184: Chapter 184 Illusionary God Technique, Full-Scale Invasion

Ling Feng's name was quite resounding among the new generation of God-Demons in the Kindling University System and even the entire Human Race defense line; he was an object of admiration for many in their youth, so naturally, they had heard of him.

Now, seeing this legendary Genius join the team with their own eyes was undoubtedly the icing on the cake for the already elite Changning City defense force.

Ling Feng also nodded to everyone in greeting, collecting his scattered thoughts: "You are too kind. Guarding the fortress pass is our duty, and I look forward to our cooperation in the future."

The wind on the tarmac blew past, and the two Geniuses stood side by side.

A new chapter was about to unfold at the Changning City Interstellar Gate fortress, and what awaited them ahead...

...included both the heavy responsibility of holding the defense line, the covetous gaze from the Monster Realm, and the silent competition and rivalry between Geniuses.

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Time passed by, and more than two months slipped away quietly.

December 28, 235th year of the galactic calendar.

[ Name: Li Wen ]

[ Age: 28 ]

[ Realm: Great Sun Realm Late Stage (Level 59.3) ]

[ Profession: Scholar Lv15 (16580 → 65180 / 1638400) ]

[ Skills: Blade Technique - Dao Realm (25%) ]

[ Cultivation Technique: God-Shocking Sting - Level 7 (100%) ]

Li Wen welcomed his twenty-eighth birthday on Blue Star.

Just like many days in the past, he did not make a fuss about it.

At the first light of dawn, he had already left the quiet courtyard inside the fortress pass, his figure blending into the slightly chilly morning mist of early winter in Changning City, beginning his routine city patrol.

However, given his current status and reputation in Changning City, even though he had not mentioned his birthday to anyone, its influence still spread silently.

Father Li and Mother Li, living in the safe house in the core area, had been pestered since early morning by an endless stream of people coming to deliver gifts and congratulations.

And this was only a small fraction of the people in Changning City who were qualified to come and express their well-wishes and knew where they lived.

Of course, these people were not deliberately trying to curry favor; most of them brought heartfelt gratitude.

The gifts brought were not exactly valuable; in their view, it was the thought that counted.

In the eyes of the current Li Wen, there was indeed nothing that could be called a heavy gift.

Therefore, when his parents called to ask if they should accept these gifts, Li Wen just calmly replied: "Accept them. They are all tokens of affection from neighbors and comrades-in-arms, it is fine."

His tone was calm.

He knew deeply that with his current strength, having stepped into the threshold of the Marquis Level in both Physical Body and Primordial Spirit, in the entire Changning City, or even looking at the entire Jiangnan Province, there was almost no Family or individual who could send something that would constitute a suspicion of "bribery."

The largest God-Demon Family in Changning City was only guarded by someone in the Great Sun Realm, and the most prestigious Marquis of Jiangling Family in the entire Jiangnan Province also could not produce any treasure that would move Li Wen.

After all, the Marquis of Jiangling was only a normal Marquis Level God-Demon.

These ordinary gifts carried sentiments, not interests.

Li Wen's figure moved silently between the high-rises and streets of Changning City, his powerful perception like an invisible net, meticulously sweeping through every corner of the city, confirming its peace.

— —

Meanwhile, under the shadows of some barren hills a dozen miles away from the towering city walls of Changning City, several figures wearing hideous snake-shaped masks slowly emerged.

Their gazes pierced through the thin morning mist, locked tightly onto the huge steel city in the distance.

"Ever since Li Wen took over Changning City, our nails have been almost completely pulled out. The last failure and fall of Deputy Leader Viper Tooth is also said to be related to incorrect intelligence."

One of them lowered his voice, his tone filled with lingering apprehension.

"Indeed," the person beside him chimed in, "Now the entire Changning City is like an iron bucket to us, even harder to infiltrate than the capital of Jiangnan Province. What method did this Li Wen use to be able to ferret out our people so accurately and efficiently? It is simply inconceivable."

The third person let out a short, helpless sigh: "Sigh... the most troublesome problem now is how we can safely sneak in. Even just getting close makes me feel terrified."

"The orders from above this time are also strange; they are willing to pay any price to figure out Li Wen's recent detailed status, precise to his Rank, Cultivation Technique progress... it's like they are preparing for something big," the person who spoke first said with confusion.

"I vaguely heard some rumors," the second person's voice was even lower, "It is said that it was personally requested by an incredible Great Demon King on the Yao Race side, who issued a death order. It seems to be related to some important descendant who died at Li Wen's hands previously."

"Hmph, if I had known that I would end up working for the Yao Race like this, I would have..." The third person stopped halfway, realizing it was inappropriate, and swallowed his words.

"Enough, it's useless to say these things." The first person interrupted, "Let's think about the immediate situation, how to send people into the city without alerting Li Wen. We cannot bear the wrath of Great Demon King Fu Yan. There is not much time left."

The few fell silent again, their figures seeming to merge into the shadows, leaving only the cold gleam of the snake eyes on their masks, staring fixedly at the outline of the city in the distance that seemed as solid as a fortress.

An invisible sense of anxiety and pressure permeated the air.

When Li Wen finished his routine patrol of the entire Changning City, the morning sun had already fully risen, casting a layer of warm gold over the cold city.

He did not return to the Underground Fortress Pass command post located under the Interstellar Gate fortress, but with a slight movement, he crossed the vast distance in an instant, directly appearing in front of the safe house located in the city's core area where his parents lived.

With his terrifying speed that now surpassed normal King-level Experts, being in any corner of the city did not affect his ability to support any defense line in Changning City the moment an alarm was sounded.

In the past, he was more often stationed at the fortress pass, mostly for the convenience of Cultivation.

— —

Today was his birthday, and he chose to go home to accompany his parents.

Pushing open the door, he saw gift boxes and bags of various packaging piled up like a small mountain in the corner of the living room.

This bustling scene made Li Wen pause slightly, his footsteps stopping at the doorway.

Ten years ————

This thought flashed through his mind instantly.

It was exactly the same day ten years ago that he awakened his wisdom from his previous life and activated his personal information panel.

Memories surged; the image of that poor youth who calculated carefully to save a single lowest-level level 1 qi and blood potion while struggling forward on the path of martial arts.

Formed an incredibly strong contrast with the gifts filling the living room before him, which symbolized his current status and responsibility to protect.

From an ignorant youth who needed to worry about livelihood and basic resources, to the God-Demon captain who now held the safety of a city in his hands and made the Yao Race tremble with fear.

This path was filled with the tempering of blood and fire, sweat and loneliness, as well as the ecstasy of Realm Breakthroughs and the sorrow of comrades sacrificing themselves.

Scene after scene flashed rapidly before his eyes.

The initial display of talent in Qingshi County, the bloody battles in Nanzha County, the life-and-death struggle in Antai County, the endurance and outbreak at Panshi Fortress Pass, the guarding and Breakthrough in Changning City ————

Ten years of time, in the snap of a finger, had completely changed the trajectory of his life and also endowed him with heavy responsibilities.

"A Wen, what is wrong? Standing at the door in a daze?" Mother Wang Juan's gentle voice pulled him back from his long train of thought.

Only then did he realize that he had stood at the door for more than half a minute.

"Nothing, Mom." Li Wen came back to his senses, a gentle smile appearing on his face, and he waved his hand, walking into the house, "It is just ———— I suddenly remembered some things from ten years ago."

"Ten years ago ———— " Wang Juan looked at her son, who stood tall and had a distinguished bearing, her eyes a bit dazed as she murmured, "Yes, it is so fast; in the blink of an eye, A Wen, you are already ———— "

Her voice was full of emotion, and she seemed unable to find the right words to describe her son's earth-shaking changes.

The youth who once needed her to worry about his food and clothing and urge him to practice martial arts was now a towering tree that needed to be looked up to, guarding the peace of this land.

Father Li Hong walked out from the inner room, looking at his son, his face showing unconcealable pride, but beneath that pride, there was also a trace of unspeakable complexity.

The higher the son stood, the more the distance between them seemed to be invisibly stretched; that intimacy of an ordinary Family was, after all, slightly diluted by awe and admiration.

He patted Li Wen's shoulder, his voice as simple and honest as ever: "It is good that you are back. Are you tired? Let your mom make you something delicious."

"Mm, okay." Li Wen responded with a smile, the cold aura belonging to the God-Demon captain quietly fading away, leaving only the gentleness of a returning wanderer.

He took the initiative to roll up his sleeves, "Dad, Mom, let me cook today and show you what I can do."

The cheerful clatter of pots and pans soon rang out in the kitchen, the range hood hummed, and the atmosphere of home-cooked meals permeated the air, temporarily isolating the pile of gifts in the living room that symbolized glory and responsibility.

The Family of three sat around a not-so-wide dining table, chatting about trivial Family matters and local gossip, deliberately avoiding those heavy topics of war and the unattainable Realm of combat power.

Outside the window was Changning City, bathed in the warm winter sun, calm and orderly.

This moment of peace was something Li Wen had earned through ten years of bloody campaigns, and it was also something he would continue to protect with the Blade Technique in his hand in the future.

January 27th, galactic calendar year 236. It was New Year's Eve once again.

It had been nearly four years since Li Wen arrived in Changning City, and this city, which had become increasingly prosperous due to strategic contraction, was now immersed in a rich festive atmosphere.

The streets were lined with festive electronic lanterns and Chinese knots; the shops along the road were bustling with people, and pedestrians wore relaxed smiles, enjoying this rare peace.

This tranquility was completely different from the tension during the migration more than three years ago; Li Wen's presence was like a pillar that calmed the seas, making the citizens of Changning City feel secure.

Over the past month, the calm in Changning City had not caused Li Wen to slacken.

He maintained a high-speed Cultivate rhythm, and his Physical Body Realm was steadily improving under continuous refinement, only a sliver away from the Peak of the Great Sun Realm.

He estimated that in another two months, he would naturally reach the limit of his Physical Body.

This meant that the critical threshold for breaking through to the Marquis Level was close at hand.

In the early morning, the thin mist had not yet fully dispersed.

Li Wen's figure was already weaving through the streets and alleys, core areas, and suburban borders of Changning City as usual.

His perception was like an invisible net, meticulously scanning every inch of space, catching any unusual fluctuations.

Over this past month, it was precisely because of this almost harsh vigilance that he had ferreted out one spy after another, meticulously disguised by the shadow organization, attempting to infiltrate.

Regrettably, these captured spies had limited knowledge and could not provide much intelligence regarding the core intentions of the Yao Race or the shadows.

However, the frequency of their appearances caused Li Wen's heartstrings to tighten quietly.

The number of spies captured within a month actually exceeded the total of the previous year.

This abnormal level of activity silently signaled that a storm was approaching.

Li Wen dared not be negligent and immediately reported the situation and his analysis to the president of Kindling University.

After receiving the president's concise yet firm four-character reply, "Observe the Changes," the doubts in his heart eased slightly.

After completing his patrol and confirming there were no new anomalies, Li Wen turned and headed toward the Underground Fortress Pass of Changning City.

Walking through the heavy alloy gates and entering the core defense area deep underground, the festive atmosphere was just as rich.

The cold metal corridors were decorated with strings of red electronic lanterns symbolizing good fortune, and the side walls of the corridors were even adorned with traditional handwritten spring couplets, which was rare.

The ventilation System simulated a cool winter breeze, and the aroma of food and laughter faintly drifted from the direction of the cafeteria.

The warriors of the fortress stopped in their tracks when they saw him, enthusiastically offering New Year's blessings.

"Captain Li, Happy New Year's Eve!"

"Captain, thank you for your hard work! Happy New Year!"

Li Wen nodded in response to each one, a gentle smile on his face: "Happy holidays to everyone, thank you for your hard work. Wishing you peace and health in the New Year."

Walking all the way to the independent courtyard exclusively for the garrison captain, he stepped into the study and picked up the professional treatise he hadn't finished reading yesterday.

Six hours slipped away quietly in the absorption of knowledge; the sound of turning pages was the only melody in this quiet room.

When the electronic clock on the wall pointed to twelve noon, he closed the book and stood up to head toward the cafeteria.

The cafeteria was already bustling with noise, and the aroma of the festive meal was exceptionally tempting.

Li Wen's figure appeared at the entrance, and the noise paused slightly, immediately followed by even more and louder greetings.

"The Captain is here!"

"Captain, over here!"

He was surrounded and escorted toward the main table, where Deputy Captain Ling Feng was already sitting in the adjacent seat.

"Captain." Ling Feng greeted him concisely; only in private would he call Li Wen Junior Brother.

"Senior Brother Ling." Li Wen sat down with a smile.

Looking at the faces around him, some young, some determined, but all brimming with relaxed smiles at this moment.

Even in the underground fortress, which stood on the front line of defending the Human Race, the significance of the New Year still settled in everyone's hearts.

The meal was sumptuous, and the atmosphere was harmonious.

After a few rounds of drinks, someone proposed a toast.

Everyone stood up in unison. Amidst the clinking of glasses, a neat and powerful voice echoed in the cafeteria: "Wishing you peace and health in the New Year!"

"The Human Race will prevail!"

After lunch, Li Wen did not go directly to the Martial Arts Field to refine his Blade Technique as he had in previous years.

An indescribable, subtle warning sign originating from the depths of his Primordial Spirit had been like tangled threads in recent days, never dissipating.

This super-strong spiritual sense, stemming from his fourth-layer Day-Roaming Realm Primordial Spirit, made him afraid to let his guard down.

Therefore, in addition to his unchangeable morning patrol, he specifically added three more coverage-style inspections of the key nodes and peripheral areas of the entire Changning City at noon, afternoon, and evening.

At this moment, he was sweeping silently across the junction between the city's edge and the new development zone at a speed that nearly allowed him to blend into the wind.

His Primordial Spirit Power was like the most precise scanner, filtering through every trace of energy fluctuation and mental ripple.

Just as he was passing over a seemingly calm newly built area, mainly used for warehousing and transit, a stable heartbeat, extremely faint and almost integrated with the ambient noise, caught his attention.

The rhythm of this heartbeat was too regular, so regular that it didn't seem like the state of an ordinary human in a festive atmosphere, but rather like deliberate control while executing some kind of deep infiltration mission.

What was even more ingenious was that this person seemed to be carrying some kind of special device capable of cleverly distorting the faint energy flows around them, forming a natural optical + energy dual camouflage layer, skillfully avoiding the scans of the city's conventional monitoring System.

If Li Wen's Primordial Spirit Realm had not reached the Day-Roaming Realm, with Soul perception keen enough to discern the finest details, coupled with the powerful information processing ability brought by the Scholar profession, it would have been almost impossible to isolate this imperceptible anomaly from the background noise.

"Huh? Still not giving up?" Li Wen realized in his heart, his figure freezing in mid-air, his gaze locking onto the shadows of the roof of a large logistics warehouse below like lightning.

It appeared empty, but in his powerful Primordial Spirit perception, a curled-up human outline, perfectly blending with the light and shadow of the environment, clearly emerged.

Without alerting anyone, a formless, intangible, yet vast and pure Primordial Spirit Power surged from between Li Wen's eyebrows.

This power was not a crude impact, but transformed into a strange ripple containing a complex mental structure, precisely covering the curled-up figure.

The moment the ripple touched the target, it was like an invisible key inserting into a keyhole.

This was precisely one of the Primordial Spirit secret techniques Li Wen had specifically cultivated after his Primordial Spirit broke through to the fourth-layer Day-Roaming Realm—the "Phantom God Art".

Its core function was not to kill, but deep interference and control at the mental level.

The target's mental defense was like paper before the Primordial Spirit Power at Li Wen's level.

The spy's body stiffened violently, their eyes instantly becoming vacant and hollow, all will to resist disintegrated and reshaped in an instant.

Like a manipulated marionette, he stood up mechanically from his hiding place, ignoring the normal path, and ran rapidly toward Li Wen's location with slightly stiff but purposeful movements.

In a few breaths, the spy arrived in front of Li Wen, his eyes dull and devoid of luster.

"Who sent you? What is your mission? Why is the infiltration so frequent recently?"

Li Wen's voice was flat but carried a commanding penetrative power, acting directly on the other party's chaotic Sea of Consciousness.

The spy's lips moved, his voice flat and waveless: "Subordinate to the outer circle of the Shadow Snake Division. The mission is to lurk and observe the mobilization of the garrison forces in Changning City, especially the movement patterns and status characteristics of Captain Li Wen. The recent—frequent actions are because—because—"

His words showed a trace of struggle, seemingly touching upon the deep encryption of core instructions, but the power of the "Phantom God Art" forcibly crushed through this layer of obstruction, "—because the Yao Race royal court has issued a war order to launch the first comprehensive offensive codenamed 'Year-End Extermination' on January 27th, 236 of the galactic calendar—which is today—New Year's Eve. All Star Gates—will suffer the largest-scale invasion simultaneously—aiming to—tear apart the Human Race defense line—intelligence requirements—confirm the details of the garrison forces of each fortress—provide guidance for the attacking troops—"

"New Year's Eve! Comprehensive offensive! All Interstellar Gates!"

Even with Li Wen's current state of mind, when he heard this exact news spewed from the spy's mouth, his pupils contracted sharply, and a chill rose from his spine.

He immediately thought of the abnormally frequent spy activities over the past month; everything matched up!

He immediately used his implantable communicator to urgently send the critical intelligence he had obtained to the president of Kindling University with the highest encryption level.