129: Chapter 129 Five thousand defenders are in position, the guild war begins!

The strategic plan was finalized, and the meeting concluded.

Chen You didn't waste any more words; he re-entered the Source Realm and went to the training room.

"All units, attention! All personnel in the White Jade Capital area are to immediately execute the evacuation plan. Repeat, execute immediately!"

As the Command Center issued the order, the Qinling Valley in the real world quickly fell silent.

Research personnel and logistics troops boarded the transport vehicles in an orderly fashion and swiftly departed the blockade zone.

The valley was once again shrouded in mist, leaving behind only the armed clusters resembling a torrent of steel, hidden on the periphery.

And that Immortal City—the White Jade Capital—which loomed faintly in the mist, seeming not to belong to this world.

Time passed in silence. Only six hours remained until the Guild Hegemony War commenced.

A bus bearing a special license plate slowly drove into the Qinling Command Center after passing through several checkpoints for verification.

The door hissed slightly as it depressurized and slowly opened.

A dozen figures successively stepped off the bus.

They were all very young; the oldest was barely twenty-five or twenty-six, and the youngest still carried a trace of unspent immaturity, looking under twenty.

This group possessed a mixture of two entirely different auras.

Some stood ramrod straight, their gazes sharp, carrying the unique competence and discipline of soldiers in their movements.

The other portion had refined temperaments, their eyes glittering with the curiosity and critical thinking belonging to scholars.

These were the first batch of candidates for the dragon scale project, who had been filtered through the entire military and all major top-tier academies before finally standing out.

"Maintain formation and await orders on the spot!"

A Lieutenant Colonel leading the group ordered in a low voice, but a trace of irrepressible tremor could be heard in his tone.

Everyone subconsciously held their breath.

Just ahead of them, in the distant valley, the sea of clouds churned.

A magnificent city, one that defied explanation by any known architectural theory, stood quietly there.

The entire city seemed like a living organism, breathing slowly, inhaling and exhaling the clouds and mist between heaven and earth.

Even just looking at it from afar, a sense of insignificance and awe originating from life's instinct arose spontaneously.

"This... this is the 'White Jade Capital'?"

A young girl with black-rimmed glasses and a calm demeanor murmured to herself, her voice filled with unbelievable shock.

Her name was Lin Miao, and she was, in fact, a favored disciple of Academician Qian Zhonghua.

In her world, everything could be interpreted through formulas and data.

But the city before her surpassed all her perceptions.

"Immortal City!"

A burly young soldier with a resolute, chiseled face roared.

Compared to his appearance, his name was rather poetic.

He was Mu Xi, hailing from the most elite special warfare brigade, and the consecutive champion of the entire military's martial arts competition for three terms.

His will was like steel, but at this moment, his tightly clenched fists exposed his profound inner unrest.

As a soldier, he was taught to trust the steel rifle in his hands and the artillery fire behind him.

But that city... made him waver in his reliance on the power he usually depended on for the first time.

The doors of the Command Center opened, and Director Li Guoan, Zhang Yunhai, and others walked out, their expressions equally solemn.

All the candidates instantly snapped to attention, their gazes uniformly fixed on these legendary figures.

Director Li Guoan's gaze slowly swept over every young face.

His eyes held an emotion too complex to describe in words.

There was anticipation, scrutiny, and a weight as heavy as a mountain.

Originally, he had planned to have these people come only after the Guild Hegemony War concluded.

But Director Li Guoan felt this was a rare opportunity to 'broaden their horizons,' so he arranged it in advance.

"I presume you already know why you are standing here."

Director Li Guoan's voice was not loud, but it was still clearly audible in the mountain wind.

"Before you lies an unprecedented opportunity, as well as a responsibility heavy enough to crush anyone."

He did not offer any rousing speeches, nor did he paint any vague, grandiose pictures.

"That cultivation technique—Purple Heart Seven Scenes—is the sole credential that allows you to stand here."

"But this is only the beginning."

Director Li Guoan's tone suddenly grew heavier, carrying an unquestionable majesty.

"You are the first batch, the pathfinders, the kindling."

"Every single one of you may become the pillar supporting the huaxia civilization in the future."

"Therefore, I will not waste time telling you 'don't feel pressure' nonsense."

"I require you to convert that pressure into motivation, and transform that confusion into a sharp blade!"

"From today forward, you have only one task—cultivate! Become true transcendent beings at any cost!"

"The future of huaxia rests upon your shoulders!"

"Do you understand?!"

"We understand!"

Mu Xi, Lin Miao, and all the candidates responded with the full strength of their bodies, their voices shaking the heavens.

Their eyes no longer held confusion or shock, only the blazing fire of 'mission' that had been ignited.

...

Time flowed in extreme silence.

Six hours.

Three hours.

One hour.

When only the last ten minutes remained before the Guild Hegemony War began.

In the Source Realm, within the Supreme Tower's training room,

Chen You, who had been sitting cross-legged, slowly opened his eyes.

His aura was even more concentrated than before he went into seclusion. The spiritual energy of the fifth layer of Qi Refining surged through his meridians like a great river, flowing ceaselessly. Every movement carried a flavor of effortless harmony.

"I will definitely win."

Chen You murmured to himself.

He could accept tactical failure, but he could not accept the first appearance of 'Immortal Summer' ending in a rout.

Huaxia's face must not be lost.

He took a deep breath, his figure vanishing from the training room, and then teleported directly into the Guild territory.

Instantly, a contradictory aura, weaving together killing intent and tranquility, rushed toward him.

The streets paved with white jade were smooth as mirrors, reflecting the faint, indifferent light of the sky.

The ornate pavilions and jade structures on both sides stood silently, their upturned eaves and dougong brackets pointing toward the firmament, like a solidified epic.

The sound of the wind echoed through the empty city, wailing, carrying the oppression of an impending mountain storm.

Chen You's figure appeared in the central square.

Where the pedestal originally stood, a projection of a pedestal tens of meters high had appeared—this was the objective of the Guild War.

Before him lay a black forest of steel.

One thousand well-equipped defending soldiers stood rigidly at attention, arranged in columns of ten and formations of one hundred, perfectly uniform.

They were clad in Dark Iron Heavy Armor, holding standard-issue long spears. Their face masks concealed all expression, leaving only pairs of eyes devoid of fluctuation, quietly gazing forward.

Not a sound, not a single superfluous movement.

They seemed not to be flesh and blood, but war machines cast from the coldest steel and the strictest discipline.

Besides the central square, behind the four city gates—East, South, West, and North—one thousand defending soldiers also stood ready.

Five thousand defenders formed the first and sturdiest line of defense for the White Jade Capital.

In the real world, at the Qinling Command Center,

The atmosphere was suppressed to the extreme.

On the huge main screen, Chen You's figure and an overhead view of the entire White Jade Capital were clearly displayed.

"All personnel in the White Jade Capital area have been withdrawn beyond the safety perimeter."

"Drone reconnaissance formations are in position."

In front of the Command Center, in the open area that originally faced the White Jade Capital valley, a massive transparent panel, ten meters high and several hundred meters wide, had silently risen at some point.

It was like an absolutely smooth mirror, perfectly concealing all the buildings, personnel, and lights of the Command Center.

Viewed from the direction of the White Jade Capital, there was only the continuous mountain range of the Qinling Mountains and the swirling mist.

"Is this the 'One-Way Optical Concealment Matrix' that Elder Qian and the others rushed to create overnight?"

In the observation area, Lin Miao adjusted her black-rimmed glasses, her eyes filled with shock.

She knew clearly that manufacturing such a huge concealment device that could perfectly integrate with the environment without causing any optical distortion or energy leakage was a task almost impossible to complete with existing technology.

"This is not the 'technology' in our understanding."

A white-haired materials expert shook his head and explained in a hoarse voice.

"This is the product of 'reverse engineering' after analyzing Source Realm materials. We are merely movers, not creators."

"Three minutes remaining."

Zhang Yunhai glanced at the countdown. His voice was not loud, but it made everyone's hearts tighten.

Director Li Guoan stood before the main screen, hands clasped behind his back, like a steadfast rock.

No one knew what he was thinking.

In the hall, only the humming of the operating instruments and the suppressed breathing of the crowd remained.

One minute.

Thirty seconds.

Ten seconds.

"Five!"

"Four!"

"Three!"

"Two!"

"One!"

The moment the countdown reached zero!

[World Announcement: The 'Guild Hegemony War' officially begins!]

A blood-red announcement appeared in the sight of every Adventurer in the Source Realm.