Chapter 216: Awakening

Everyone's expression changed suddenly.

"No." Xiao Chengzhou sighed. "Although the Void Monarch is sealed, the Heavenly Ladder has only temporarily closed and has not completely disappeared. Over the past three months, twenty-seven Void rifts have appeared globally, although the scale is far smaller than the Heavenly Ladder, it is enough for low-level Void creatures to invade."

Lin Yu tried to stand up, but his legs were as soft as boneless. Xuanyuan Qing hurriedly supported him, her small face full of worry.

"How are governments responding?"

Qin Tianluo handed over a folder: "Look at this."

Opening the file, Lin Yu gasped. In the photo, fully armed troops were fighting similar tentacle-like black creatures, and modern firearms were almost ineffective against those creatures. In another photo, a huge circular device was emitting a blue beam, repelling a group of Void creatures.

"Watchman Project." Qin Tianluo pointed to the seal at the bottom of the file. "A secret organization established by various countries to specifically deal with Void invasions. They are trying to combine modern technology with ancient power."

"How effective is it?"

"Limited." Xiao Chengzhou took over. "Ordinary weapons are ineffective against high-level Void creatures, and only weapons injected with special energy have an effect. Currently, only twelve Void rifts globally have been effectively controlled."

Lin Yu turned to the last page, where a military factory was producing some kind of special bullet, and standing next to it were several people in black uniforms, the badges on their chests clearly being a variant of the Tongtian Pavilion logo!

"The Tongtian Pavilion actually..."

"Split." Qin Tianluo sneered. "Half of the members follow my philosophy and join forces with Destiny to fight against the Void. The other half believe that Void power should be used to arm humanity and have already allied with several arms groups."

Lin Yu was about to ask more when a shrill alarm suddenly resounded throughout the base. The monitoring screens on the wall switched automatically, showing a team of fully armed special forces surrounding the base from all sides. They wore black combat uniforms, their weapons flickering with strange blue light, and the badges on their chests were the variant Tongtian Pavilion logo!

"The traitors are here." Qin Tianluo said with a gloomy face. "I guess they are here for you."

"The evacuation route is ready." Xiao Chengzhou quickly entered commands, and the wall slid open, revealing a hidden passage.

Lin Yu struggled to stand up, power surging within his body. Black and gold dual-colored True Qi flowed through his entire body, bringing an unprecedented sense of power. He recalled the words of the blurred figure before he fell into a coma—"The real battle has just begun."

"Take the Heavenly Abyss Sword." Lin Yu extended his hand, and the hilt flew into his palm automatically. "It's time to let them see the true power of the Heaven-Chosen."

Outside the base, an armed helicopter hovered in the air, and a familiar figure in the cabin was observing through binoculars—Xu Jianhua! The wound on his chest had healed, his eyes flickering with strange red light, and cold instructions came through his headset: "No matter what, capture Lin Yu alive, the Void power within him is the key to opening the ultimate Heavenly Ladder."

The base gate exploded, and the battle was on the verge of breaking out.

Smoke filled the air, and gunfire was incessant. Lin Yu and the remnants of Destiny passed through the underground passage under Qin Tianluo's cover, black True Qi surging in his palms, and an unprecedented sense of power filled his entire body.

"Watch out!"

Xiao Chengzhou pushed open the cabin door ahead, and three black-clad agents fell instantly, several silver needles flashing with cold light at the back of their necks. Lin Yu took a deep breath, and a few spare silver needles appeared in his fingertips again.

"Eight hundred meters to the evacuation point." Xuanyuan Qing held a micro tablet, her voice tense. "The Tongtian Pavilion has blocked the north exit."

At the end of the underground passage, a camouflage-painted helicopter stood by silently, its rotors turning slowly without making any sound.

"Sonic isolation technology," Qin Tianluo explained. "Our engineers spent five full years developing it."

After the helicopter took off, Xiao Chengzhou handed Lin Yu a black combat suit, the fabric feeling unusually thin.

"Bulletproof, fireproof, and can resist low-level Void energy infiltration."

Lin Yu looked out the window; at least six military helicopters were circling above the base, and ground troops were clearing the remaining resistance forces.

"The Tongtian Pavilion has not disappeared," Xiao Chengzhou sighed, "they have reorganized into the 'New Origin Society,' acquiring government support and military resources under the guise of researching Void defense."

"The world has changed." Qin Tianluo's tone was rarely heavy.

The helicopter flew for about two hours and landed on the rooftop helipad of a skyscraper. Lin Yu was surprised to find that this was located in the international financial center area, surrounded by high-rise buildings and bustling crowds.

"We are no longer hiding in the deep mountains?"

"The crisis era requires new strategies." Xuanyuan Qing led Lin Yu into the building's elevator. "On the surface, it's 'Destiny Technology,' but in reality, it's our modernized headquarters."

The elevator went straight to the fifth basement level. After the metal doors opened, the view ahead opened up—hundreds of staff members were busy in front of computers, and the huge display screens were updating global Void activity data in real-time.

"Welcome to the new world." Xiao Chengzhou led the way.

Three days later, Lin Yu's physical condition had basically recovered. Mo Lao took him to visit the weapons R&D room on the eighth basement level, and the equipment displayed inside made Lin Yu stare in astonishment.

"A pistol that can fire True Qi bullets?" Lin Yu picked up a silver pistol, the gun body engraved with ancient runes.

"The bullet core is injected with compressed True Qi, which is effective against Void creatures." Mo Lao handed him a silver-gray vest. "This is a new type of rune bulletproof vest, which can withstand large-caliber sniper bullets."

The wall projection showed a global monitoring system, with dozens of satellites tracking abnormal Void energy points.

"This is the result of our keeping pace with the times," Mo Lao walked to the main console. "Relying solely on ancient martial arts can no longer cope with the current crisis."

In the afternoon, Xuanyuan Qing took Lin Yu to visit the monitoring center. Dozens of operators were analyzing global Void activities through satellite images. On the big screen, red alerts were marked in five major cities in North America, the capitals of three European countries, and many places in Asia.

"This is the attack in New York last week." Xuanyuan Qing pulled up a video. In the picture, a group of black creatures were ravaging the subway station, and ordinary weapons were useless against them. The special forces finally used some kind of blue energy weapon to eliminate them.

"Governments around the world have joined forces to respond, but with little effect."

In the evening, Qin Tianluo convened a core meeting. More than twenty high-level officials sat around a round table, and Lin Yu was arranged near the main seat.

"The latest movements of the New Origin Society." Qin Tianluo's tone was heavy, and the projector lit up. "They are developing a 'Void Engine,' attempting to control Void energy for their own use."

The screen switched to the inside of a military base. Several scientists were injecting blue-black liquid into soldiers, and the soldiers' arms immediately mutated into tentacle shapes, easily tearing through thick steel plates.

The conference room was in an uproar. ===== CHAPTER 217 =====