Chapter 373: Qin Hao Returns

A faint tremor, almost inaudible, echoed deep in everyone's souls.

In the command hall, the piercing alarm fell silent.

On the star map, that blinding red returned to a stable gold.

That dimension storm, capable of destroying everything, was strangled in its cradle at the very moment before eruption.

The entire command hall was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Everyone stared, dumbfounded, at the figure on the command throne.

Qian Bowen opened his mouth, but couldn't utter a word.

The theory he was proud of was shattered by reality in just those few seconds.

That wasn't technology, it was… art.

"Countdown, continue."

Nangong Lin opened her eyes; her black pupils showed no ripple, as if she had just done something trivial.

"Two."

"One."

"Activate!"

As her final syllable fell.

Above the star map, those tens of thousands of points of light blazed to the utmost!

Countless streams of golden energy wove together into an unprecedented giant net.

The net unfurled from between the Milky Way Galaxy and the Andromeda galaxy, spreading in all directions at a speed countless times faster than light.

It passed through nebulae, skimmed past stars, and enveloped countless billions of planets.

Finally, at the outermost edges of the two galaxies, it slowly closed.

A vast spherical barrier, emitting a soft golden light, completely enveloped the two massive galaxies and the narrow corridor between them.

From the outside, this once brilliantly radiant star field was rapidly dimming.

It was not light being swallowed, but the space itself, together with all the information it carried, being gently erased from the "canvas" of three-dimensional universe.

"We succeeded…"

Zhang Yunfeng gazed at the perfect golden bulwark on the star map, trembling with excitement, "We succeeded!"

Thunderous cheers erupted within the command hall.

Countless scientists embraced and wept, releasing the pressure and anticipation that had built up over hundreds of years.

Luo Lao's tense body finally relaxed, and a long‑absent smile appeared on his face.

The Yanhuang Civilization finally had its own bulwark.

Theoretically, only a mid‑stage Level 6 civilization could breach this bulwark.

A nascent Level 6 civilization, whether by dimensional jump or spatial transfer, cannot enter the interior of the two galaxies,

safety has greatly increased.

truly achieving an integrated offense‑defense Great Wall fortress.

Qian Yin stood below the command platform, gazing at that perfect energy loop, and let out a long breath.

Her body slightly relaxed; after over four hundred years of intense work she felt a hint of fatigue, but more so a joy that came from within.

Beside her, Academician Qian's grandfather, an elder scientist who had witnessed the Yanhuang Civilization's journey from the planetary era, was wiping the corners of his eyes with his hand.

His lips trembled; he wanted to say something, but excitement left him unable to utter a word.

On the commander's throne, Nangong Lin remained seated, silent.

Her face showed little expression; only her deep black eyes gazed at the star map, as if admiring a perfect work of art.

The cheers gradually subsided, and everyone immersed themselves in the joy of success and boundless hopes for the future.

However, the smile on Luo Lao's face slowly faded, turning into a hint of deep worry.

He turned his head to look at Zhang Yunfeng; his voice was low, yet it carried clearly across the entire observation platform.

"The Great Wall Plan is complete, and the Great Silence Plan will soon reach its term…"

"Do the math—it's been over four hundred years."

Luo Lao sighed, his gaze turning to an inconspicuous coordinate at the galactic center on the star map.

"Qin Hao… he should be coming back soon, right?"

As soon as those words were spoken, the lively atmosphere in the command center instantly cooled.

Everyone's gaze, in unison, shifted from the magnificent "Great Wall" blueprint to the point Luo Lao was watching.

Qin Hao.

That name is the Yanhuang Civilization's stabilizing divine needle.

But at the same time, it is a massive stone weighing on everyone's hearts, especially the leadership's.

Over four hundred years, for the Yanhuang leadership that has mastered life‑extension technology, is not that long.

But for Qin Hao, alone and bearing the fate of the entire civilization, what those four hundred years mean is unknown to anyone.

What will he become?

Has that gradually fading humanity been completely worn away?

When he returns, will he still be the Qin Hao they know?

Qian Yin's heart clenched; she instinctively lifted her gaze to the observation platform, to Luo Lao.

She had silently repeated the words "welcome home" countless times in her heart.

Just then, an abrupt change occurred!

"Beep—beep—beep—beep—!"

Sharper and more urgent than the alarm when the node lost control just moments ago, the highest-level alert suddenly blared throughout Heaven's Heart without any warning.

On the huge spherical inner wall, the perfect golden star map was instantly dyed blood‑red.

"Alert! Highest‑level alert!"

"Detected unknown super‑energy source reaction! Location…… Sagittarius Arm of the Milky Way Galaxy, coordinate A‑001!"

"Energy level cannot be estimated! Already surpassed the computational limit of the Celestial River optical brain!"

"The Dimensional Matrix at full power! All stabilizers overloaded! All beacon towers auto‑charging!"

A series of mechanical yet terrified reports made everyone who had just been immersed in joy instantly plunge into an icy abyss.

"How is that possible!"

Academician Qian Bowen shouted hoarsely, lunging a step to the console and staring at the terrifying red data stream, his hands trembling,

"The Great Wall Fortress just sealed! How could something appear silently inside?!"

"Is it a system failure?!"

Zhang Yunfeng's projection also became unstable, obviously his emotions were violently fluctuating.

"It's not a failure!"

A pale‑faced technical supervisor in charge of monitoring stood up, his voice warping, "The A‑001 coordinate point…… the space there is…… being torn apart! From within!"

Everyone's hearts sank to the bottom of the valley.

Inside?

That coordinate……

Qian Yin's pupils contracted sharply as she stared fixedly at the red point flashing wildly on the star map.

That's where Qin Hao was charging!

Could it be…… something went wrong?

That thought had barely risen when it was drowned by an indescribable fear.

If even Qin Hao…… then the future of the Yanhuang Civilization……

Just as everyone fell into despair.

On the star map, that blood‑red coordinate point's energy fluctuations climbed to an extreme.

Then, a pure, indescribable golden light burst forth from that point!

It effortlessly tore through the black hole's event horizon, penetrating layer after layer of space.

Like a primordial sword, it split the dark cosmos, cleaving an eternal rift.

At the tip of that golden light, a figure stepped forward slowly.

He wore a simple black combat uniform, black hair and black eyes, his face handsome.

Five hundred years left no trace on his face.

Only his gaze, no longer sharp and stern as five hundred years ago, had become deep and calm, as if it held the stars and secrets of an entire universe.

He simply stood there silently, and the terrifying energy storm instantly subsided.

The piercing alarm from the entire Dimensional Matrix also came to an abrupt halt.