Sangzhou Hollow.

The base where the Holy City Research Institute was located was in complete chaos.

Everyone was extremely busy.

The north bank of the Sangzhou Hollow's barrier had ruptured. The repair team rushed over immediately, accompanied by a temporary combat squad. Everyone was on high alert. Fortunately, the massive extraordinary creature that had appeared earlier was only a "flash in the pan."

It hasn't appeared a second time yet.

"Has Jipta's body been found yet?"

Captain Vias looked grim. He strode forward and asked in a deep voice, "It's just a request for help... Why hasn't the Council reached a decision yet?"

The high-level extraordinary individuals from the Storm Church were responsible for managing the base in the Holy City.

With the name of Storm, it was destined to be the most powerful church in Southern Continent, without exception.

"Vias, please be mindful of your position and your tone... Step back and maintain a safe distance!"

The Storm Church's resident envoy simply ignored Vias.

They didn't care about the research results of this base at all. They were only responsible for carrying out the Storm God's oracle. With the God Seat not present, the apostle saint issued orders.

Now, the apostle-sama required them to strictly defend the base and not allow the slightest懈怠 (xiè dài - slackness).

"The failure on the north bank barrier... I think it's due to insufficient 'Source Material' supply."

Just then, a mellow and powerful voice rang out.

A member of the Awakening Act research team, wearing a white coat, walked over.

He stepped past Vias and came to the church members, "There were too many 'accidents' last night. 【Deep Sea】upgrade, power grid failure, plus dereliction of duty by the Holy City's extraordinary individuals... So many 'accidents' make it hard not to suspect a man-made coincidence."

"But none of that matters anymore."

"That big guy may have broken through the 'barrier'."

The white-coated man had blond hair and blue eyes, and was tall and sturdy. "Now I'll only ask one question. Will there be any more support? How long will we have to wait? If I don't see any support within three hours, I'll immediately take the 'Holy Cross Research Group' back to Upper City."

The two high-level extraordinary individuals from the Storm Church immediately changed their attitude when they saw this man come forward.

"Respected Mr. Adam, please don't be anxious."

The church had instructed them.

The people here were ranked according to skin color and place of birth... At the top were the specially invited research team members from Central Continent and Western Continent. As for local natives like Vias, who were born in Sangzhou Hollow, even if they were quite strong and had some skills, they weren't worth a second glance.

Adam was a senior researcher sent from Upper City.

Absolutely must not be neglected!

"The World Conference has just ended. 'Support' from other continents is already on the way... But three hours is really too short." One of the church members said sincerely, "The saint is watching 'this place'. Trust us, nothing will happen."

Adam took a deep breath.

He glanced at the time, regained his composure, and was about to return to the interior of the base.

"Excuse me, please make way."

An accent that clearly didn't belong to Southern Continent came from afar.

Outside the base gate, dozens of extraordinary individuals belonging to the Storm Church were stationed, but as this voice rang out, they dispersed, making way for a wide path...

In just a few seconds, someone swaggered to the front of the base gate.

"Sorry, I was in a bit of a hurry. I haven't had time to update my identification information. I'll borrow one of your people to get in."

Gu Shen grabbed a church believer at random, pressed his head against the door, used this person's iris to open the base gate, and then walked in.

The two high-level extraordinary individuals were immediately on high alert, as if facing a great enemy. They turned to draw their swords.

However, the moment they drew their swords, a gaunt and sturdy figure arrived in front of the two bishops in an instant, as if teleporting.

【Iron Eater】 activated!

Shen Li stretched out his hands and placed them on the two battle swords respectively. In an instant, the battle swords turned into molten iron and were completely absorbed by him.

The two bishops wanted to move.

But they were horrified to discover that their feet had been frozen at some point... 青霜 (qīng shuāng - bluish frost) was densely packed, only covering the three-foot area around their feet, but at this moment, it had frozen their calves into ice sculptures!

"Harmony is to be prized. Please, everyone, don't be impulsive."

"Please allow me to give a brief introduction—"

"We are from Eastern Continent, Nagano. My surname is Gu, Gu Shen... Bai Xiu, Shen Li."

Gu Shen patted the white-clothed sleeve beside him, then nudged Shen Li with his chin, and asked with a smile, "The World Conference hasn't ended yet, but we've already set off. Judging from the situation on the ground, we should be the first rescuers to arrive, right?"

"..."

His gaze went past the two high-level church individuals.

He looked directly at Adam and Vias.

Anyone with eyes could see... who was the real "resident" of this base.

The Storm Church was only responsible for providing "Sangzhou Hollow" as a venue. They were not responsible for the real technology and patrols... The reason for not being responsible was, of course, that they didn't care.

It was only when something happened.

That the Holy City had to "pay attention" to it.

These two high-level extraordinary individuals were both at the ninth level of the Deep Sea. It seemed that the order they received was to ensure the absolute integrity of the "base", so that the extraordinary individuals from the four continents wouldn't be in chaos when they took over.

At this moment, Gu Shen's domain had completely controlled these two bishops... He didn't have much time to waste explaining.

He stepped directly into the base—

And the "saint" who controlled the overall situation from above did not issue an attack order... This was enough to confirm the identity of Gu Shen and the others as reinforcements.

On those two bishops, Gu Shen saw the familiar "Storm Silver Foil". He recalled the massacre of the Evening Bell Church in the tundra... His eyes became meaningful.

With this silver foil, they could conduct mental communication.

Gu Shen smiled, "Gentlemen, if you have any doubts about our identity, would you like to ask the Holy City's 'Apostle'? The so-called 'saint' in your mouths?"

The expressions of the two bishops were complicated.

"The saint said... there's no problem with you."

They spoke with hoarse voices.

"Okay, thank you for your cooperation."

Gu Shen nodded, then snapped his fingers. Dozens of wisps of blazing flames gathered from outside the research base gate, converging at his fingertips. Those flames were snatched from the foreheads of the "believers" who had made way earlier. After Gu Shen withdrew the blazing fire, the expressions of these believers changed from dazed to enlightened. They belatedly realized that they had been hypnotized. One by one, they looked angry and prepared to enter the base to find out what was going on.

But they ran head-on into the two bishops who had been freed from the Pure Land domain.

"Step back."

"Step back!"

The spirit of the Storm Foil quickly transmitted.

The faces of these hypnotized people instantly returned to calmness. They all gave up the idea of going in to check, and one by one they lowered their heads and retreated, returning to their positions in the formation outside the base. It was very orderly, taking less than ten seconds.

Faith is a more terrifying hypnosis than hypnosis.

...

...

The base regained its silence.

Vias looked at these three young people with a complicated expression.

Gu Shen, Bai Xiu, Shen Li...

He was the patrol captain responsible for the daily security of the base. His strength was at the tenth level of the Deep Sea. His talent for extraordinary awakening could be said to be second to none in Sangzhou Hollow.

It took him nearly thirty years to cultivate to the tenth level.

And these three young people looked to be only in their early twenties... Were these the "genius extraordinary individuals" in the world?

"Gu Shen..."

Adam pondered for a moment and said, "I've heard your name. In Upper City, at the Holy Cross Academy, many people mention you."

"You're too kind."

Gu Shen smiled. The moment he saw Adam, the file automatically appeared.

Chu Ling was connected to his heart.

Adam was the youngest professor at the Holy Cross Academy in Upper City. He was only thirty-one years old, and his main research direction was "Source Material Studies" and "Origins of the Old World". He had taken the initiative to join this awakening experiment.

The Holy City Research Institute certainly wouldn't refuse.

Such a prodigy was welcome wherever he went.

"Everyone, we're here to solve the problem."

Gu Shen looked to the other side, "I heard that the base was attacked by a huge extraordinary creature last night. I'd like to see the 'specific files' of this matter."

He looked at Vias, and Vias's file projection also floated before him.

This was an extraordinary individual who was born and raised in Sangzhou Hollow. Because of his outstanding strength, he became the captain of the patrol team.

His strength was indeed outstanding.

Tenth level of the Deep Sea.

If he was willing to join the Storm Church, then he could have already become an "Archbishop"!

But Vias had not joined any church.

He had no faith.

This was why the two bishops at the ninth level of the Deep Sea were so contemptuous of him just now.

In this land, a person without faith was destined to have a very rough time.

...

...

Inside the base corridor.

Vias and Gu Shen walked and talked.

"Mr. Gu, what happened last night... was indeed very strange."

He explained seriously, "Generally speaking, 【Deep Sea】will back up all data, but it happened to coincide with a system upgrade, so we only captured a portion of the 'monster' image."

It was the portion that the Research Institute presented to the council of each continent.

"Is there a pattern to the main system's upgrade?"

Gu Shen asked softly in his mind.

"No."

Chu Ling replied, "For the past twenty years, I've been observing the 'main system'. Its upgrades are irregular. Once it has enough computing power to expand the deep-water area, it will 'upgrade'..."

"So last night's 'failure' was just accidental?" Gu Shen felt a headache.

Chu Ling's wording was as rigorous as ever, "Theoretically, in all likelihood, that's the case."

Gu Shen was very clear.

The real enemy was not that moth.

Sixty meters, it looked very big... But what was its true combat power? Could it withstand a strike from himself using the intent of the Pure Land Domain?

If it could withstand one strike, what about another?

The real "danger" lay in the 【Deep Sea】 that controlled the Sangzhou Hollow. In these three years, 【Deep Sea】 was the true master of this place. Even the senior researchers at the Holy City Research Institute did not understand what was really happening in the inland of the island.

"Take advantage of the fact that the other extraordinary individuals from other continents haven't arrived yet and solve the immediate danger first."

Under Vias's lead.

Gu Shen, Bai Xiu, and Shen Li arrived at the "accident scene" from last night, Zone F.

The entire Sangzhou Hollow was fenced off, and several layers of barriers were built inside and out. At first glance, these high walls looked like the "Great Walls" of Northern Continent, but for the civilians living in Sangzhou Hollow, they didn't know that they were walls.

【Deep Sea】used simulation technology. If you stood inside Zone F and looked out, you would see the sun rise and set, rain and sunshine, and you could see the "Southern Continent inland" across the near sea in the distance, but in reality, it was all fake.

This was a fake wall.

Now, a hole had been smashed into this wall... The repair team was repairing the materials.

"It was this hole... that made the entire base feel 'fear'."

Vias sighed softly, "Such a big guy, if it really broke in, where could we escape... 【Sky Eye】didn't even detect the slightest extraordinary fluctuation..."

Because he had seen the files in advance.

The moment Gu Shen arrived at Sangzhou Hollow, he released his Blazing Fire.

His spirit probed everywhere he went.

There was no suspicious aura.

That was a sixty-meter-tall moth! If it was really hiding in the base... how could it not be discovered?!

Gu Shen looked at Bai Xiu.

The little sleeve shook his head. He said calmly, "If the target is really a sixty-meter 'Queen Birdwing Butterfly'... then at least inside the base, I didn't feel anything unusual."

Although Gu Shen didn't look at Shen Li.

But the little Iron Man still honestly added, "Me too."

"So, that big guy either crashed through the wall and didn't leave... or it has already gone to the other end of the coast."

Gu Shen narrowed his eyes.

In his mind, Chu Ling denied the second possibility.

"I investigated all the surveillance on the north shore of Sangzhou Hollow, within a radius of five thousand meters... Even in the one minute of disconnection, even if the Queen Birdwing Butterfly rushed out of the base, it couldn't have swept out five thousand meters into the near sea... After the 【Sky Eye】reconnected, it constantly monitored the near sea, and it was calm."

Extraordinary creatures of this scale, and with "light-eating" properties, couldn't possibly not be detected.

So.

There was only one possibility left.

Gu Shen raised his head, looked at the sky, and said calmly, "If I remember correctly, the research base can adjust the 'day and night' of the outer sky of Zone F."

"Yes."

Vias was stunned, and said, "But the logs stipulate that in order to ensure that the experiment does not produce any changes... to adjust the day and night, the inner circle walls must be closed to ensure that no one can see the 'outer circle'."

"Close it."

Gu Shen said calmly, "I suspect that the big moth is now hidden in the inner circle of Zone F, and in all likelihood, it hasn't left... The quickest way to eliminate the base's panic is not to search one by one, but to adjust the outer circle of Zone F to 'night'."

"You want to use... light-eating properties?"

Once it was dark, and the light shone, the Queen Birdwing Butterfly could be directly drawn out!

Vias's eyes lit up. He had actually thought about this operation before.

It was just that the extraordinary creature looked too "huge", and he was alone... and didn't dare to act rashly.

"Yes, time is of the essence."

Gu Shen nodded.

Under Vias's instruction, the repair team urgently evacuated, and the sky above the distant hills began to dim. Because the outer wall was damaged this time, the inner wall had already simulated a landscape identical to the outer wall... Adjusting to night was only a matter of ten seconds.

The entire Zone F fell into darkness.

Gu Shen did not hesitate. He flicked his fingers to ignite the Blazing Fire, and slowly came to a higher hill.

The Blazing Fire shone—

In this darkness, he was the only "light".

The next moment.

The distant hills began to vibrate, and silent but turbulent undercurrents surged in the darkness.

Shen Li sensed something was wrong. His heart throbbed. Gu Shen was a little far away, but Bai Xiu's back also made him feel completely safe...

The little sleeve stood with his hands behind his back, looking at the "artificial long night" at the end of Zone F.

"Rumble..."

Gu Shen narrowed his eyes, looking at his feet. He could feel that something was awakening underground.

And... there was more than one.