325: Chapter 325 Questioning

Xichuan, a secret rocket launch base.

Within ten minutes, at least ten aircraft landed in rapid succession.

Groups of people in strange attire disembarked from the planes, looking around at one another while murmuring in discussion.

"What's going on? Why are there so many people?"

"Master, aren't we a secret department? Is it appropriate to see so many people at once?"

"Master, look, there are even several high lamas over there! What kind of meeting is this, dragging both our Daoist sect and the Esoteric sect together?"

"Sigh, I hope it's not just some layman in leadership who organized this."

"Don't talk nonsense!"

"Yo! Old Zhang!? Why are you here?"

"Old Wang, I'm here representing the bureau for the meeting. I was actually going to ask you the same thing, why are you here too?"

"You're asking me? First, get your facts straight. Those people over there are clearly Senior Brothers from the Maoshan Sect, and those over there are from Mount Longhu. The ones in the back are Masters from the Kunlun Gangren Monastery. Adding us from 749, we can all be considered part of the same System."

"What about those young people in the front?"

"I only recognize one of them, from the Imperial Mausoleum Research Institute."

"There's a department like that? When was it established?"

"It should be... wait, you've got me all confused by sidetracking me! We all research the supernatural, what is your High Energy Physics Research Institute doing here?"

"How would I know? I only know the order came from the Dragon Group, the time limit was extremely tight, and everything else is a total mystery."

"Dragon Group... although nominally, we all report to the Dragon Group. But our work never overlaps. What's going on today?"

"Over a dozen departments summoned at once; something big must have happened."

"No kidding!"

Just as they were speaking, fully armed military vehicles arrived, guiding them to board and driving toward a terminal building not far away.

After completing a series of procedures like identity verification and security checks, this large group of people took an elevator to a screening hall.

In the front row of the screening hall, the Dragon Head was sitting at a small table, quickly editing some Materials.

Seeing this group of people enter, he stopped his work, stood up, and welcomed them with a smile.

A Dragon Group member immediately introduced, "Everyone, this is the number one leader of our Dragon Group."

A ripple of surprise, neither too loud nor too quiet, went through the crowd, followed by people offering salutes, bows, or joining their palms in prayer according to their customs.

Looking at this motley assortment of greetings, the Dragon Head smiled and waved his hand.

"Comrades, you are too polite. You all have it harder; let's all sit down and talk."

The crowd quickly sat down, and the Dragon Head continued, "Time is tight, so I won't waste time with polite pleasantries."

"I have urgently summoned the heads of your dozen or so top-secret departments today because of a major event that concerns the survival of humanity."

"First, we must immediately establish a joint command headquarters."

"Although most of the heads of each unit did not come, those present are all deputies and core elites. I have already drafted the list, which will be distributed to each unit later for you to make specific adjustments."

"Second, I need to get a baseline from you all; there are some specific questions I need you to answer."

"Third... third... although we are all top-secret units, I must warn you again. What you see and hear today is the highest level of top secret, not even reported to the Supreme Committee yet. The secrecy level is higher than the lives of everyone here. Do you hear me clearly?"

"Understood!"

The crowd responded in unison, but afterwards, they exchanged glances, unable to fathom what major event could make the Dragon Head of the Dragon Group so solemn.

"Now, I will begin asking questions."

"Vice Dean Wang of the High Energy Physics Research Institute, I want to know, if we were to mobilize the full strength of Longxia to immediately expand our nuclear arsenal, what scale could we reach in five years? What kind of power could the strongest high-energy bomb achieve in five years?"

"You have twenty minutes to provide me with a detailed report."

This first question caused an uproar among the crowd.

"What? Extreme nuclear expansion? Is this the rhythm of preparing for a world war?"

"It could also be an alien invasion."

"Whether it's a world war or fighting aliens, with nuclear mushrooms flying everywhere, will our mystical arts even be useful?"

"If it's fighting alien ghosts, they might be somewhat useful."

"Daoist brother, that joke of yours is not funny at all."

At this moment, the Dragon Head clapped his hands to signal for silence, then continued.

"Second question: I need the most detailed reports on the most sinister supernatural events you have encountered in recent years, especially their locations. You also have a twenty-minute time limit to report them to me!"

"For the third question, we will discuss it after everyone has reviewed the Materials."

The lights went out, and the screen at the front lit up.

The first thing it described was the game heavenly change.

The video included the Dragon Group's investigation process into the development and operation units.

However, every individual investigated seemed to lose their humanity when questioned, turning into a machine that could only provide mechanical, programmed answers.

Next was the general worldview of the heavenly change game.

Then, Tang Long's face appeared on the screen.

This included Tang Long's in-game image, his real-world image and files, and even some audio clips of him speaking.

After the playback finished, the lights came back on, and the crowd was in chaos.

The director of the Imperial Mausoleum Research Institute immediately raised his hand, "Leader! I have a question!"

"Speak!"

"I personally feel that this matter is too absurd! Are we supposed to believe that aliens will invade in seven years, and make plans for nuclear expansion, based solely on the one-sided testimony of a thief?"

"Isn't that too rash?"

The Dragon Head nodded, "Director Ding's question is likely representative. I will answer this collectively later. Are there any other questions now?"

Vice Dean Wang of the Physics Research Institute also raised his hand to speak with a smile.

"Comrade Leader, I am a scientist. As far as my knowledge goes, this testimony is full of holes."

"The scientific community has long had a consensus: Transmigration through time is technically impossible."

"If he had just watched a few more similar movies, he shouldn't have been able to come up with such a lie."

His words elicited a ripple of light laughter; clearly, many people thought the same.

The Dragon Head smiled, "Anything else?"

"Amitabha~!"

A monk in yellow robes stood up and bowed with his palms together, "A leaf, a Bodhi. In the Major Thousand Worlds, nothing is too strange."

"Even in this world, some things cannot be fully explained by so-called science."

"This poor monk assumes that if that world truly exists, then the gods of that realm might not be non-existent either."

"If there truly are divine powers, then perhaps it is not impossible."

"This poor monk would like to ask, since you have brought this matter to the table, is there any concrete evidence for this person and this event?"

As soon as these words were spoken, the eyes of the crowd, whether shocked or doubtful, all turned involuntarily toward the Dragon Head.

The Dragon Head shook his head with a bitter smile, "Based on what I have seen and heard, if we follow normal logic, I should indeed be convinced by now."

"However, this matter is simply too big, and I dare not be rash."

"That is why I invited you all here today, to pool our ideas and use your collective wisdom to discern the truth together."

"However... see for yourselves."

The lights went out again, and another video began to play.

Starting from Dragon King's laboratory, it showed Tang Long's several abnormal electromagnetic bursts, and him being shot.

When being transported out, he erupted with strong light radiation again, causing radiation mutations in dozens of soldiers.

The scene of him discharging a massive amount of electricity again after being transported into lunar orbit, forcing the spacecraft to detach its auxiliary cabin, and him floating in space after waking up.

At the end of the video footage was the report on Tang Long's own increased radiation and his flight speed, as monitored by the Dragon Group.

There were many talented and extraordinary people present, all knowledgeable and experienced.

Yet even they, upon seeing those scenes and strings of numbers, felt it was hard to believe.

"Soaring through the Universe with a flesh-and-blood body. Is he a Superman?"

"Even if I assume his own propulsion is comparable to an airplane, but... at a speed of Mach 70, traveling over a hundred thousand kilometers in just over two hours, can a human body withstand such acceleration?"

"70 times the speed of sound; it seems even the fastest missiles today cannot fly that fast, right?"

"Accelerating in a vacuum is easier than in the atmosphere."

"Is it possible he's a robot? A secret weapon from another country? Sent specifically to mess with our mentality and focus?"

"Just looking at the video, it's hard to draw a conclusion."

"Where is the person? Can we see him in person?"

The Dragon Head watched the crowd's discussion and questioning without stopping them, maintaining a faint smile.

But behind this smile lay an unknown bitterness.

Hours ago, when he had just spoken with Tang Long, he himself had been extremely shocked and had doubted him from countless angles.

Even now, a large part of him still hoped that Tang Long was a liar, and that the elites present could use an unprecedented perspective to turn this matter into a false alarm.

In that case, he and the Dragon Group would at most just lose a little face.

If it were true... a disaster that no one could comprehend would be coming.

Reports were uploaded to his inbox one after another, and a few minutes later, his watch suddenly lit up with a red glow.

That signified an unidentified flying object approaching above the base, and all anti-aircraft missiles entered a red alert state for pre-launch.

He immediately took out his phone, checked the real-time information on it, and promptly called the defense forces.

"Anti-aircraft Command, this is Number One."

"Order: have all control towers turn on the green lights."

"Correct, it shouldn't be the enemy. All towers, turn on the green guide lights."

Then, he clapped his hands again, "Everyone, whether it is true or false, you can judge for yourselves with your own eyes."

The screen lit up again, but this time it was the real-time feed from the launch site, with hundreds of green lights nearly covering the night sky.

At that moment, a golden meteor descended from the clouds, flying straight towards this direction.

Tang Long followed the indicator lights, arrived at the terminal building at the end of the runway, and landed in front of four waiting men in black.

The leader stepped forward to receive him, "Hello Mr. Tang Long, we are acting under orders from the Dragon Head to welcome you home."

"Oh, hello, hello. Where is the Dragon Head?"

"Please follow me."

Tang Long followed the man in black all the way to the underground command center, but as soon as he entered, his expression became somewhat unnatural.

There were too many people here.

Logically speaking, for such a monumental secret, the Dragon Head should have kept the circle small.

Why did he call so many people here all at once?

Moreover, the way these people looked at him... was filled with suspicion, estrangement, and some even held faint hostility.

Reaching the front, his gaze toward the Dragon Head was also somewhat disappointed.

The Dragon Head smiled, extending a hand towards him while asking.

"You must be thinking, since the matter is delicate, why have I made such a big fuss. Is that right?"

"First, I assure you that they are all elites from various classified confidential units under the jurisdiction of the Dragon Group, and every one of them is absolutely reliable."

"Tang Long, I hope you can also consider things from my perspective, or from theirs. Should we really believe everything you said immediately and unconditionally?"

"I have many people to convince."

"Without reaching a convincing conclusion, we cannot achieve consensus, and subsequent work would be almost impossible to carry out."

"Therefore, I had to do this, and I hope you can understand."

Tang Long sighed inwardly, knowing that what the Dragon Head said was the truth, and he was not someone who couldn't handle a little grievance.

But a surprise attack like this, without any prior communication, still made him feel somewhat uncomfortable.

After a few seconds of silence, he still shook the Dragon Head's hand.

"Fine. If you have any questions, hurry up."

The Dragon Head gestured, and someone below immediately asked a question.

"Mr. Tang Long, you claim to have Transmigrated back from the future, may I ask what year you are from?"

"The 30th year of the Doomsday Era, which is 2153 AD."

"2153, you should be in your sixties, right? Why do you look so young now?"

"63 years old. If times had been peaceful, I should have retired that year, but I died on the battlefield. As for why I became young, I don't know the reason either."

"This... alright."

That person seemed to feel a bit embarrassed to ask more, but as soon as he sat down, another person stood up to ask.

"You said you died at that time. Then you are Rebirth, not Transmigration in the true sense, right?"

"Call it whatever you want, the point is I've returned."

"No, no, no, that is different. If it were strict Transmigration, you should have retained your physical condition from that year."

"And even if it were Rebirth, your consciousness should have returned directly to your current body. Why would you end up on the so-called Blue Star?"

"Is there a possibility that you were originally a Blue Star native? And for some unknown purpose, you fabricated some things?"

"Or perhaps, some force re-injected false memories into you?"

Tang Long's face immediately darkened, and he retorted, "By your logic, am I an alien spy?"

"I am speaking of possibilities. Since you cannot even explain what happened to you, how can you deny the possibility I proposed?"

Tang Long was so angry he laughed, "And who might you be?"

"Director of the Imperial Mausoleum Special Research Institute, Ding Jianping."

The Imperial Mausoleum...

Speaking of the Imperial Mausoleum, Tang Long couldn't help but feel nostalgic, because that was the strongest fortress they relied on during the Doomsday Era.

The Imperial Mausoleum had supernatural properties; most importantly, its location and exits were constantly changing on their own, which is why it was not easily breached.

Who would have thought that the country had already started researching the Imperial Mausoleum at this time?

But this Ding Jianping, I've never heard of him, he must have died very early.

"Your suspicion makes sense, but it cannot be proven."

"It also cannot be disproven!"

"Since you are from the Imperial Mausoleum Institute, let me ask you, have you ever entered the fifth level? How big is the Ancestral Dragon Emperor's coffin, have you seen it? Of course, you definitely can't get in now. Let me tell you, the Ancestral Dragon Platform is nine zhang long and five zhang wide; the outer coffin is twelve chi long and ten chi wide, with black walls and a golden lid, carved with ninety-nine dragons."

Ding Jianping chuckled, "You really talk without thinking. We haven't even fully researched the Ancestral Dragon Imperial Mausoleum, and you already know there is a fifth level? You must be betting that we can't verify it, right? It seems you have really done your homework, fabricating it quite convincingly."

Tang Long checked his watch, sighed, and turned to the Dragon Head, "Comrade Chief, I did not return to play house and engage in debate games; debating like this is too much of a waste of time."

Ding Jianping pressed his advantage, continuing to ask loudly, "There is no truth that cannot be debated clearly! Are you unwilling to explain, or are you afraid to explain?"

Tang Long turned back, and with a lift of his head, unleashed a Spirit Blade. Where the golden light passed, it carved a twenty-meter-long trench into the floor of the entrance corridor.

Many people retreated, while others quickly stepped forward, even drawing firearms to aim at Tang Long.

The Dragon Head quickly shouted to stop them, "Everyone, don't attack! Tang Long, what are you doing!"

Tang Long said in a deep voice, "Since I am a spy, I should just kill you all."

A burly old Daoist with a white beard, wielding a coin sword, rushed forward and shouted, "Brat! You have quite the nerve!"

Seeing the old Daoist chanting, with thunderous light surging on the sword, the Dragon Head hurriedly shouted, "Celestial Master, don't be impulsive! Tang Long, you calm down too! Let's explain things slowly!"

Tang Long simply shook his head, "There is nothing to explain."

Immediately after, he reached out and grabbed; the thunderous light on the old Daoist's sword was suddenly snatched away by him from the air.

The coin sword shattered simultaneously, the coins scattered all over the floor, and the force transformed into an eerie whirlwind, blowing people off balance.

The old Daoist was stunned in shock, and three of his Disciples beside him had already drawn their swords and charged up.

Although these three Disciples were not as powerful as their Master, their swords carried the sound of wind and thunder, clearly making them extremely formidable.

Several Dragon Group members hurriedly surrounded the Dragon Head and pulled him away; about half of the crowd didn't move, while the other half retreated.

Tang Long disarmed them with his bare hands, and in the blink of an eye, he snatched the swords from the hands of the three Daoists.

A Tibetan monk threw off his outer robe, his skin rapidly turning golden, and launched an attack from the side.

Tang Long didn't even turn his head; he crushed the captured longswords into a ball of iron in a few motions and hurled it straight at the monk's chest, knocking him more than ten meters away, where he collapsed and vomited blood.

Seeing this, the crowd was even more horrified, and several people with guns immediately opened fire.

However, the scene that followed was even more terrifying.

A barrier resembling ice crystals suddenly appeared around Tang Long; the bullets hit it, neither passing through nor bouncing back, but simply remained embedded in it.

Tang Long sneered, grabbed the handful of bullets concentrated in front of him, and with a backhand motion, threw them out without any obstruction.

Blood splashed, and cries of pain erupted in an instant.

Ding Jianping had emptied his magazine, holding the gun with both hands, still staring in a daze.

But Tang Long flickered and was right in front of him, grabbing his neck directly, his eyes filled with a fierce glint.

The Dragon Head in the corner roared, "Tang Long!"

But Tang Long didn't listen to the warning at all and ripped one of Ding Jianping's arms clean off his shoulder.

Such a brutal scene left everyone stunned.

At that moment, a glimmer of light condensed on Tang Long's hand, and he pressed it gently onto Ding Jianping's body.

Blood flowed, flesh surged, and just a few seconds later, a new arm grew out.

Only then did Tang Long release Ding Jianping and pat him on the shoulder.

"Director Ding, right?"

"To be able to stay silent despite such pain, you are indeed brave, a real man."

"My apologies."

"But if I were a spy, you would all be dead by now."