Chapter 1 Hong Zhong

Hong Zhong could indeed be considered a "hero." Each trip into the maze meant immense danger, and the elite team he led had explored the perilous Old World several times.

Each time, they had reaped significant rewards.

But this time, after the mission ended,

Fort Kǔ was subjecting him to mandatory "surveillance measures."

For the Second Team of the Survey Corps, this was incomprehensible and intolerable, and conflicts had erupted between the two sides.

A total of eighteen transcendents from the White Lizard Survey Team stood before the sickroom.

Yuan Yuan, hands on his blades, emanated a powerful transcendent aura...

This aura brought a sense of threat to Gu Shen.

The "vertical pupil" between Gu Shen's eyebrows flickered faintly. Suppressed by the Fighting Golden Hoop, it did not fully open, only a slight slit. After sensing the approximate range of the opponent's strength at close range, the burning fire calmed down again.

This should be a Fourth Stage transcendent.

Zou Hai, extremely tall, stepped forward slowly.

His voice was no longer gentle.

"Lord Lin Lin has already spoken with your captain... Once the mental assessment results are out, and there are no abnormalities, you can take him away at any time."

Zou Hai also released his transcendent aura.

However, unlike Yuan Yuan,

his aura spread out, enveloping the soldiers behind him.

The power of two Fourth Stage transcendents collided invisibly in the air, vaguely forming a "domain"!

Gu Shen silently took a step back.

This was a clash between internal factions in the Northern Continent... He didn't want to get involved. But the relationship between the Survey Corps and the fort seemed less harmonious than he had imagined.

"The several great generals of the Northern Continent each hold the supreme authority of a legion... Theoretically, they don't need to heed anyone else's will, except for Her Majesty the Queen's decree."

Chu Ling also observed this scene through Gu Shen's "first-person perspective."

She analyzed while enjoying the spectacle, "And the Survey Corps is a special entity. The commander of the Survey Corps has not yet been promoted to 'Great General.'"

"The commander of the Survey Corps... isn't it the White Lizard Great General?"

Gu Shen was somewhat puzzled.

The Yuan Yuan before him wore the White Lizard epaulette and was already the vice-captain of the Second Team.

"The commander of the Survey Corps is a woman. Her records are completely confidential. She is responsible for commanding the survey missions on the entire right and left wings of the fort. The entire Federation is unaware of her information, only knowing that she is a strategist."

Chu Ling said softly, "The Northern Continent has completely hidden her identity. This seems to be the Queen's intention, and due to this special arrangement, the internal forces of the Survey Corps have to be supplemented from the ranks of the Rust Bones, White Lizard, and Silver Fox... these three great generals."

"So... many of the elite transcendents of the Survey Corps are drawn from the forces of those three great generals."

Gu Shen vaguely understood.

The Survey Corps, the most dangerous legion in the Northern Continent, without exception.

It lost the majority of its transcendents beyond the Great Wall every year... Because of this, the legion's ability to attract transcendents had declined year by year, and each survey mission had to be meticulously planned.

Having the three great generals as a backing was essential to have the confidence to leave the Great Wall.

"Yes... precisely because the commander of the legion has not been promoted to 'Great General,' even the elite teams led and controlled by her cannot wear 'special epaulettes.' These trump card teams all wear the epaulettes of the legions they originated from."

So... Yuan Yuan wore the White Lizard on his shoulder!

He was a transcendent who came from the White Lizard Great General's command!

"Then, whose orders do they follow?"

"Upon entering the Survey Corps, they naturally follow the orders of the legion commander... However, since they once served under the great generals, they cannot refuse if the great generals directly issue orders. But that legion commander seems to have reached an agreement with the three great generals. Currently, there have been no conflicting orders within the Survey Corps."

Chu Ling paused, and then said, "And the forts on the Northern Continent's border are different from the legions."

"Each fort stronghold located on the right-wing border has independent decision-making power and only needs to accept the Queen's leadership. This is a far too long battlefront... The strength of the three great generals alone cannot cover the entire border. The power structure of the leaders of these forts is much more complex. According to the Deep Sea database, the power holders of the Northern Continent's forts include the royal family of Central City, the four dukes, and the old guard stationed here with illustrious war records before the change of emperors."

"Lin Lin... the ability to be stationed at Kǔ Fort with this surname..."

Gu Shen said silently in his heart,

"There is a high probability that he is from the so-called royal family of Central City."

He had seen it from the moment he landed. Brigadier General Lin Lin had very strong backing; he didn't seem to need to give face even to the Apostle.

This was Kǔ Fort, the most prominent area of the right-wing arch!

Any seemingly insignificant crisis could be amplified into a disaster!

Lin Lin did need to have this kind of "power," after all, this important throat fortress could face a sudden "order collapse" situation at any time.

……

……

Two transcendent forces collided in the air.

Just as these two forces were about to form a "domain,"

"Brigadier General!"

A low voice sounded... The crowd dispersed.

Lin Lin walked out from the rear of the crowd, expressionless. He gently extended his palm, signaling his soldiers to retreat.

And this extremely relaxed action...

stirred the power in the void!

With a "tearing" sound—

an extremely light sound of tearing the air rang out!

Yuan Yuan, hands on his double blades, had a slight change in expression. The blade domain he had already condensed was instantly torn open, and the next moment, the man in front of him seemed to have surging waves emerging, like the sea.

Yuan Yuan's pupils shrank.

He looked at this young garrison commander who was a few years younger than him. This was actually his first meeting with Lin Lin... Brigadier General Lin Lin of Kǔ Fort, this young man with a mysterious record, had a reputation that shook the Northern Continent.

In recent years, Lin Lin, who was stationed at Kǔ Fort and had a rapid promotion speed, had already conquered most of the transcendents of the Survey Corps with his strength, but there were always people who were not convinced.

Yuan Yuan was one of them.

He had always wanted to come to Kǔ Fort to see if this rumored "young man" who was not even thirty years old was truly qualified to sit in the position of the fort's garrison commander.

Now... he had seen it!

Just a wave of his hand, and he had torn his "domain" apart?!

Yuan Yuan subconsciously drew his double blades. He seemed to feel the other party's vast mental power surging like a sea wave, as if it wanted to press him down until he knelt in submission before it would give up.

And at this moment, his reaction was not to retreat, but to advance.

This was the bloody instinct etched in the bones of every warrior!

He who draws his sword in a narrow encounter wins!

Better to die in battle than to kneel in submission!

"Boom!"

At this moment, Zou Hai's expression suddenly changed.

That already ferocious face instantly became even more hideous.

He dared to draw his sword against the Brigadier General?!

Just as his huge body was about to move, a wisp of subtle electric arc exploded. Lin Lin reached out and made a slight pressing motion, and Zou Hai's body was pressed in place.

Zou Hai was stunned... This was Lord Lin Lin's intention, to let him stand still and not act.

The Brigadier General was going to... take action himself!

With a "whoosh" sound,

the distance between the two was not far. The moment the two domains shattered, Yuan Yuan's body turned into a streak of arc light. The sound of the two long blades being drawn was extremely rough, like a vast river. After his toes touched the ground, he directly slashed at Lin Lin.

The two blade stances were extremely terrifying,

like a great river draped down,

directly slashing at Lin Lin's shoulders!

Lin Lin raised his head. From beginning to end, his pace was very slow, walking out from the crowd calmly, walking behind Zou Hai, and then walking in front of Yuan Yuan... At this moment, he stopped.

The double blades, wrapped in fierce qi, exploded on his shoulders.

Gu Shen, who was extremely close, watched this scene with bated breath. The burning fire opened a tiny slit, spinning around...

In an extremely brief moment,

Lin Lin's not-tall body exploded into a blurred phantom. He stood still, not moving a step. As the wind rose and fell, the terrifying blade stance that had locked onto his aura completely missed.

A light upward knee strike.

"Bang!"

Yuan Yuan flew out, his back hitting the ceiling, coughing up a large mouthful of blood.

He didn't see Lin Lin's movements at all, let alone understand how the other party had dodged his blade...

But Gu Shen saw it all clearly.

"It's Perfect Flash... a very proficient Perfect Flash..."

The vertical pupil between Gu Shen's eyebrows slowly closed.

He had a new understanding of Lin Lin's strength.

This young brigadier general with a mysterious record was quite strong in personal strength. This should be a close-combat expert in physical skills comparable to Song Ci.

As expected of the garrison commander of Kǔ Fort.

Lin Lin... was fully capable of taking on this position.

The vice-captain of that Survey Corps Second Team had already comprehended his own domain, but in Lin Lin's hands, he couldn't even withstand a single move.

It wasn't that Yuan Yuan was weak,

but that Lin Lin was too strong.

With a "thud," Yuan Yuan fell to the ground, his expression pale. Several of his Survey Corps comrades wanted to step forward to help him, but he refused with a wave of his hand. The Second Team vice-captain took a difficult breath, leaned against the wall, and stood up. He wiped the blood from the corner of his lips.

Yuan Yuan took a few deep breaths.

He covered his lower abdomen... The pain here had almost dissipated.

He knew that this was the result of Lin Lin showing mercy. That knee strike just gave him a small lesson, otherwise he might have shattered this floor and been embedded in the second floor.

"Daring to draw your sword against me is commendable for your courage."

Lin Lin looked at the man who had stood up again and said calmly, encouraging him, "However, your strength is far too lacking. If you were facing a real enemy, you wouldn't have the chance to stand up."

Yuan Yuan gritted his teeth.

"Under the Brigadier General's command, no matter the outcome, at least... we won't abandon our comrades, let alone treat returning heroes like this!"

He looked at the room locked up by the sealed objects.

The withered man lay sickly within.

"...Hero."

Lin Lin said calmly, "Is he?"

Yuan Yuan was stunned, veins bulging on his forehead.

He suddenly reached out and punched the wall, loudly questioning, "Hong Zhong and I are comrades-in-arms of many years, fighting side by side in the Survey Corps. He brought back news of the Oasis. Isn't such a person worthy of being considered a hero?"

"Everyone in the Survey Corps has seen that image!"

"A man whose spirit is weakened to the extreme, after dedicating all his blood, is still locked in the fortress, undergoing a Mental Assessment... What kind of bullshit rules are these..."

Yuan Yuan's voice was hoarse as he said, "Can his condition really withstand the assessment?"

A silence.

The eighteen transcendents of the Survey Corps, wearing snow-white linen robes, silently looked at the nearly hundred soldiers of Kǔ Fort opposite them.

Both sides were silent.

The matter of Hong Zhong was known throughout the Northern Continent's border, not just the Second Team of the Survey Corps.

Everyone, the Kǔ Fort, the Central City nobles, and the three great generals... All the transcendents on the soil of the Northern Continent were paying attention to the latest progress of this event, waiting for news of the "Oasis."

And this case was not confidential; every transcendent could see Hong Zhong's mental state.

This was a person who had burned everything.

From all the clues currently displayed in the file... he was indeed a hero.

Deservedly so.

So, after learning about the Maze Mission, some people in Central City on the Northern Continent expressed dissatisfaction with the military's actions, and some people posted protests on the Deep Sea forum. Originally, these waves of public opinion were nothing, but as time went on, they intensified, forming considerable pressure.

The returnee was in too poor a mental state and was not suitable for an assessment. The best way to handle it was to wait quietly.

So, it could only be dragged on like this, forming such a repetitive vicious cycle.

"Have you finished?"

Lin Lin said softly, "If you're done, then please leave."

Yuan Yuan fell into silence.

Actually, before setting off, he had guessed that this was the only answer he and his party could get at Kǔ Fort.

Those accompanying transcendents of the Survey Corps were taken away from this place.

And Yuan Yuan was taken by Zou Hai to the observation room next door. Zou Hai's voice was no longer as cold as before, but had returned to its gentle tone: "Wait a little longer... Once the assessment results are out, you can take him away at any time."

Yuan Yuan lowered his eyes, saying nothing.

On the other side,

the mental transcendents of Kǔ Fort had taken their positions... Mental assessments didn't actually require very powerful skills; it was a spell that any mental-type transcendent could master.

The biggest characteristic of this spell was that it consumed the mental energy of both sides.

This also led to the fact that the level of the mental assessor had to be higher than that of the assessee... otherwise, the assessment results would be meaningless.

The man lying on the hospital bed was in extremely poor condition.

His consciousness was very scattered,

like a lost person wandering in a dream.

Wakefulness and illusion were out of control.

The treatment sealed object beside the bed constantly emitted a glow. The mental-type transcendent responsible for the assessment waited quietly. He was an experienced veteran.

All that was needed now was... to wait for Hong Zhong to open his eyes,

and then hypnotize him, and enter the dream together.

The instrument measuring vital signs steadily pulsed with curves. Under the illumination of the sealed object's glow, Hong Zhong slowly woke up.

The transcendent cast an inquiring glance toward the observation room.

Lin Lin nodded, as if issuing an order.

"Let the mental assessment test... begin."

The moment Hong Zhong opened his eyes, his consciousness was a chaos. He subconsciously recalled something important... Before he could report the success of the Maze Mission for the third time, he saw a warm glow.

That glow was as gentle as a mother's embrace.

At this moment,

his face, which was about to become anxious, slowly softened, and his facial muscles also relaxed.

He was being hypnotized.

"This mental-type transcendent's methods are very experienced." Gu Shen silently observed and whispered in his heart, "This way of entering the dream is very gentle..."

"But the situation is not good."

Chu Ling said calmly, "Hong Zhong's vital signs are fluctuating."

The instrument's stable curves were fluctuating.

Looking at the instrument, the mental-type transcendent was a little nervous.

Although it was the easiest assessment, it still required some mental energy... This assessment was the same no matter who did it, but he was always worried about accidents, until he saw the approving gaze from the Brigadier General in the observation room, and then he regained his composure.

"You are now in a warm sea, in the embrace of light. Don't be nervous, don't be afraid, relax..."

The guiding voice containing gentle spirits blossomed in the ward.

Hong Zhong's painful expression also slowly softened.

The life instrument returned to stability.

The mental assessor breathed a sigh of relief. He said softly, "Hong Zhong, you can let go of all your worries and speak your mind, what you saw, what you heard... What did you encounter in Maze Thirty-Eight?"

This was the news that the Northern Continent military was most concerned about!

What exactly did Hong Zhong and that elite team encounter?

"I..."

"I saw, the sky full of light, the melting frozen snow, I saw... the Oasis..."

The moment these words were spoken, Yuan Yuan's eyes lit up.

It was impossible to lie under hypnosis... This meant that the "Oasis" in Hong Zhong's mouth was not fabricated!

"Anything else?"

The mental assessor slowly guided him.

"And..."

Hong Zhong was stunned.

His voice became trembling, and his emotions began to get agitated, "I also saw... them..."

"Them?"

The mental assessor asked softly, "Who are they..."

The instrument's curves began to fluctuate.

"Something's not right."

Gu Shen frowned. The files showed that the spirits of the entire elite team were shattered, and after Hong Zhong returned, he also had a "fake death" phenomenon. This phenomenon of mental fake death, which could hide from the Book of Life and Death, generally did not cause changes in vital signs. This was also why Kǔ Fort insisted on doing a mental assessment. In recent days, Hong Zhong's life instrument curves had been smooth.

And this time,

during the mental assessment, Hong Zhong's life aura fluctuated.

"Lao Yao, Yuan Zi..."

Hong Zhong's voice was hoarse as he spoke the names of "them." These were the names of teammates in the elite team...

His eyes became moist, and muddy tears flowed down.

"I... I... I'm sorry to them..."

The Second Team of the Survey Corps, the elite team of the Maze Mission, had a total of six people, five of whom died.

Only he returned.

This was a survivor's miracle, but also a heart-wrenching elegy.

The instrument's curves began to fluctuate. The mental assessor was a little anxious. He sped up his pace. There were still many questions to be asked in this assessment: "How did you complete the return? What exactly did the team encounter..."

"Di di!"

"Di di di!"

The instrument issued an alarm sound.

The emaciated man lying on the bed slowly moved his head. He lay on his side and looked at the mental assessor.

Hong Zhong's eyes bulged, like snake pupils.

The man breathed his last breath.

"I'm sorry to them."

On the instrument, the life curve that had begun to fluctuate violently in just a few seconds,

completely went to zero at this moment.