74: Chapter 74 The Ocean Aliens: The First Warning Bell!

"This?!"

"What... What kind of monster is this?"

"So ugly!"

"What's happening? Is this a new fierce beast from the Secret Realm?"

"That appearance is quite scary!"

"Tell me about it, it's too terrifying, completely disproportionate!"

"Good heavens! Was that blackout just now meant to show us the debut of a new fierce beast?"

"Actually, if you look closely, the design is quite creative. I just don't know what its combat power is like?"

"Rumor has it that Qingxing City has already activated the Sea Defense Grand Array. That blackout just now and the monster that appeared inside don't seem like something officially arranged!"

"Huh? Is that true? Don't spread rumors!"

...

The terrifying, monstrous appearances of these creatures stunned all the viewers in the live broadcast room.

However, immediately afterward, the uninformed viewers began to discuss the appearance of these sea creatures.

Although some people in the barrage had already noticed some clues about the situation, they were in the minority and were quickly drowned out by the surging barrage.

Meanwhile, on the other side, deep beneath the distant sea.

A strange smile reappeared on the face of that dark silhouette.

"The invasion turned out to be unexpectedly easy."

"It's just a pity. If they had been a step slower in sealing things off over there, I could have sent in some stronger little guys."

"But there isn't even a Transcendent Rank inside, so these are enough."

"Little ones, let humanity see who the true protagonist of this star really is!"

This dark silhouette possessed a powerful aura, and its body stretched for a thousand meters. However, it spoke human language, making it appear exceptionally bizarre.

This dark silhouette was naturally the mastermind behind this invasion.

And it was the target of that golden skyline!

...

"We have news, concerning the Secret Realm..."

"It really was Old Yang's doing deliberately!"

"What exactly does Old Yang want?! Does he know how severe the consequences of this situation could be?!"

"Where is Old Yang? Make him give us an explanation, give these students an accounting!"

"Sigh, Old Yang really shouldn't have done this this time..."

In the conference room, the reason for the Secret Realm's invasion was now clear.

For a moment, continuous scolding erupted from all sides.

But soon, the scolding was interrupted by a solemn and deep voice.

"Enough, stop talking. Old Yang has already gone to the deep sea."

As soon as these words were spoken,

The faces of everyone who had been chattering instantly froze.

"What? Old Yang went to the deep sea? Alone?!"

"Old Yang... Has he really not given up?"

"That guy Old Yang! Isn't him going alone just sending himself to his death?"

"No, we must stop him!"

"Right, give me the coordinates. I'll intercept him right now. Let's see if I can make it in time!"

"If that doesn't work, notify the leadership layer and have the people above find a way to intercept him!"

...

"Alright, it's impossible to catch up. We received a message from the leadership layer. Judging by Old Yang's speed, he should have already broken through that level."

Seeing that the crowd was about to get agitated again, the deep voice spoke once more.

"Therefore, that battle is not one we can interfere with. It's useless for us to worry about whether Old Yang can return alive this time."

"Now, what we need to do is clean up the mess Old Yang left behind."

"Huo Shen, who has arrived at the Tianxiang Secret Realm, sent a message. The situation in the Secret Realm is currently completely sealed—no entry and no exit. We can only conduct simple adjustments to the visuals. Of course, forcibly breaking through is impossible. Under the combined manipulation of Old Yang's Grand Array and the creature in the sea, the space-time within this Secret Realm has reached a delicate balance. If a third force intervenes, the Secret Realm will shatter directly, and all the creatures inside will be annihilated. Old Yang did this so he could track the enemy's coordinates by following their energy without alerting them."

Hearing this,

Those present were both surprised and uneasy.

They were surprised because they never expected Old Yang, who always appeared drunk, to reach that level before all of them.

They were uneasy because such a high-tier combat force showed signs of annihilation right upon arrival, and they seemed completely powerless to handle the mess he left behind.

At this moment, someone asked unwillingly, "So what do we do now? Just watch?"

To this question, the deep voice quickly provided the answer.

"That's right, we can only watch for now. According to Huo Shen's calculation, in three days, the two forces will slowly dissipate, and the Secret Realm will have a brief vacuum period. At that time, all the students can be transferred out. However, the Secret Realm will also shatter then. Huo Shen doesn't need to worry about the beast tide while he's there, but we must have the nearby defense forces control the order of the surrounding residents."

"Oh, and one more thing I'll add: Old Yang's actions were indeed very selfish, but while others may have the right to resent him, none of us here do. Don't forget, if it weren't for Old Yang and Ge Ning, we wouldn't be alive to sit here!"

"If the leadership layer blames us, don't worry. I will be the first to take the blame!"

As the words fell,

The entire conference room fell into a dead silence.

Everyone's expression was grave, feeling choked up, and a hint of reminiscence appeared in their eyes.

There were some past events they preferred not to revisit.

Every time they thought of them, there was only endless indebtedness and deep lingering fear.

...

Outside the Tianxiang Secret Realm.

The examiners, who had been extremely panicked moments ago, were now much calmer, as if they had found their backbone.

And they had indeed found their backbone.

Because one more person had joined their ranks.

The person who arrived was Huo Shen, who had just arrived not long ago!

"Lord Huo Shen, is there anything we can do now?" asked an examiner, frowning after learning the situation inside the Secret Realm.

Huo Shen didn't look at him directly but stared intently at the scene inside the Secret Realm before uttering a single word.

"Wait!"

"But..."

Hearing this answer, the examiner was about to say something more but stopped short.

Since even Huo Shen said so,

This must be the only way right now.

"Then Lord Huo Shen, should we notify the public about this? Many citizens probably still believe this is just a fierce beast scenario we deliberately arranged."

At this point, someone else couldn't help but ask.

In response, Huo Shen waved his hand, "No need. The public isn't foolish. After watching for a while, they will know on their own."

"Notify the people responsible for controlling the Secret Realm's camera feed. Proceed with the Freshman Cup as normal."

"Whether these little ones can survive, and how many survive, depends on their own abilities."

Hearing this arrangement, another examiner lost his composure.

"Show the camera feeds as if it were a normal Freshman Cup? There are quite a few Transcendent Rank beings among these monsters. Won't the footage be too cruel?"

If the students and these sea creatures were evenly matched, proceeding normally would be fine.

But the problem was that these creatures were generally level sixty or seventy, and there were even Transcendent Rank ones mixed in.

Once a fight broke out between the two sides,

The situation would most likely be one-sided.

Huo Shen was silent for a moment regarding this concern before replying:

"Let it be cruel. After being too comfortable for so long, it's time to wake up."

"The future will not be peaceful. Consider this the first warning bell."