172: Fortress of the Immortal

Inside the Professional Association's highest council's teleportation chamber, spatial runes flickered with a dark blue light, and the air was filled with the unique hum of energy transitions.

Lin Feng had changed into an inconspicuous grayish-brown traveler's outfit, and his face was simply disguised to conceal his overly sharp eyes.

Ya Ya had been placed by him into the 'Moonlit Gauze,' a special spatial artifact capable of holding living beings, gifted by Yue Li.

Zhang Xianzong personally activated the teleportation array for him, patting his shoulder with a solemn expression.

"Remember, Lin Feng, in the West, your own safety is paramount. If things go wrong, return to Pagoda Country quickly. According to the intelligence we've gathered, it's highly possible that some factions in the West have already established cooperation with entities from other planes."

Zhang Xianzong's voice was deep and powerful, carrying a heavy entrustment.

"Don't worry, Chairman, I will act as the situation demands."

Lin Feng's gaze pierced through the turbulent energy flow as the teleportation array activated, calm and resolute.

Buzz—!

A strong spatial tearing sensation instantly struck, far more intense than when returning from the Hidden Moon Realm.

Lin Feng steadied his mind, mobilizing the vast Yuan Power within his body to resist this force, which was strong enough to tear apart an ordinary Gold-level.

Light burst forth, and his vision was instantly filled with distorted light and shadows. The next moment, the sensation of solid ground came, but it wasn't hard flagstones, but rather sandy ground with a rough, granular texture.

The dizziness receded, and a completely different aura washed over him.

It was no longer the sad oppression of the Pagoda Country's capital, nor the desolate chill of the Hidden Moon Realm, but a sense of... profound, murderous, epic grandeur, as if soaked through countless years and blood!

Lin Feng steadied himself and looked up.

He was standing inside an unimaginably vast fortress.

Beneath his feet was a dark gray plaza, hard and cold, cast from a mixture of unknown metal and rock.

Around the plaza were city walls that rose like mountains, their surfaces a mottled dark red, as if countless layers of blood had dried and solidified.

Huge metal rivets, shimmering with faint runes, were deeply embedded in the walls, like the scales of a giant beast.

The city walls soared into the clouds; looking up, their tops were almost invisible, and thick clouds hung low, seemingly pressing down on the battlements.

The air was filled with the smell of rust, gunpowder, and an even deeper 'momentum' that had settled from countless powerful individuals who had resided, fought, and even fallen here.

This momentum was as heavy as a mountain, carrying the vicissitudes of history and the cruelty of war, silently oppressing everyone who stepped into this place.

Lin Feng could even vaguely 'hear' that the wind still carried the clang of metal, shouts, and the roars of ancient beasts.

"What a powerful 'field'..."

Lin Feng's heart was awestruck.

Although he had not yet advanced to the Epic-Grade, after spending a few days in the Hidden Moon Realm and studying many ancient texts left by the 'Qi Masters,' his perception had reached an entirely new level.

At this moment, he clearly 'felt' that the fortress itself was like a massive, Epic-Grade artifact nurtured by the wills of countless powerful individuals!

It had endured unimaginably long years and brutal wars, and its internal space seemed to have become exceptionally stable due to this accumulation.

He could even discern that in this area, there were at least three faint yet incredibly pure and powerful aura imprints, like immortal marks, deeply carved into the fortress's foundation and the air—these were the auras of Epic-Grade powerhouses!

They had once garrisoned here, fought here, and even broken through here, integrating their 'Dao' and 'momentum' into this land.

This fortress, in itself, was a living epic!

"Halt! State your identity! Explain your purpose!"

A cold voice, with a metallic friction-like texture, rang out, interrupting Lin Feng's perception.

Two guards, fully covered in heavy dark golden armor, appeared instantly ten paces in front of Lin Feng, as if they had 'grown' out of the city wall's shadows.

Their armor was ancient and ferocious in design, with spikes covering the joints, and their helmets only revealed two lines of sight shimmering with dark blue light.

They held not ordinary spears, but massive halberds emitting strong energy fluctuations and inscribed with complex runes. The tips of the halberds pointed directly at Lin Feng, locking onto him with undisguised, chilling killing intent.

Their auras were heavy and solidified; they were clearly peak Gold-level powerhouses!

The mere fact that the standing guards possessed such strength demonstrated the terrifying foundation of this fortress.

Lin Feng took a deep breath, suppressing the shock brought by the fortress's environment, and presented a black token given by Zhang Xianzong, which was neither gold nor jade and bore a special secret mark of the Pagoda Country Professional Association.

At the same time, he reined in most of his aura, only revealing a fluctuation barely reaching the early Transcendent-level, appearing cautious and low-key.

"Pagoda Country, Lin Feng. By secret order from my country, I need to pass through here to the West. This is my clearance."

Lin Feng's voice was deep and steady, with a hint of fatigue from a long journey.

One of the guards stepped forward, his heavy metal gauntlet taking the token. He carefully sensed it for a moment, his dark blue gaze under the helmet sweeping back and forth between the token and Lin Feng's face several times.

The secret mark on the token was confirmed as correct; it was the highest-level envoy's credential.

The guard was silent for a moment, seemingly confirming the information through some internal method.

Finally, he handed the token back to Lin Feng, his voice still cold, but the targeted killing intent had somewhat receded.

"Token confirmed. Follow me; someone will arrange your 'path'."

The guard turned, his heavy armor clanking, and walked towards a deep, dark passage on one side of the plaza.

Lin Feng followed closely. The passage was dimly lit inside, with rune stones emitting faint light embedded in the walls at regular intervals, illuminating the path beneath, which was also paved with dark red metal.

The heavy, epic feeling in the air grew stronger, as if every step trod upon the dust of history.

There were many branch passages on both sides of the main passage. Faintly, one could hear shouts from training grounds, the roar of forging furnaces, and the low hum of large machinery operating, all indicating the fortress's nature as a massive and precise war machine.

After walking for about fifteen minutes, the guard stopped in front of an inconspicuous, rust-covered, heavy metal door.

He reached out and pressed an unremarkable area beside the door. A slight mechanical whirring sound occurred, and the metal door silently slid open inwards, revealing a downward-sloping staircase. A smell mixed with low-quality tobacco, sweat, and a peculiar spice wafted out.

"Go in and find 'Old Jack.' He'll tell you what to do."

The guard finished speaking, then stood like a statue by the door, saying nothing more.

Lin Feng stepped onto the stairs, and the metal door closed silently behind him.

The stairs extended tens of meters downwards, ending in a brightly lit but somewhat murky underground space.

This place resembled a temporary warehouse combined with a shelter, piled high with various cargo boxes covered by tarpaulins. The air was filled with an atmosphere of tension and unease.

About two dozen people were gathered here, dressed in various ways, but most carried the dust of long journeys and the shrewdness and vigilance characteristic of merchants.

When they saw Lin Feng, a stranger, descend, their gazes instantly focused on him, filled with scrutiny and a hint of imperceptible hostility.

A short, stout old man with a greasy leather apron, sparse gray hair, and a large pipe clenched in his mouth emerged from behind a pile of goods.

He squinted his cloudy but shrewd eyes, sizing Lin Feng up and down, his gaze finally resting on the token in Lin Feng's hand.

"Heh, someone from Old Man Zhang's side?"

The old man's voice was hoarse, with a heavy smoker's rasp.

Lin Feng detected a Transcendent-level Power of Rule aura from this old man; this inconspicuous old man was actually a Transcendent-level who had mastered the Power of Rule!

The old man seemed uninterested in Lin Feng's identity, merely glancing at the token in his hand before beginning his self-introduction.

"I don't care who you are or what your status is. If you want to use our route, you must abide by our rules."

A hint of cunning flashed in Old Jack's cloudy eyes.

"And, to be frank, relations between Pagoda Country and the Tower Country have been very tense these past two days, so even our connections might not be reliable."

"Therefore... if we encounter any trouble along the way, we won't be able to look out for you. Everyone for themselves."