163: Anyone who offends our Dragon Kingdom will be punished no matter how far away they are!

The piercing alarm finally ceased, replaced by a chorus of hoarse reports across the communication channels, each carrying the relief of having survived a catastrophe.

"Report! Ice City space rift has vanished! Frost Giant Lizards and remaining beast hordes have been completely eradicated by the 'Eternal Silence' domain! Repeat, Ice City crisis resolved!"

"Sichuan-Chongqing main rift has receded! Earth-Cracking Barbarian Bull herds annihilated! Civilian evacuation routes are being cleared!"

"Modu Binjiang area, the Abyssal Rift has disappeared! All landing sea beasts were swept into the deep sea by the 'Raging Tides' domain! Threat resolved!"

"Southwest Miao Frontier..."

"East Sea..."

Each victorious report was like a refreshing rain, washing away the almost solidified air of despair in the command center.

On the gigantic holographic strategic map, the glaring red circles representing high-risk space rifts and out-of-control beast tides were visibly dimming, shrinking, and finally disappearing one by one.

Zhang Xianzong stood before the massive screen, his bloodshot eyes fixed on the constantly shrinking red circles, his tightly clenched fists turning white at the knuckles from the exertion.

It wasn't until the last red dot, representing a sub-rift near the Northwest Wolf Mountain Outpost, completely extinguished that he suddenly relaxed his fists, his body swaying almost imperceptibly, then he took a deep, deep breath, and slowly exhaled.

The turbid air that had been accumulating in his chest, as if threatening to crush him entirely, was finally expelled with the confirmation of the good news.

He raised a hand to wipe his face; his palm was slick with cold sweat.

As the President of the Professional Association and the most powerful Transcendent leader in Longguo on the surface, he knew better than anyone what those short few tens of minutes had meant!

It was truly the brink of national destruction and extinction!

If not for those existences acting in time… Zhang Xianzong's gaze penetrated the screen, as if he saw the ancient figures standing atop the ruins, their aura as vast as the abyss and the sea.

A complex, unreadable curve appeared at the corner of his mouth—there was relief, awe, and an almost imperceptible hint of bitterness.

"Professional Association… Heh."

He muttered to himself in a low voice, tinged with weary self-mockery.

"It's nothing more than a facade displayed on the surface."

No one understood Longguo's true hidden power better than he did.

When the Spiritual Qi Resurgence occurred and the Era of Transcension suddenly descended, plunging the entire world into initial chaos and panic, it was these "Extraordinary Individuals," who had long existed in ancient mountains and secret grotto-heavens, who quietly propped up the tottering Longguo with their powers beyond mortal comprehension.

They either guarded a region or suppressed the source of anomalies, buying precious time for Longguo to breathe and consolidate during the darkest and most difficult initial period.

The rise of the Professional Association and the integration of national power were all built upon the foundation of these "Pillars of the Sea" silently protecting the land.

Their existence was the highest national secret, Longguo's true trump card.

As long as they were there, as long as Kunlun Mountain stood, the land of Longguo would never truly fall into ruin.

"President, urgent telegram from Northwest Wolf Mountain Outpost!"

A communications officer's voice interrupted Zhang Xianzong's thoughts, still urgent but devoid of the previous despair.

"Major General Zhang Zhiwei reports that the opportunistic foreign transcendent and alien mixed forces, after encountering an unknown force's interception, have had their offensive thwarted!"

"They… they seem to have been scared off!"

A cold light flashed in Zhang Xianzong's eyes.

"Scared off? Not enough! Tell Zhang Zhiwei, cooperate with that force, and make sure they're pinned down!"

"Dare to extend their claws at a time like this, they must be prepared to have them chopped off! Don't let a single one escape!"

His voice was decisive, imbued with an aura of iron-blooded killing intent. With the internal crisis temporarily resolved, it was time to clear out those ignorant hyenas.

"Those who violate our Longguo, no matter how far, shall be punished!"

In the entire Professional Association headquarters command room, everyone who heard Zhang Xianzong's voice shouted in unison.

Weiyang City, Eastern Suburbs Ruins.

Unlike the earth-shattering epic clashes in the core areas of other large base cities, this place was remarkably "silent."

A colossal rift, darker and deeper than others, its edges constantly seeping viscous void energy, lay like a festering wound on the earth, stretching across the edge of the already scorched urban area.

Inside the rift, it wasn't merely spatial distortion, but a nauseating, viscous sight, as if composed of countless writhing insect nests.

That was the manifestation of a Void Insect Hive!

A woman in an elegant, moon-white long dress stood quietly before the rift.

Her figure was graceful, her face exquisitely beautiful, yet her demeanor was like ten thousand years of cold ice, keeping everyone at a distance.

It was Yue Li, the Epic-level powerhouse who had instantly killed the Dark Mage with her Breaking Space Domain in Modu Binjiang earlier.

She did not immediately step into the rift; her delicate brows were slightly furrowed, and a hint of surprise flashed in her clear, cold eyes.

"Oh?"

She clearly perceived that within the vast, foul, and endlessly malicious Void Insect Hive domain ahead, an energy conflict of unimaginable intensity was erupting!

A wild, chaotic energy, carrying a primal instinct to devour, was fiercely clashing and tearing at the core power of the Void Insect Hive!

What surprised her even more was that the essence of one of the energy fluctuations, though far inferior to her in intensity, carried a clear imprint of rules belonging to an Epic-level powerhouse!

Although the imprint was still very nascent, even somewhat chaotic and mixed, it was indeed a manifestation of power that transcended rules, forming a rule domain!

"When did Longguo produce another newly advanced Epic?"

Thoughts raced through Yue Li's mind.

The birth of every Epic-level powerhouse was never a small matter, especially at this critical juncture of a great calamity.

She was familiar with the auras of the old powerhouses she knew; this power, however, was completely alien.

"Could it be a disciple secretly cultivated by some old monster breaking through at this moment? Or… is there a new hidden legacy emerging?"

Intense curiosity overcame the sense of disgust brought by the insect hive itself.

Yue Li no longer hesitated; she took a step, her figure merging like water waves into the viscous, foul entrance of the rift.

The moment she entered the Void Insect Hive, a terrifying mental tidal wave, capable of instantly collapsing a Transcendent's mind and tearing their soul to shreds, surged forth.

However, around Yue Li, an invisible Breaking Space Domain, as if composed of countless minute spatial fault lines, naturally unfolded.

The distorted mental shockwaves collided with this domain like hitting the smoothest mirror; most were directly refracted and deflected, while the few that penetrated were weakened and sliced layer by layer, ultimately dissipating into harmless ripples.

Yue Li ignored this environment that could drive Transcendent to despair; her gaze instantly locked onto the earth-shattering battle in the core area of the insect hive.

The sight before her, even with her thousand years of cultivation and composure, caused her to pause slightly, and a rare trace of astonishment flickered in her cold eyes.

At the center of the battlefield was the massive, bloated Void Insect Mother, radiating a nauseating Epic-level pressure.

Its enormous head, composed of countless compound eyes, now flickered with a light interwoven with frenzy and pain.

Innumerable thick tentacles, oozing viscous energy fluid, thrashed wildly, each strike carrying the power to tear space.

At the same time, the entire insect hive's mental pollution was concentrated and mobilized by it, like a tangible black tide, impacting its enemy wave after wave….