41: Dongfeng Express, always on the mission!

In an open space ten kilometers away from the valley, a mobile command vehicle, several tens of meters long, was parked.

Inside the vehicle, a large screen was broadcasting live footage of the valley via a high-altitude drone.

The black strange stone no longer looked as it did before.

Abyssal and ominous energy was gushing out from the cracks, blackening the surrounding air.

What was most chilling was a claw that had already emerged from it, covered in black scales and emitting a sulfurous smell!

Every movement of it seemed to tear at space.

"Energy response... has stabilized at B-rank Expert peak, and is breaking through to A-rank Monarch-level!"

A technician's voice trembled uncontrollably.

Captain Qin Zhan's face was grim.

He no longer looked at the screen, but walked to the independent communication area at the rear of the command vehicle and personally operated the communication equipment.

After a series of complex identity verifications and encryption procedures, the line connected.

"This is the Sharp Sword Task Force, Captain Qin Zhan."

He took a deep breath, his voice steady.

"My team in Jiangcheng's Black Stone Town mission area has encountered a 'Cult of the Abyss' blood sacrifice ritual; the target is about to break through to A-rank Monarch-level, the situation is extremely urgent!"

"I hereby request to invoke the highest firepower authority in the war zone!"

From the other end of the communication came an equally calm, but slightly authoritative voice.

"Captain Qin, do you know what you're saying? The highest firepower authority requires joint approval from three A-rank commissioners of the General Bureau!"

"I have on-site authorization!"

Captain Qin Zhan didn't waste words and directly reported Lin Yuan's authorization code.

"Authorization code: Aa."

As his voice fell, the other end of the communication fell silent.

"Hiss... hiss..."

One second.

Five seconds.

Ten seconds.

Cold sweat had already seeped from Captain Qin Zhan's forehead, dripping down his cheeks onto his collar.

He could imagine how shocked the other party must be at this moment.

Finally, that voice sounded again.

"...Authorization confirmed."

"State your request."

"Requesting to deploy 'Dongfeng-5C' Tactical Psionic Missile!" Captain Qin Zhan practically roared!

"What?!"

"Target coordinates..."

Just as Captain Qin Zhan was about to report the valley coordinates, Lin Yuan's voice suddenly cut in.

He had walked behind Captain Qin Zhan at some unknown point.

"A slight addition."

Lin Yuan said calmly into the communicator.

"The warhead model should be 'Purification Type III', single warhead."

He paused, as if reminding a colleague prone to making mistakes.

"Don't use the wrong one; if you switch to the 'Annihilation' or 'Divine Punishment' series, those things are too powerful, and I'm afraid we might accidentally get taken out along with it."

Captain Qin Zhan: "..."

The other end of the communication: "..."

The other Sharp Sword agents in the vehicle: "..."

At this moment, everyone looked at Lin Yuan as if he were a monster.

Are you... ordering food?

And specifying the flavor?!

Eventually, the voice from the other end of the communication broke the awkward silence.

"...Request... approved."

...A distant, secret launch base, location unknown.

The alloy dome gradually opened, revealing the launch silo below.

A missile, entirely silver-white, dozens of meters long, its surface covered with golden mysterious runes, slowly rose from the silo.

"Boom—!"

Accompanied by a deafening roar, blue flames erupted from the missile's base, propelling its body to pierce through the clouds and disappear into the sky.

The next second, it entered its predetermined orbit, beginning its ultra-high-speed cruise towards Black Stone Town... inside the mobile command vehicle.

The main screen had already switched to the missile's flight trajectory map.

A red light dot was traversing mountains and rivers on the map at a terrifying speed.

Next to it, a countdown was steadily ticking.

"Estimated impact time: 180 seconds"

"179"

"178"

Captain Qin Zhan stared intently at the screen, sweat beads on his temples tracing down his cheeks, dripping onto his collar.

He had been a soldier for half his life, executing countless life-or-death missions.

But never once had he been this nervous.

This wasn't a battle.

This was a race against Death!

Su Wanqing had unconsciously clenched her fists until they were white.

Her gaze shifted back and forth between the screen and Lin Yuan's profile.

This guy... he actually went through with it...

However, Lin Yuan, the "mastermind," made a move that baffled everyone.

He didn't look at the countdown that would decide their fate, but instead stared intently at another screen.

That was the real-time monitoring footage from the frontline drone.

He watched the pulsating heart and the demonic claw that had emerged.

It wasn't accumulating power to launch an attack.

Instead, it was frantically gathering energy, like a drill, furiously boring into a specific point in front of it!

Data displayed on the screen showed that the spatial parameters at that point were fluctuating violently!

That was a weak point in space!

It was tearing open a rift to the abyss!

It was going to escape!

"Thump!"

Lin Yuan suddenly looked up, his eyes wide!

At this moment, only the last ten seconds remained on the screen's countdown!

"10"

"09"

"08"

"Correct coordinates!"

Lin Yuan snatched the communicator from Captain Qin Zhan's front and roared into it!

"The target isn't that broken stone!"

"It's the spatial node thirty meters in front of it! It's trying to escape!"

What?!

Captain Qin Zhan didn't hesitate, nor did he voice a single doubt!

At this moment, the B-rank Expert's combat instinct overrode all rationality!

His fingers frantically tapped on the control terminal!

The new coordinates were instantly entered and uploaded!

"Coordinates corrected successfully!"

Almost as soon as he shouted.

High in the distant sky, the silver-white warhead, which had already re-entered the atmosphere, screaming down with an aura of destruction, its trajectory made an imperceptible... shift.

"03"

"02"

"01"

"00"

The warhead hit.

It made no sound.

Like a meteor, it plunged into the void... in front of that giant demonic claw.

Time seemed to stand still at this moment.

Then, a pure white sun slowly rose in the valley.

The light enveloped the entire valley; all abyssal energy, upon contact with the light, gradually decomposed, evaporated, annihilated... along with the monarch-level demonic claw that had just emerged halfway, and the pulsating heart.

"Ah—!!!"

A mournful cry exploded deep within everyone's souls.

The cry was filled with unwillingness, pain, and venom.

Then, it abruptly ceased.

The light dispersed.

The world returned to silence.