182: Phantom Sea King

Outside Zhu Lang City, in the wilderness.

The wind carried withered grass, rolling across the parched ground, leaving a rustling echo.

Phantom Sea King stood silently amidst the withered grass, his eyes glowing with a deep blue light.

Before him, a five-person Federal Army reconnaissance team stood rigidly.

Their eyes were hollow, their faces contorted, as if they were struggling against invisible shackles.

"Memory reconstruction..."

Phantom Sea King's icy voice seeped into the wind, his eyes bursting forth with dazzling blue light.

The light transformed into countless tiny threads of light, piercing into the center of their brows.

He was a King-level Expert dispatched by the World Purifying Society headquarters, and his mission was to ensure the success of the operation in Zhu Lang City.

The World Purifying Society's actions had already alerted the surrounding Federal Army, forcing him to act personally.

Temporarily altering their memories and transmitting false information to the Federation would buy time for the operation.

A moment later, the light in Phantom Sea King's eyes gradually faded.

He swayed and vanished into the wilderness... Soon after, the five men slowly regained consciousness.

"What... what happened just now?"

The captain rubbed his throbbing temples, his eyes still somewhat unfocused.

He tried hard to recall, and a 'memory' gradually became clear... "That's right, it was the Gu Family!"

He suddenly widened his eyes, finally remembering the 'incident' that had just occurred.

They had discovered traces of the Gu Family members who were wanted!

Since the disappearance of the space stone ore vein, the Federation had been strictly guarding the Secret Realm exit.

Not only that, they had also dispatched a large number of troops into the Secret Realm for a search and issued a full-scale warrant for all personnel related to the Gu Family.

Yet, they had consistently found nothing.

But just now, he had clearly seen the figures of those Gu Family members.

The Federation had long suspected that these individuals possessed some method to avoid inspection and quietly leave the Secret Realm.

Now, it seemed their suspicions were correct.

"Damn it! They actually slipped away right under our noses!"

A team member slapped his head, his face full of regret.

The other party was extremely fast; they tried their best but couldn't catch up.

"Report it immediately; they can run but they can't hide!"

The captain dialed the contact person's communication... Meanwhile, on the other side.

Outside Zhu Lang City, deep within the dense forest.

A large number of World Purifying Society members were busily working in a tense and orderly manner.

In the center of the clearing, a massive Formation had already appeared.

The Formation was entirely composed of dark red patterns, emitting waves of heart-pounding fluctuations.

Currently, the project had entered its final stage.

Everyone was carefully inlaying Materials into the reserved grooves.

"Hurry! Speed up!"

Black Eye closed his communication and turned to shout at the crowd.

The Hall Master had just sent a communication, his tone extremely stern, demanding that they complete the Formation as quickly as possible.

According to intelligence, the Wave-Chasing Battle Group was on its way back.

Even worse, the Raging Waves Battle Group, affiliated with Vast Sea City, was also moving towards Zhu Lang City.

The surrounding military forces were constantly increasing, and the situation was becoming increasingly grim.

To buy time, the branch had already dispatched all its forces to interfere with the Federation.

But no one knew how long they could hold out... In Vast Sea City, deep within the Gu Family warehouse.

Lin Xingyu and his group's raid was nearing its end.

The once mountainous piles of supplies had been completely emptied, leaving only a mess on the ground.

The vast warehouse now appeared so desolate.

"It ended so quickly..."

Wang Chiyao looked around, still unsatisfied, confirming that everything had been moved.

Pleasant times always passed so quickly; she hadn't had enough fun yet!

"You should be content!"

Wang Ledian clapped the dust from his hands.

Now, various supplies were piled up like mountains in his Inner World.

Boxes of spirit crystals, rare Materials, packaged Medicinal Pills, weapons and equipment.

There were even various rare items and Medicinal Pills... These supplies were enough for them to squander for a long time.

It was just a pity that the most valuable items were carried by the Gu Family Head and not stored in the warehouse.

"Time to go!"

Lin Xingyu took one last look around, confirming there were no omissions.

Immediately, he took out a large number of goblin bombs and scattered them around.

Since they had come all this way, they had to leave a 'return gift' and let the Gu Family hear a bang.

After completing all this, the group disappeared, leaving behind silent, flickering red lights in the darkness... On the other side, inside the Gu Family's guest hall.

After three rounds of drinks, the atmosphere was lively.

Gu Qiyuan and the Second Elder clinked glasses, their faces full of schadenfreude, loudly discussing the Withered Bone Mercenary Group's encounter.

"Haha, that Withered Bone fellow really lost face, being cornered and beaten at home by a bunch of bumpkins. It's truly satisfying!"

The Second Elder's face was flushed, and he drank heartily.

"Hmph, let them show off normally. Now they've hit a wall, haven't they? The Heaven Treading Alliance has King Jin Kai behind it..."

Gu Qiyuan drained his cup, feeling immensely pleased.

He refilled his cup on his own, about to continue.

"Boom!"

A series of dull explosions rang out, causing the entire ground to shake.

The joyous atmosphere in the hall instantly froze.

The smile on the Second Elder's face stiffened, and Gu Qiyuan's wine cup, raised to his lips, paused in mid-air.

"What was that sound?"

Gu Qiyuan frowned, a strong sense of unease suddenly welling up in his heart.

"It seems... it's coming from underground."

The Second Elder tilted his head, his expression changing slightly.

Just then, a pale-faced guard rushed in, trembling as he shouted:

"Family Head, it's bad! The warehouse... the warehouse has been blown up!"

"What?!"

The wine cup in Gu Qiyuan's hand fell to the ground, shattering into pieces.

The underground warehouse, that was a crucial Family stronghold, always strictly forbidden to fire, so how could an explosion occur?

Could it be... a terrifying thought suddenly flashed through his mind.

Could it be the same as with the Withered Bone Mercenary Group?

But, that location was extremely secret, with only one passage leading to it.

He had heavily fortified that passage.

Let alone a person, not even a fly could get in.

As for teleportation, that was even more impossible!

The Gu Family had profound foundations, far from comparable to the Withered Bone Mercenary Group.

The entire underground of the Gu Family was covered by a vast Formation, enough to disrupt the surrounding space.

Even teleportation arrays couldn't function, let alone other teleportation abilities.

Under these circumstances, the other party simply couldn't have gotten in, unless they were cheating!

"Quick! Lock down the entire mansion, don't let anyone escape!"

Gu Qiyuan roared, his figure swaying, rushing out of the banquet hall like a whirlwind, heading towards the warehouse.

The Second Elder and a group of Family members immediately followed.

When they rushed to the warehouse area, the sight before them made everyone gasp in cold air.

On the ground, a shocking large pit had appeared.

Scorched earth and shattered stones were scattered everywhere, and the pungent smell of gunpowder filled the air.

The passage leading to the warehouse had long vanished without a trace.

That alloy door, which was said to be able to withstand the attacks of Marquis-level Expert, was now half-buried in the pit...