solemn, and his heart tightened—it was already past seven in the evening, leaving less than five hours until the activation time. Antarctica was thousands of miles away from the convention center. Time was of the essence; any delay would lead to an irreversible disaster. "We must head over there immediately to stop them! No matter how difficult it is, we must stop the energy source's activation before twelve!"

"Engineer Mu, Antarctica is too far from here. Even if we leave now on the fastest plane, it will be hard to arrive before midnight!" The Technical Team Leader frowned, his tone full of worry. "Moreover, the environment in Antarctica is extremely harsh, with temperatures as low as dozens of degrees below zero and blizzards. It will pose a great hindrance to our operation."

"We have the xuanguang assault boat!" Mu Li's tone was firm, a flash of determination in his eyes. "The speed of a xuanguang assault boat is ten times that of an ordinary aircraft. As long as we set out immediately and give it our all, we will definitely reach Antarctica before twelve!"

"Good! Then we'll set off now!" Zhao Gang's voice came from the doorway. He had already finished handling the matters at the main venue and returned to the temporary command post with several elite security team members. His combat uniform was still stained with blood and his face was full of fatigue, yet his eyes remained resolute.

Mu Li nodded and quickly issued orders: "Zhao Gang, lead a team of elite security members immediately. Prepare weapons and equipment such as xuanguang energy guns and energy cutters, and accompany me to Antarctica on the xuanguang assault boat! Technical Team Leader, lead the remaining technicians to stay at the temporary command post. Closely monitor the operational status of global xuanguang equipment while providing us with full assistance by remotely hacking the Aurora Alliance's secret base defense systems to support our operation! Xia Wan, you are responsible for staying at the convention center to coordinate medical support and security, soothe the emotions of the attendees, ensure the safety of the summit site, and handle the subsequent cleanup."

"Understood!" everyone shouted in unison, their tones firm and without a hint of hesitation—they knew that at this moment, every minute and second concerned the survival of the entire Home. They had to give their all to complete their mission.

Mu Li's gaze fell upon Xia Wan, his eyes full of reluctance and worry. He walked quickly to her side, gently took her hand, and spoke in a voice both tender and solemn: "Xia Wan, after I leave, you must take good care of yourself. Do not take risks, and stay safe. No matter what happens, contact me immediately."

Xia Wan nodded, her eyes shimmering with tears. Suppressing her reluctance, she squeezed Mu Li's hand and said in a choked voice, "I understand, Mu Li. You must stay safe too. You have to succeed in stopping them and come back safely. I will be here, waiting for you to return."

Mu Li felt a warmth in his heart. He gently reached out and pulled Xia Wan into a tight embrace, whispering in her ear, "Don't worry, I will definitely come back safely. When I return, let's have a good talk; there's something very important I want to tell you." The word "marriage" that he had originally intended to say was ultimately swallowed back down—now was not the best time for such words. He didn't want to give Xia Wan another thing to worry about; he only wanted her to wait for his return in peace.

Xia Wan nodded vigorously, burying her face in Mu Li's chest and holding him tight. Tears fell silently, soaking Mu Li's clothes. She could feel the solemnity in Mu Li's words and understood the danger of this mission. She could only pray silently in her heart—pray that Mu Li would return safely, and pray that they could successfully prevent this disaster.

Mu Li hesitated no longer. He gently pushed Xia Wan away, wiped the tears from her face, and offered a tender smile: "Wait for me to come back." With that, he turned and led Zhao Gang and the elite security members, running quickly toward the xuanguang assault boat landing point outside the convention center. His steps were firm, and he did not look back—he knew that ahead lay a perilous situation where life and death were uncertain, but he had no choice. For Home, for Xia Wan, and for all his steadfast comrades, he had to forge ahead.

The xuanguang assault boat was already prepared, its silver-white hull gleaming coldly in the morning light. Seeing Mu Li and the others arrive, the staff immediately opened the hatch. Mu Li and the others quickly boarded the xuanguang assault boat and took their positions, making pre-departure preparations. The hatch slowly closed, and the xuanguang assault boat started up, instantly transforming into a beam of golden light that broke through the clouds and sped toward Antarctica. It was as fast as a lightning bolt, piercing the silence of the horizon.

Inside the xuanguang assault boat, Mu Li sat before the main console, his eyes fixed on the display ahead, maintaining real-time communication with the technicians at the temporary command post. "Technical Team Leader, how is it? What's the progress on remotely hacking the Aurora Alliance's secret base defense systems?"

"Engineer Mu, we are doing our best to hack it! The opponent's defense system is extremely complex, with multiple layers of encryption and real-time monitoring by dedicated personnel. It's very difficult to breach. Currently, we have only cracked the first layer of the defense system; we are still working hard on the second layer. It's estimated to take another hour or so!" the Technical Team Leader's voice came through, carrying a hint of anxiety but also full of determination.

"An hour? No! We don't have enough time!" Mu Li frowned, his tone grave. "We are still over three hours away from Antarctica. Once we arrive, we have to enter the base and stop the energy source activation. We simply don't have time to wait for you to hack all the defense systems! We can't wait any longer. Upon reaching Antarctica, we will cut an entrance directly through the ice sheet and force our way into the secret base!"

"Understood! Engineer Mu, we will speed up the hacking and try our best to provide support, aiming to breach more defense systems before you arrive!" the Technical Team Leader responded immediately.

Zhao Gang walked over to Mu Li's side and watched the clouds streaking past the window, his tone solemn: "Engineer Mu, the environment in Antarctica is extremely harsh—temperatures dozens of degrees below zero and blizzards that could appear at any time. Furthermore, the Aurora Alliance's secret base is heavily defended with numerous armed personnel. Our mission this time will likely be extremely difficult, and there might even be sacrifices."

Mu Li nodded and said firmly, "I know. But we have no way back. If we can't stop them from activating the ancient energy source, the entire Home will be destroyed, and everyone will face total annihilation. No matter how difficult it is, no matter what price we must pay, we must succeed. There is no other choice."

Zhao Gang nodded heavily, his eyes full of determination: "Engineer Mu, don't worry! We will follow you, fight side by side, and give it our all. Even if it means sacrifice, we will never back down!"

The other security members also raised their energy guns, their voices resolute: "We are willing to follow Engineer Mu, fight to the end, stop the Aurora Alliance's conspiracy, and protect Home!"

Looking at these steadfast companions, Mu Li's heart was filled with emotion. He knew that with these brave and fearless partners by his side, they could overcome any difficulty. He subconsciously touched his ankle, which had not yet fully healed, and a hint of concern flashed through his mind—he couldn't fail at this critical moment. He had to persevere and lead everyone to complete this mission concerning the survival of Home.

After more than three hours of high-speed flight, the xuanguang assault boat finally arrived over Antarctica. Below was a vast, boundless white ice sheet. Cold winds howled, kicking up ice and snow everywhere. The temperature was dozens of degrees below zero, and the piercing wind seemed capable of penetrating everything; even through the hull of the xuanguang assault boat, one could feel that bone-chilling cold. The xuanguang assault boat circled slowly over the ice sheet as the pilot quickly searched, locking onto the location of the Aurora Alliance's secret base.

"Engineer Mu, we've locked onto the location of the Aurora Alliance's secret base! It's right below the ice sheet at coordinates 85 degrees 23 minutes South, 164 degrees 04 minutes East! The ice sheet above the base is about fifty meters thick and has a hard texture!" the pilot of the xuanguang assault boat reported, his tone carrying a hint of gravity.

Mu Li nodded, his tone firm: "Good! Reduce altitude and prepare to land! Technical Team Leader, how is the defense system hacking coming along?"

"Engineer Mu, we've already breached the first defense system, and we're working full throttle on the second. It's estimated to take another twenty minutes to complete!" the Technical Team Leader's voice came through, sounding urgent.

"Twenty minutes is still too long!" Mu Li frowned, his tone resolute. "Zhao Gang, lead two security members and prepare the Xuanguang Energy Cutters. We won't wait for them to hack the defense systems; we'll cut an entrance directly from the ice sheet and force our way into the secret base!"

"Understood!" Zhao Gang immediately led two security members to put on thick cold-weather gear, picked up the Xuanguang Energy Cutters, and prepared to head out.

The xuanguang assault boat slowly lowered its altitude and landed steadily on the ice sheet above the Aurora Alliance's secret base. The hatch opened, and the piercing cold wind rushed in instantly, carrying snow that stung the face. Mu Li, Zhao Gang, and the two security members, dressed in thick cold-weather gear and carrying Xuanguang Energy Cutters, jumped down without hesitation. Their feet crunched on the hard ice sheet. The Antarctic wind was like a sharp knife, scraping against their faces and bodies with a piercing pain. Their breath came out in white mist; every breath felt like swallowing cold blades. But they didn't care at all, with only one thought in their minds—enter the secret base as quickly as possible and stop the energy source's activation.

"Begin cutting!" Mu Li ordered in a low voice, his tone firm and without a hint of hesitation.