79: Han Fei was shocked upon learning the truth.

"Great Prophecy Granny?"

Han Fei was not unfamiliar with this name.

It could even be said that no one in the entire Dragon Country, or even the whole world, didn't know her.

Because she was universally recognized as the strongest prophet in the world, without a doubt!

Every prophecy from the Great Prophecy Granny was like a precisely crafted clock component, fitting flawlessly into the gears of the future, accurately foretelling each of its turns.

In the glorious process of Dragon Country rising to become a world Superpower, the Great Prophecy Granny's prophecies played a crucial role.

It was her repeated accurate guidance that allowed Dragon Country to always make the correct choices at the most critical moments, avert potential crises, and steadily ascend to the pinnacle of the world.

Looking at the news headline before him, Han Fei was utterly perplexed.

It was known that every word, every prediction from the Great Prophecy Granny, was considered a national treasure, deeply hidden within the most stringent secret archives.

In years past, her prophecies were heard by only a select few high-ranking officials; what the outside world knew was merely the tip of the iceberg, and few knew the thrilling stories hidden behind those vague prophetic outlines.

Yet now, a prophecy concerning the Great Prophecy Granny had brazenly made it to the news headlines?!

This sudden exposure filled Han Fei's heart with an indescribable surprise and doubt.

He instinctively clicked on the news link, and the words on the screen struck him like a bolt of lightning, leaving his mind blank.

"Dragon Country will face an impending catastrophe in the near future..."

"A hero will step forward at the most critical time..."

"This hero will first show his talent in a crisis..."

"The Special Guard Team must establish a good relationship with him, and..."

"Otherwise, Dragon Country will surely be destroyed!"

After reading these prophecies, Han Fei felt a surge of emotions, his thoughts rushing in like a tide.

His memory quickly rewound.

He recalled stepping forward in Jiangnan City.

He recalled Ye Zhanying's friendly attitude towards him.

He recalled the incredibly lenient contract he had signed.

He recalled the Special Guard Team's strict attitude in fulfilling the contract afterward.

He recalled... "No wonder, no wonder they treated me so leniently."

Han Fei tried his best to calm down, but his heart still pounded uncontrollably.

Excitement and disbelief intertwined in his heart.

"Am I really the child of prophecy in the Great Prophecy Granny's prophecy?"

As soon as he thought this, a hint of doubt quietly surfaced in his mind.

"No! Why would such a significant secret be made public?"

The release of this information would be detrimental to Dragon Country in every way.

Not only would it put the child of prophecy in danger, but it could also attract countless people to covet and impersonate him.

After all, while the description of the child of prophecy's characteristics in the news had some specificity, it was not an insurmountable barrier.

With a little disguise, many people could likely meet these conditions.

"What exactly is going on with this news? Is it really the Great Prophecy Granny's prophecy?"

The content of the prophecy made the things he had previously been confused about very clear.

But Dragon Country has always valued stability, so why would it release such confusing information to the public?

Han Fei's brows furrowed tighter and tighter, his doubts and suspicions swirling like a persistent fog.

Just then, on his phone screen, the news page that had been full of astonishing content instantly turned blank.

Immediately following, an inconspicuous small window popped up, with cold text prominently displayed: "This news content is untrue, do not believe it!"

"It's fake news? But..."

Han Fei couldn't help but murmur, his mind racing.

After much deliberation, he sent a message to Second Lieutenant Yang Guodong.

"Can I ask you something?"

The other party quickly replied: "Have you recovered, Brother Han?"

"Mostly healed," Han Fei tapped his finger, replying concisely.

"It's good that you're alright. What do you want to ask?"

Han Fei went straight to the point, "Do you know about those news articles online regarding the child of prophecy?"

After this message was sent, time seemed to freeze, and it was five or six seconds before the other party replied.

"Brother Han, don't you know about the child of prophecy yet?"

Han Fei's heart skipped a beat, a premonition forming, and he quickly sent a message asking: "Is the child of prophecy real?"

The other party paused again for five or six seconds before replying: "I thought you already knew."

At this moment, Han Fei felt as if he was frozen, his mind blank, with only the echoing shock remaining.

"The child of prophecy... it's actually real!"

He murmured, unable to believe it.

Immediately after, an even stronger wave of doubt surged over him, almost drowning him.

He urgently pressed Second Lieutenant Yang Guodong: "Why was such an important prophecy made public?!"

Second Lieutenant Yang Guodong fell silent again for a long time.

This time, the passage of time felt particularly long; ten-plus seconds of waiting felt like a century.

"Someone leaked the prophecy," Second Lieutenant Yang Guodong's message finally arrived, simple and heavy.

Such an important prophecy was actually leaked by someone?!

Han Fei's emotions were complex and difficult to describe at that moment, a mix of anger and disappointment, and he couldn't help but secretly blame those who were supposed to guard the secret.

If the prophecy's leak had the greatest impact on anyone, it was undoubtedly on individuals like Han Fei, who were suspected to be the child of prophecy.

After all, the importance of the child of prophecy to Dragon Country was undeniable.

Once the child of prophecy died by assassination, it would almost certainly spell the demise of Dragon Country.

This was undoubtedly a godsend Opportunity for those countries coveting Dragon Country.

It's worth noting that while this world is vast, the core interest areas that can produce valuable treasure chests are few and far between.

And among all currently discovered core interest areas, Dragon Country alone occupies one-fifth, which is the most in the world!

Such immense interests undoubtedly made other countries envious.

Once Dragon Country fell, the core interest areas it occupied would naturally be surrendered.

No force could resist the temptation to carve up this enormous pie.

So Han Fei could now completely imagine that once his identity as the child of prophecy was exposed, countless people would come to assassinate him.

This made Han Fei feel an unprecedented pressure.

With his current strength, any B-Rank Expert could easily take his life.

What made Han Fei even more terrified was the possibility that those A-Rank Experts, known as "natural disasters," might also target him.

For A-Rank Experts, let alone killing a person, destroying a city was as easy as brushing dust from a sleeve.

Although such high-level Experts were few and far between globally, in the face of immense temptation, there were always those willing to take the risk, especially against such a weak child of prophecy.

As for the S-Rank Experts, revered as living gods and Immortals on earth, Han Fei was not so worried.

Because all S-Rank Experts in this world were threatened by epic Divine Artifacts.

It's worth noting that many epic Divine Artifacts in this world have a special restriction: they only affect S-Rank Experts.

For example, the Immortal Slaying Sword suspended above Mount Tai in Dragon Country.

It only slays Immortals, not mortals!

Only when an S-Rank Expert comparable to an Immortal dared to invade Dragon Country's territory would the Immortal Slaying Sword awaken from its slumber, its tip pointing directly at the Nine Heavens, transforming into a sky-filling sword rain to slay Immortals and gods!

However, Experts below S-Rank would not be harmed in the slightest by the Immortal Slaying Sword unless they actively sought death.

This was like an anti-tank mine; if a soldier or a regular car drove over it, the mine would not explode.

Only when a tank or armored vehicle drove over it would it explode due to the weight.

While epic Divine Artifacts similar to the Immortal Slaying Sword are not numerous in this world, they are certainly not few.

They are rare and powerful, maintaining the world's balance of power in unique ways.

It is these potential threats that prevent every S-Rank Expert from acting rashly.

They are forced to become behind-the-scenes manipulators, often influencing the fate of nations and the world'spattern as behind-the-scenes movers at the most crucial historical turning points.

With S-Rank Experts unable to easily make a move, the strongest in this world are A-Rank Experts who possess a suitable diamond grade Divine Artifact.

Such Experts are also known as quasi-S-Rank Experts.

While they haven't reached the true pinnacle, with the help of the Divine Artifacts in their hands, they can ensure their own safety even when facing S-Rank Experts, and under certain specific conditions, they can even unleash combat power capable of directly confronting S-Rank Experts.

The thought of potentially becoming the prey of a legendary quasi-S-Rank Expert caused ripples in Han Fei's heart, anxiety and panic intertwining into an invisible net, tightly binding him.

He felt indignant, wanting to shout into the Void Realm, to turn his full discontent into sharp words, throwing them fiercely at the Dragon Country Intelligence Bureau.

But reason told him that the current reality would not change in any way because of his complaints or insults.

To change all of this, the true key still lay in his own strength.

"I must improve my strength as quickly as possible!"

Han Fei clenched his fists, secretly resolving to dedicate all his time to Cultivate.

Just as he was about to immediately immerse himself in Cultivate, a hint of doubt quietly took root in his mind.

As the child of prophecy, he should have received the utmost attention and protection from the entire Dragon Country, so why was only Black Pupil protecting him?

Although Black Pupil was strong, how could he alone withstand the threats that might come from all directions?

Furthermore, he hadn't even been given a decent Divine Artifact, which left Han Fei feeling puzzled and uneasy.

Full of doubts, Han Fei was compelled to message Second Lieutenant Yang Guodong, hoping to get an answer from him.

Second Lieutenant Yang Guodong's reply, however, was like a thunderclap, leaving Han Fei stunned: "Lord Dragon has always been watching you all."

"Lord Dragon?! Watching us?"

Han Fei was first astonished, then deeply confused.

Lord Dragon, in Dragon Country and even the entire world, was a legendary existence.

He was one of Dragon Country's only three S-Rank Experts, possessing the top-tier epic Divine Artifact—the Dragon Palace.

Various country rankings and authoritative organizations almost without exception hailed Lord Dragon as the world's strongest Expert.

Although such rankings could not be truly verified by anyone, as S-Rank Experts rarely directly engaged in combat for various reasons.

The last world-shaking battle between S-Rank Experts occurred a century ago.

That battle was a life-and-death duel between Lord Dragon and the Sky Dragon, the guardian Divine Beast of Eagle Country.

Both sides were S-Rank Experts, and the aftermath of their battle shook the heavens and earth; countless places suffered earthquakes and fires as a result, a terrifying scene that remains vivid in memory to this day.

Ultimately, relying on the exquisite offensive and defensive capabilities of the Dragon Palace, Lord Dragon emerged victorious in this S-Rank showdown, powerfully slaying the Sky Dragon.

That battle established Lord Dragon's reputation as the "World's Number One Expert" and made him a myth in the hearts of countless people.

Upon learning that he was being watched by such a legendary figure, Han Fei's initial surprise quickly transformed into an indescribable shock.

He could completely understand.

As the child of prophecy, whose safety was linked to the future destiny of Dragon Country, his well-being was indeed crucial to Dragon Country.

Lord Dragon, as the guardian god of Dragon Country, protecting him was not only his duty but also his responsibility for the entire nation's future.

Realizing this, Han Fei's unease gradually dissipated.

While feeling relieved, Han Fei also felt a bit confused.

Why did Second Lieutenant Yang Guodong use the word 'you all'?

"Am I not the only child of prophecy?" Han Fei asked directly.

Second Lieutenant Yang Guodong didn't hide it, "That's right, currently there are 8 suspected children of prophecy, including you."

"That many?"

Although he had anticipated it, he didn't expect so many children of prophecy to appear in just a few days.

"Can't you distinguish who the real one is?"

Second Lieutenant Yang Guodong gave a regrettable answer, "Not yet."

Han Fei, seeing this, felt more at ease instead.

Since even the high-ranking officials of Dragon Country found it difficult to discern the genuine from the fake, then the various forces coveting the "child of prophecy" would naturally fall into the same confusion and hesitation.

This undoubtedly greatly reduced the potential danger Han Fei might face.

His thoughts suddenly drifted in a more complex direction: would the Dragon Country government intentionally create some fake "children of prophecy" as a smokescreen to confuse the enemy and protect the true prophesied person?

For example, among the 8 candidates Second Lieutenant Yang Guodong mentioned, were there any intentional arrangements by the government?

Just as Han Fei was lost in his thoughts, Second Lieutenant Yang Guodong sent another message, interrupting his musings.

"Oh, and there's one more thing I forgot to tell you. Regarding the characteristics of the child of prophecy, besides what you saw in the news, Great Prophecy Granny added some more later."

"What else did she add?"

Han Fei's curiosity was instantly piqued; he urgently wanted to know more clues about his destiny.

——————

Current known distribution of S-Rank Experts worldwide:

Dragon Country has three, Bear Country two, Eagle Country two, S-Rank Expert Regulatory Bureau two, Holy Light Theocracy one, Salvation Society one, Lighthouse Alliance one.

Aside from the three Superpowers and some top organizations, almost all other S-Rank Experts are seeking Opportunity in the Endless Sea.

The most famous among them is the overlord who rules half of the Endless Sea, Captain Nether.

Many ranking organizations place him second among S-Rank Experts, only below Lord Dragon.