240: Chapter 239 A Shocking Change at the Peak! A Hidden Arrow Pierces the Sky, the Crisis is Hard to Avert and a New Journey Begins (4)

The four of them simultaneously activated their Xuanguang Energy Cutters. The machines let out a faint hum, and four brilliant golden energy beams, like four swords of light piercing through the polar night, instantly shot toward the iron-hard ice cap. High-temperature energy collided with the ice and snow at dozens of degrees below zero, producing a piercing 'sizzle' as the white snow melted rapidly under the intense heat, turning into large amounts of warm water vapor that rose in curls. However, the bitter cold of Antarctica was like an invisible shackle; as soon as the warm vapor floated into the air, it rapidly condensed into countless tiny ice crystals. Like a shower of crushed diamonds, they danced lightly around the four men, landing on their heavy cold-weather gear and instantly freezing into a thin layer of ice particles that shimmered with a cold glint. The ice cap was as hard as an alloy, its surface covered in a thick layer of frost, but under the formidable power of the Xuanguang Energy Cutters, the surface ice quickly melted and peeled away. A small gap was gradually carved out, and under the continuous cutting of the energy beams, the opening expanded and deepened. Splattered ice chips, like broken jade, flickered in the dim light of the polar night, making fine clicking sounds as they hit the ice surface. Before long, a massive hole about two meters in diameter was formed. Below the opening was pitch black and bottomless; a faint chill carrying a slight scent of machine oil surged from below, making one shudder as if looking into the gaping maw of a dormant giant beast, silently waiting for its prey to fall.

"Quick! Get down!" Mu Li lowered his voice, his tone carrying an unquestionable urgency, his fingertips turning slightly white from the exertion. He was the first to unfasten the high-strength non-slip rope from his waist, firmly securing one end to a protruding icicle at the edge of the hole. He gave the rope two hard tugs to ensure it was secure, then gripped it tightly with both hands. Bracing his feet against the smooth ice ridges of the inner wall, he leaned his body back slightly and moved cautiously downward, his eyes constantly scanning the darkness below with vigilance. Zhao Gang followed closely behind, his right hand gripping the rope so tightly his knuckles turned white, while his left hand steadily held a xuanguang energy gun, the muzzle always pointed downward. The old injury on his shoulder throbbed with a dull ache stimulated by the cold wind, but he gritted his teeth and forced the pain down. Two elite security team members followed in sequence, their bodies pressed tight against the ice wall. The ice ridges beneath their feet were slick and wet; every step was taken with extreme caution, as a single slip would mean plummeting into the black abyss below to be dashed to pieces. The rope slid slowly through their hands, making a faint friction sound that intertwined with the howling of the cold wind, echoing through the empty hole and feeling exceptionally lonely and treacherous.

After descending about fifty meters, the four finally reached the top of the Aurora Alliance's secret base. The roof of the base was a layer of alloy steel plate half a meter thick, its surface covered with a silver-white thermal insulation layer. It felt cold and hard to the touch; pressing a fingertip against it didn't leave even a trace, making it even harder to cut than the ice cap above. Mu Li raised his hand and lightly rapped his knuckles against the alloy plate, producing a dull 'thud.' His brow furrowed deeply, urgency swirling in his eyes—time was slipping away minute by minute, and Professor Zhang could complete the activation of the ancient energy source at any moment. Every second they delayed, Home faced another degree of danger. "Keep cutting! Speed up!" Mu Li ordered in a low, heavy voice. His Xuanguang Energy Cutter was already restarted, its golden beam glowing piercingly in the darkness.

The four no longer hesitated and reactivated their Xuanguang Energy Cutters. The four golden beams converged, aiming precisely at the same spot on the alloy steel plate to begin a fierce cut. The high-temperature energy beams collided violently with the cold alloy plate, the piercing 'sizzle' growing louder until it almost drowned out all surrounding sounds. Sparks flew out like dancing flames, landing on the insulation layer and instantly igniting small flickers of fire, only to be quickly extinguished by the surrounding cold air, leaving behind only a faint wisp of black smoke. The alloy plate gradually melted under the high temperature, and viscous dark-silver molten metal flowed slowly down the inner wall of the plate. It fell to the floor below, rapidly solidifying into dark blocks in the low-temperature environment, piling up layer by layer around the opening with a cold, hard luster. After over ten minutes of strenuous cutting, the alloy plate was finally breached with a hole large enough for one person to pass through. From inside the hole came a faint white light and the 'hum' of operating equipment, along with the faint scent of machine oil and disinfectant that drifted out, mixed with a trace of the heart-palpitating aura of Xuanguang Energy.

"Go!" Mu Li barked softly. He quickly stowed his cutter, braced his hands on the edge of the hole, and leaped through. His body traced a sharp arc in the air before he landed steadily on the floor inside the secret base. The moment his feet touched the ground, he immediately lowered his body into a semi-crouch, his xuanguang energy gun swiftly aiming at the surroundings. His eyes, sharp as a hawk's, vigilantly scanned every corner, not letting the slightest movement escape his notice. Zhao Gang and the two security members followed closely, landing softly with light steps that made no sound. Their energy guns were held at the ready, fingers tight on the triggers, as they sharply observed every corner to guard against any sudden developments.

The interior of the secret base was brightly lit, the stark white lights illuminating the entire space like daylight, so piercing it was difficult to keep one's eyes open. Everywhere were neatly arranged advanced equipment and instruments. On massive display screens, dense rows of complex data pulsed with a fluorescent glow, lighting up the focused faces of the researchers. Over a dozen staff members in white lab coats moved back and forth between the equipment with serious, concentrated expressions. Some were looking down to record data, while others discussed in low voices facing the screens, their fingertips tapping rapidly on keyboards with a 'clatter-clatter' sound, completely unaware that intruders had broken in. The air was thick with the faint smell of machine oil and disinfectant, mixed with that subtle aura of Xuanguang Energy—heavy and oppressive, it made breathing difficult as if an invisible pressure was weighing on their hearts.

Several researchers in white lab coats were gathered around a massive instrument, heads down, recording data while discussing something in low voices that carried a hint of subtle tension. When one young researcher wearing glasses happened to look up, his gaze collided directly with Mu Li's cold stare. The focus on his face vanished instantly, replaced by utter shock. The recording pen in his hand fell to the floor with a 'clack' and rolled far away. His mouth hung wide open, but he couldn't make a sound. His eyes were filled with panic as his body instinctively shrank back, wanting to run toward the alarm on the far wall.

"Don't move! Hands up!" Mu Li's xuanguang energy gun instantly zeroed in on him. His voice was bone-chillingly cold and without hesitation, the icy intent in his eyes like the Antarctic snow, making one shudder. "If anyone dares to move again, don't blame me for being ruthless!" Hearing the voice, the other researchers looked up one after another. When they saw the dark muzzles of the energy guns held by Mu Li and his team, their faces turned as pale as paper. Their bodies began to tremble uncontrollably, and their movements stopped instantly. Some instinctively raised their hands, while others felt their legs go weak, their knees buckling as they nearly collapsed to the floor. Their eyes were full of fear and despair; no one dared to move again, and even their breathing became cautious.

Zhao Gang and the two security members quickly stepped forward, taking out specialized high-strength restraint bands. With swift and efficient movements, they bound the hands of the researchers tightly behind their backs. They checked them once more to prevent them from resisting or secretly pressing an alarm. One young female researcher was trembling all over, tears sliding down her cheeks and dripping onto her white lab coat, creating a small wet patch. Her voice choked with sobs as she pleaded, "Please... don't hurt us. We're just following orders, we don't know anything. We were forced into this too..."

Mu Li ignored her pleas, his gaze moving past the group to settle on a researcher wearing gold-rimmed glasses with graying hair and a slightly hunched posture. A small supervisor's badge was pinned to his chest, and his expression was slightly more composed than the others—clearly, he was the person in charge of this Main Control Room. Mu Li walked forward slowly, looking down at him with an overwhelming sense of pressure. In a cold, deep voice, he asked, "What is this place? Where is the device for activating the ancient energy source?"

The researcher lowered his head tremulously, not daring to look Mu Li in the eye. His shoulders shook slightly, and his voice was broken and stuttering with obvious fear: "Th-this is the Main Control Room for activating the ancient energy source. The activation device... is in the Core Area inside. But... but you can't get in. The door to the Core Area is a top-level encrypted door. Only our leader can open it. It requires triple verification of the leader's fingerprints, iris, and voice—not a single one can be missing. Even if you crack the password, you won't be able to open it. These permissions were set by the leader himself."

A cold glint flashed in Mu Li's eyes. His fingertips tightened slightly, the veins on the hand holding the energy gun bulging. His voice grew even colder, carrying a hint of ruthlessness: "Where is your leader?"

"The l-leader is inside the Core Area, making the final activation preparations." The researcher's voice grew smaller and smaller, his whole body shaking even more violently. Fine beads of cold sweat broke out on his forehead, sliding down his cheeks and dripping onto the floor. "He said... said that in a little over an hour, the ancient energy source will be successfully activated. At that time... at that time the whole world will be changed. We don't know what will happen either..." By the time he finished, his voice was filled with despair; he clearly knew the terrifying consequences of activating the energy source.

Mu Li glanced down at the watch on his wrist. The hands on the dial clearly showed 10:40 PM. There was less than an hour left before the activation of the ancient energy source. The situation was extremely urgent and allowed for no delay; every second of hesitation could plunge their entire Home into a cataclysmic disaster. He no longer hesitated, looking up to speak to Zhao Gang and the two security members in a heavy voice: "Let's go! To the Core Area! No matter the cost, we must stop the activation sequence!"

The three immediately nodded, escorting the restrained researchers as they walked quickly toward the Core Area. They passed through a long corridor lined with dense equipment, the screens flickering with an eerie purple light. The constant 'hum' of the machinery was incessant, and the aura of Xuanguang Energy in the air grew thicker. Soon, they arrived at the entrance of the Core Area. A thick alloy door stood before them, embedded with a complex combination lock, a fingerprint scanner, and an iris recognition device. Blue fluorescent lights pulsed continuously, emitting a majestic yet cold aura, like an insurmountable barrier fiercely guarding the secrets within—and the impending disaster.

Mu Li immediately pulled out his communicator and pressed the talk button, his voice urgent and carrying a slight tremor: "Technical Team Leader, can you remotely crack the password, fingerprint, and iris recognition on this door? We're out of time! Professor Zhang is about to activate the energy source. Any later and it'll be too late!"

From the other end of the communicator came the Technical Team Leader's anxious and hurried voice, mixed with the sound of rapid typing: "Engineer Mu, we're trying our best! The opponent's security level is extremely high. The triple verifications are interconnected and mutually restrictive. The encryption algorithm is incredibly complex, making it extremely difficult to crack. It will take some time. We will give it everything we've got; we definitely won't delay your operation!"

"There's no time!" Mu Li furrowed his brows, his tone resolute and a flash of ruthlessness in his eyes. "Zhao Gang, use the Xuanguang Energy Cutter to force this door open! No matter how hard it is, we must open this door in the shortest time possible!"

"Understood!" Zhao Gang responded immediately. He quickly pulled out the Xuanguang Energy Cutter, aimed it at the center of the alloy door, and pressed the start button. The golden energy beam instantly shot toward the door, beginning the forced cut. The golden beam collided violently with the alloy door, the piercing 'sizzle' echoing through the corridor once again. Sparks flew, making fine clicking sounds as they hit the floor. The alloy door slowly melted under the high temperature, viscous metal liquid flowing down the door surface and rapidly solidifying into blocks on the ground. However, this door was much sturdier than they had imagined; after ten minutes of cutting, they had only opened a small gap less than half a meter wide. To cut through it completely would still take some time—and time was exactly what they lacked most.

Just then, the secret base's alarm system suddenly went off. The piercing siren blared through every corner of the base, shattering the silence and making one's skin crawl. "Warning! Warning! Secret base has been breached! Core Area is under threat! Initiating Level One Defense Protocol!" The cold electronic voice repeated incessantly, devoid of emotion yet carrying a lethal pressure that made one shudder.

Immediately after, the base's ventilation system began spraying white smoke. The smoke spread rapidly like a tide, dropping visibility to less than a meter in an instant. A choking, pungent smell filled the air, making throats tighten and causing involuntary coughing. A large number of armed personnel rushed out from various corners of the base. They wore black combat suits and gas masks, revealing only cold eyes. Holding xuanguang energy guns, they moved as agilely as leopards and with perfect coordination, launching a fierce attack on Mu Li and his team. Dense energy beams rained down like hail, striking the surrounding equipment with loud 'bangs.' The machines were instantly pierced, sparks flew, and fragments scattered everywhere, making sharp clattering sounds as they hit the ground.

"Engineer Mu, there are too many armed personnel! At least dozens of them! And they have gas masks, so the smoke doesn't affect them at all. We're surrounded!" a security member shouted to Mu Li while quickly dodging the incoming energy beams. His own energy gun continuously spat golden beams, precisely hitting an armed guard who was rushing at the front. The guard let out a muffled groan and collapsed to the ground, breathless.