224: A grand funeral!

Trust is the most precious Foundation of the New Federation.

And now, the enemy, with the most brutal and direct method, has carved a deep, bone-visible crack into that Foundation.

Once the seed of doubt is sown, it will proliferate wildly.

This is their most malicious overt scheme.

They are not only physically destroying the Federation's Foundation, but also spiritually dismantling the most precious trust among the Federation's high-ranking officials.

Three hundred meters underground, in a secret sanctuary not recorded in any Federation archives.

The space here is not large; the cold rock walls are carved with countless distorted marine creature reliefs, and the only illumination comes from a giant "Eye of the Abyss" mural in the center of the wall.

The mural, as if painted with some special Ore, emits a faint, unsettling blue light.

Hundreds of believers in black robes knelt devoutly on the ground, softly chanting prayers of praise to their god in an ancient language, not of this era.

If their identities were exposed, it would cause a magnitude 12 political earthquake throughout the Federation.

Among them were high-ranking officials with logistical authority over a war zone, respected academicians from the Academy of Sciences, and tycoons controlling the Federation's economic lifeline. Some, just hours ago, were sitting in the highest council hall in Xinghui City, righteously denouncing the attackers.

At the very front of the sanctuary, a figure stood with his back to the crowd, silently gazing at the giant Eye of the Abyss mural.

He was also dressed in a black robe, but the edges of the robe were embroidered with intricate patterns of supreme power using special golden threads.

He is one of the twelve bishops of the Forgotten Ones Sect.

"Brothers and sisters."

"The Lord of Divine Punishment has awakened, and His breath is the storm that purifies this erroneous world."

"But..."

"There is one person, a so-called hero chosen by the decay and obstinacy of the old world, who is trying to stop a chariot with his arms, using his ridiculous and insignificant power to delay this great and unstoppable purification process."

"He wants to seek the so-called cornerstones of civilization; he wants to perpetuate this civilization that should have been completely forgotten."

"This is the most thorough blasphemy against the Lord God."

The Bishop slowly turned around.

"Our first phase of the plan has been very successful."

"It successfully disrupted the Federation's deployment, plunging them into a quagmire of internal strife and suspicion."

"Those foolish politicians and military men are now like a swarm of headless flies, suspicious and wary of each other."

"Now, it's time to execute the second step."

"Su Lei is going to a place called Gui Xu to find the first cornerstone."

"Then we will be at the entrance of Gui Xu, to send him, and all those who still hold ridiculous fantasies about this old world, a grand funeral, one that will completely bury him along with his ridiculous hopes."

He raised his hands high, like a charlatan, and let out a fervent cry.

"In the name of the Lord God!"

"Embrace oblivion! Return to nothingness!"

The hundreds of believers below, as if hypnotized, responded with even more fervent voices, like a mountain roar and a sea tide.

"Embrace oblivion! Return to nothingness!"

Kunlun Base, the deepest independent gravity room.

Su Lei's figure floated quietly in mid-air.

Everything happening within the Federation had long been presented in his mind, without missing a single detail, through the omnipresent Divine Soul network.

This was a perfect scheme by the enemy targeting him.

An overt scheme.

The opponent had calculated that he had to go to Gui Xu to find that sole chance of survival, and thus could not Clone himself to deal with these internal "festering sores."

They also calculated that the New Federation's Foundation was unstable, and its internal trust structure was like a house of cards, unable to withstand such a violent Impact.

They wanted to use the blood of their own people to contaminate the Federation's body, to delay his progress, and to shake the most important rear area behind him.

"Do I need to go back?"

After a brief silence, the response came from Xiao Yuwei's unwavering thought.

"No need."

"A group of rats hiding in the gutters are not worthy of you, the Federation's Governor, personally turning back to step on them."

"You go do what you need to do."

"Leave matters at home to us."

"Good."

He only replied with one word, then cut off the connection.

Trust is mutual.

He chose to trust his comrades.

When Su Lei's will descended upon the council hall again, the gloom and suspicion brought by betrayal had been replaced by a more profound sense of mission.

He revealed all the information about Gui Xu that he had received from the Council of Venerables.

When they heard that the entrance to Gui Xu would briefly appear for a moment seven days later, near the terrifying vortex awakened by the Abyssal Demon Whale in the East Sea, the atmosphere in the entire council hall instantly froze to an ice point.

Go there?

What was the difference between that and actively putting one's head into the blood-filled mouth of an ancient god?

That Abyssal Demon Whale, with just an unconsciously emitted gaze, had paralyzed humanity's most advanced military satellite array.

Its power had long exceeded the scope of what mortal power could estimate, or even comprehend.

"This..."

Zhao Wufeng said with difficulty, "This is simply, simply a dead end!"

"From a purely military perspective..."

Lin Qianqian pulled up all the data for that sea area: "We don't have any fleet, any known weapon, that can approach within a thousand kilometers of that vortex center without being instantly destroyed."

"The existence of that Demon Whale, in itself, is an absolute forbidden zone on the Law level."

"Any conventional matter entering its perception range will be directly erased from the physical level by its unconsciously emitted power, without a single atom remaining."

"But we have no choice."

Chen Xuan stood up. The old man, who had witnessed the rise and fall of the Federation, showed no trace of retreat in his eyes at this moment.

"This is no longer a question of whether it's worth the risk."

"Gui Xu is the only chance of survival, and Su Lei is our only hope."

"No matter if there are mountains of knives or seas of fire ahead, we must clear a path for him!"

"I agree with Elder Chen's words."

Ye Qingyun slowly nodded, "But, how to clear the path is the key."

Everyone's gaze once again converged on Su Lei.

"A large army advancing is indeed seeking death."

Su Lei's voice remained calm: "This time, no army is needed."

"I will go personally."

At these words, everyone was astonished.

"No!"

Xiao Yuwei was the first to object: "You are the backbone of the Federation, the spiritual pillar of everyone! Your existence itself is a deterrent; you must never put yourself in danger!"