171: Plan to travel west

The light gate swirled, and after a slight dizzying sensation of spatial displacement, Lin Feng returned to the real world with Ya Ya.

The air was no longer filled with the coldness and chaotic energy of the Hidden Moon Realm, but rather an atmosphere mixed with sorrow, solemnity, and heavy oppression.

He had returned to the capital of Dragon Country, and the sight before him made his heart tighten.

Along both sides of the street, the once bustling shops were now mostly shut, with white funeral couplets hanging on their doors and windows.

Pedestrians were few, moving quickly, their faces unable to hide their grief and exhaustion.

In the heart of the city, in front of the Professional Association headquarters building, which symbolized the power and glory of professional practitioners, there was now a sea of people, yet it was unusually quiet, with only low sobs and suppressed sighs echoing in the air.

In the center of the crowd, a massive, new monument made of black profound crystal stone stood tall.

The monument's body gleamed with a cold, hard luster in the sunlight, covered with densely inscribed names.

Lin Feng's gaze was instantly drawn to it. He subconsciously took a few steps forward, peering through gaps in the crowd to make out the large characters at the very top of the inscription.

“Dragon Country's Heroic Souls Live On Forever!”

“Mourning Our Compatriots Who Bravely Sacrificed Themselves in the Void Insect Nest Disaster!”

Names flowed down like cold raindrops, starting from the very top.

From the top-tier Transcendent-rank powerhouses, down to Gold, Silver, Bronze, and even the lowest Black Iron-rank professional practitioners... each name represented a vibrant life, a soul that perished to protect their homeland.

The sheer number of casualties made the huge monument surface seem crowded.

And at the very top, the most conspicuous position on the monument... there, two large characters were clearly carved.

“Lin Feng!”

His name was listed at the forefront of the sacrificed, commemorated with the highest honor.

Clearly, in everyone's eyes, he, a Transcendent who had delved deep into the Void Rift and faced the epic-level Void Insect Mother, had no chance of survival.

This heavy “death certification” left Lin Feng quite speechless!

Yue Li had apparently not informed the Professional Association about taking him to the Hidden Moon Realm, otherwise, his name would not have appeared here.

“Ya Ya, let's go.”

Pushing open the door, the same oppressive atmosphere permeated the hall.

Staff members, dressed in plain clothes, hurried about, their faces etched with fatigue and sorrow.

When Lin Feng appeared in the Professional Association hall with Ya Ya, the entire hall instantly fell into a dead silence.

All eyes focused on him, filled with incredulous astonishment.

A female staff member, who was organizing the list of casualties, suddenly looked up. The documents in her hand scattered to the ground with a rustle. Her mouth hung open, eyes wide, staring fixedly at Lin Feng as if she had seen a ghost.

“Councilman Lin... Lin... Lin?!”

A trembling voice finally broke the silence, filled with extreme shock and ecstasy.

“You're alive?!!!”

This gasp of surprise was like a giant stone thrown into a calm lake, instantly igniting the entire hall.

Gasps, sharp intakes of breath, and incredulous whispers rose and fell.

“It's Councilman Lin! It really is him!”

“Oh my god! He's alive! He's not dead!”

“Quick! Inform President Zhang! Quick!!”

Without needing to be urged, within seconds of Lin Feng stepping into the hall, a powerful and familiar aura appeared before him as if teleported.

President Zhang Xianzong of the Professional Association, this elder who was usually dignified and composed, now had an expression filled with unconcealed excitement and shock, his eyes even a little red.

“Lin Feng!!”

Zhang Xianzong's voice carried a subtle tremor. He stepped forward, grabbing Lin Feng's shoulders firmly with both hands, scrutinizing him up and down as if to confirm whether what he saw was an illusion.

“It really is you! This is wonderful! Absolutely wonderful! I knew you were a tough one!”

He clapped Lin Feng's shoulders forcefully, his excitement evident.

Lin Feng could feel the strength from Zhang Xianzong's palms and his genuine excitement. His heart warmed slightly, but there were more important matters at hand.

He nodded, saying in a deep voice, “President Zhang, it's me. I'm back.”

“However, now is not the time for pleasantries.”

Zhang Xianzong immediately reined in his excitement, his eyes becoming sharp and solemn.

He glanced around. The stunned staff members instantly understood, lowered their heads, and resumed their work, though their peripheral vision couldn't help but steal glances in their direction.

“Let's go, to my office!”

Zhang Xianzong pulled Lin Feng, and with a flash, along with Ya Ya, they instantly vanished from their spot, leaving behind the still-shocked people in the hall.

Inside the President's office, isolated from the outside noise.

Zhang Xianzong set up several soundproofing and protective barriers, his face extremely serious.

“Lin Feng, tell me, what exactly happened in the Insect Nest? And how did you survive? Your... your current aura...”

He keenly sensed the completely different, restrained yet profound and abyssal oppressive feeling emanating from Lin Feng.

Lin Feng did not hide anything, succinctly recounting his experiences in the core of the Insect Nest, the terror of the Void Insect Mother, the truth about the Zu Long Secret Realm's seal being broken, and how Yue Li took him away and his experiences in the Hidden Moon Realm to Zhang Xianzong.

He emphasized the masterminds behind the broken seal—the pawns of the Western forces and the corrupted internal traitors of Dragon Country!

As Lin Feng spoke, Zhang Xianzong's face grew increasingly grim.

Upon hearing that the destruction of the Zu Long Secret Realm's seal was the root cause of the disaster, he slammed his fist on the desk. The hard alloy desktop instantly dented with a clear fist print.

“Bastards!!”

Zhang Xianzong's hair stood on end, his eyes burning with monstrous rage. A terrifying aura belonging to a top-tier Transcendent burst forth uncontrollably, making the air in the entire office seem to solidify.

“Those ungrateful beasts! For personal gain, they dared to collude with foreign enemies and destroy the foundation of my Dragon Country!”

“They caused the deaths of hundreds of thousands of our compatriots! This grudge is irreconcilable!”

His chest heaved violently, clearly enraged to the extreme.

He knew the importance of the Zu Long Secret Realm better than anyone; it was the source of Dragon Country's extraordinary power, the fundamental barrier against foreign enemies!

The destruction of the seal meant that the very foundation of the entire Dragon Country was shaking!

“Elder Yue Li... and the Qi Masters of other secret realms...”

Zhang Xianzong took several deep breaths, forcing himself to calm down, his eyes filled with respect.

“Two thousand years of silent guardianship, these Qi Masters are truly the bedrock of our Dragon Country.”

“Lin Feng, the intelligence you brought back is of immeasurable value!”

His gaze towards Lin Feng became even more complex, with relief, anticipation, and a heavy sense of responsibility.

“Elder Yue Li wants you to consolidate Dragon Country's forces under the name of 'Qi Masters' and root out the internal traitors. This is indeed the most urgent task!”

“Every moment of delay increases the risk of the seal completely collapsing!”

“Those traitors, those Western black hands, must pay the price!”

“President Zhang, this is precisely why I returned.”

Lin Feng's gaze was like a torch, his voice resolute.

“Without eliminating the internal traitors, Dragon Country will never have peace! Repairing the seal will be out of the question!”

“What are your thoughts?”

Zhang Xianzong immediately asked. He knew that Lin Feng had personally experienced all of this and had received guidance from Yue Li, so his ideas were crucial.

Lin Feng pondered for a moment, a cold light flickering in his eyes. A bold and aggressive idea was forming in his mind.

“The enemy is in the dark, we are in the light. Conventional investigation would take too long and easily alert them, possibly even allowing high-ranking traitors to detect and cover up their tracks in advance.”

“We need a two-pronged approach, or even... take the initiative!”

“Oh? Tell me more!”

Zhang Xianzong leaned forward slightly.

“First plan.”

Lin Feng pointed to the map of Dragon Country.

“You will personally be responsible, leading your absolutely trusted confidantes, to secretly launch the highest level of investigation within Dragon Country.”

“Focus on investigating all families, organizations, and individuals who have close ties with Western forces, or whose recent behavior has been abnormal, who control important resources, or who hold key positions.”

“Using the aftermath of this disaster, we might discover some clues.”

“But the operation must be extremely secretive, only for verification, not for arrests. Just identify the targets.”

Zhang Xianzong nodded.

“This plan is sound. I will personally select the most reliable personnel to form the 'Dust Purge' team, starting with a covert screening of the highest levels.”

“Second plan.”

Lin Feng's voice suddenly became cold and filled with killing intent. His finger tapped heavily on the area of the map representing the Western Continent.

“I will execute this!”

“Since one of the roots of the disaster lies with those greedy Western forces, since they dared to extend their hands into the Zu Long Secret Realm, then they must be prepared to be uprooted! I will go directly to the West!”