169: Chapter 169 Frontline Base!

Lu Yin shared all the specific details of the divine mission, and everyone's expressions grew increasingly solemn upon hearing them.

Zhao Qianjun repeatedly mulled over this unfamiliar term, his brow tightly furrowed.

The air inside the command center seemed to freeze, with only the faint hum of the holographic projector breaking the silence.

"According to the intelligence we possess..."

Ye Fenghua, Commander pulled up an encrypted file, the dark red top-secret seal particularly striking in the projection.

"There is indeed some kind of core energy source deep within the Wailing Land, but we have never encountered the term 'heart of annihilation'."

Luo Xiu's expression was equally grave, his crimson battle qi flowing between his fingers and letting out subtle explosive pops.

"The heart of annihilation..." The soul fire within his hollow eye sockets flickered violently, as if the name had touched upon some long-buried memories.

"So that legend was true."

Lu Yin keenly sensed the anomaly in Luo Xiu's tone: "Senior, you know of this thing?"

"Thousands of years ago, when I stepped into the depths of the Wailing Land, I once sensed a soul-shuddering fluctuation."

Luo Xiu's voice carried an ancient resonance.

"That fluctuation felt as if it came from the depths of the Nine Serenities; even my battle qi trembled slightly before it."

"At the time, I merely took it for the residual power of some fallen god. Thinking back now..."

"That was very likely the aura emitted by the heart of annihilation."

Chen Yuan sucked in a cold breath: "Even you felt a shudder, Senior?"

"That is a power that transcends the boundaries of life and death."

The soul fire in Luo Xiu's eye sockets suddenly blazed: "I once saw related records in fragments of ancient texts. It is said that the heart of annihilation is the Divinity left behind after the fall of an ancient god."

The conference room fell into total silence, everyone shaken by this startling information.

"Divinity..." Zhao Qianjun murmured.

"If that's truly the case, then the risks of this mission likely far exceed our estimates."

"Indeed. In any case, we should first head to the Neptune frontline base before making further plans."

...

Half a month later, Neptune Frontline Base.

Beneath a massive alloy dome, countless fighter jets swarmed like bees.

The command tower at the center of the base towered into the clouds, the energy core at its peak emitting a faint blue glow.

Lu Yin stood on the observation deck, looking at the distant planet shrouded in blood-colored mist.

Even from thousands of miles away, he could still feel that heart-palpitating aura of a curse.

"This is the Wailing Land?"

Luo Xiu's voice came from behind him. His pale body was exceptionally conspicuous under the base's lights.

Wherever he passed, soldiers saluted him respectfully.

"Yes, Senior," Chen Yuan said, walking over quickly with the latest detection report in hand.

"According to our monitoring, the energy field on the periphery of the Wailing Land has been abnormally active these past few days, and the frequency of spatial rifts has increased threefold."

Lu Yin's brow furrowed slightly: "What does that mean?"

"It means some kind of mutation is occurring within the Wailing Land," a steady voice interjected.

Zhao Qianjun strode over, followed by Ye Fenghua, Commander and an elderly man in a white research lab coat.

"This is the base's chief scientist, Dr. Li Mingyuan."

Zhao Qianjun introduced: "He has been studying the Wailing Land for thirty years."

Li Mingyuan pushed up his glasses, his gaze fixed intently on Luo Xiu.

"Truly incredible... A legendary hero, actually reappearing in the world in such a form."

Luo Xiu's hollow eye sockets turned toward the scientist: "Doctor, what is your insight regarding the mutation in the Wailing Land?"

"We have monitored a sharp rise in energy readings in the core region of the Wailing Land."

Li Mingyuan pulled up a holographic projection, displaying complex data curves.

"This fluctuation pattern is extremely similar to the 'Awakening of Divinity' recorded in the ancient documents I've studied."

"Awakening of Divinity?" Lu Yin's heart stirred.

"Exactly." Li Mingyuan pointed to a violently fluctuating red dot on the projection.

"If the heart of annihilation is indeed the Divinity of some god, then it might be awakening from its slumber."

The crimson battle qi on Luo Xiu's body suddenly fluctuated violently.

"Then what should we do?"

Chen Yuan asked with a frown.

The Wailing Land was already terrifying enough under normal circumstances; now it was becoming even more active.

Entering now would be like walking straight into a tiger's mouth.

"We enter the Wailing Land, of course," Luo Xiu replied.

"Isn't it even more dangerous to enter now?" Chen Yuan asked.

"It is indeed more dangerous, but this is also an opportunity."

The soul fire jumped in Luo Xiu's eyes.

"In the early stages of a Divinity's awakening, a massive amount of energy is released, which temporarily dilutes the curse on the periphery of the Wailing Land."

"If we can seize this energy eruption period to enter, we will actually have more opportunities than usual."

Dr. Li Mingyuan's eyes lit up: "Senior is right! The data shows the energy eruption will reach its peak in 48 hours, at which point the curse concentration will drop by about 4%."

"But this also means..." Lu Yin said thoughtfully, "we only have a very short window of time."

"Correct." Luo Xiu turned to face the blood-colored planet, his battle qi billowing behind him like a cape.

"We must find the heart of annihilation before the energy eruption ends, otherwise, we'll be trapped inside forever."

Zhao Qianjun made an immediate decision: "All units, enter Level 1 combat readiness!"

Piercing alarms echoed throughout the entire Neptune base.

Countless soldiers ran to their posts, mecha units lined up on the aprons, and the energy core let out a deafening roar.

Lu Yin felt the tense atmosphere within the base, and the energy inside his body surged involuntarily.

He looked at Luo Xiu: "Senior, when do we set out?"

Luo Xiu's hollow eye sockets remained fixed on that blood-red land.

"Wait until the moment the energy eruption reaches its peak. At that time, I will use my battle qi to carve a path for you."

Zhao Qianjun walked over to Lu Yin and the others, handing him a silver wristband.

"This is the military's latest developed protective device; it can protect your mental clarity to a certain extent."

"However, it's hard to say how much effect it will have deep within the Wailing Land."

Sensing the technological power and human wisdom contained within, the group solemnly placed them on their wrists.

"In forty-eight hours, the three of us will pilot the aircraft into the Wailing Land."

The forty-eight-hour countdown was like a sword hanging overhead, shrouding the entire Neptune base in a strange atmosphere.

There was both the tension of an impending great battle and a nearly tragic sense of determination.

Deep within the base, the specialized aircraft, dawn, was undergoing final adjustments.

This aircraft, a fusion of humanity's highest technology and partial ancient runes, had sharp lines and a dark silver body.

A faint energy luster flowed across its surface; it was built specifically for this mission, the only spear of hope to pierce into the Wailing Land.

Lu Yin stood before the observation window, performing his final breath regulation.

He could feel the power within him that originated from the divine mission.

It was faintly resonating with some existence deep within the distant Wailing Land, like an invisible string being plucked.

This feeling both made his heart palpitate and made him more determined.