Chapter 171: It

The command has been issued; a storm is brewing in silence.

Qin Feng no longer concerned himself with the impending tidal wave outside; he focused all his energy on the most urgent task before him—handling the Zeger Spore Mother Plant.

The submarine sailed steadily along its preset course toward the assembly sea. Inside the cabin, the air reeked of blood, fear, and stillness; only the sound of Qin Feng typing on a virtual keyboard and analyzing data, and the occasional muffled sobs from the corner, broke the silence.

Several hours later, the submarine finally reached the target sea area.

Through the porthole, a breathtaking sight unfolded.

Where the ocean had once been empty, a sizable floating platform now stood! Constructed in record time from a dozen large engineering vessels and modular components, it was crude in appearance but vast in scale, lit up brightly with heavy machinery and temporary structures being hastily installed and calibrated. Personnel in "Wind Rising"-branded uniforms and engineering robots moved about with astonishing efficiency.

Beyond, several warships stood on alert, while members of the "Zhu Long" squad hovered low above, like loyal guardians. Their battle armor reflected the last golden rays of the sunset (local time) in cold metallic glints.

This was the power of money and authority. Under Qin Feng's bottomless investment and his team's flawless execution, a cutting-edge base had been conjured out of thin air on the Public Sea.

The submarine was guided to the platform's edge and connected to a custom docking hatch.

Qin Feng stepped out of the submarine, carrying the crucial silver briefcase. Gao Yuan waited inside the docking chamber with a team of fully armed personnel clad in heavy protective suits.

"Leader!" Gao Yuan snapped to attention and saluted, his eyes filled with reverence. He understood the weight of the case in his hands—and the immense risk Qin Feng had taken to buy time.

"How is the platform prepared? The energy resonance generators?" Qin Feng asked without stopping, walking toward the platform's core.

"The platform's main structure is complete. The biological isolation lab is in place, meeting the highest (P4+) protection standard. Based on your parameters, three high-precision Energy Resonance Generators operating on different frequencies are undergoing final calibration and will be operational within half an hour," Gao Yuan replied, matching his pace with clear, rapid speech.

"Good. Immediately transfer the Mother Strain to the isolation lab. All personnel involved must execute the highest-level protection protocol. No one is permitted within a hundred meters of the lab without my order."

"Yes!"

The order was executed swiftly. The silver briefcase was carefully placed into a multi-layered transfer pod, transported by heavy robots to the spherical lab at the platform's center, shielded by layers of alloy and force fields.

Qin Feng then arrived at the platform's main control center. The space offered an unobstructed view of the entire platform and dozens of monitoring screens displaying every detail inside the isolation lab in real time.

Sun Zhe and Su Wenqian were also in the control center. Upon seeing Qin Feng enter, they immediately stepped forward.

"Mr. Qin, are you alright?" Su Wenqian's eyes betrayed unmistakable worry. Though unaware of the specifics, she knew that only something monumental could drive her mysterious, powerful master to personally risk himself.

"I'm fine." Qin Feng waved a hand, his gaze fixed on Sun Zhe. "How are the outer perimeter defenses and intelligence monitoring?"

"A fifty-nautical-mile no-navigation zone has been established around the platform. Our escort vessels and the 'Zhu Long' squad are conducting three-dimensional patrols. Any vessel or aircraft attempting to approach is warned and driven off. Additionally, we've detected multiple nations' intelligence agencies and military satellites adjusting their orbits to spy on us," Sun Zhe replied.

"Ignore them," Qin Feng said coolly. "As long as they don't provoke us, let them watch."

He had no time to care about curious eyes. All his attention was fixed on the main screen—the silver briefcase, locked in place at the lab's center, slowly being opened by robotic arms.

The instant the lid fully opened, even through thick shielding and screens, everyone in the control center felt a chilling, eerie presence spread through the air.

Inside the case was a cylindrical container made of some transparent crystal. At its center floated a constantly writhing, shape-shifting cluster of ghostly blue light! The light resembled a living nebula, its interior teeming with countless tiny eyes opening and closing, emitting unsettling spiritual fluctuations and faint energy radiation.

The Zeger Spore Mother Plant!

Merely observing it through the screen induced dizziness and mental unease!

"Activate Level One Spiritual Shield Field!" Qin Feng ordered.

Hum—!

An invisible field spread outward from the lab; the discomfort on the screens lessened slightly.

"Energy Resonance Generators, prepare for test!" Qin Feng's voice echoed through the comms to the external control station.

"First frequency group, ready… fire!"

A faint energy ripple, nearly invisible, shot toward the ghostly blue cluster inside the crystal container.

The cluster trembled slightly—no change.

"Frequency ineffective. Switch to second group… fire!"

This time, the ghostly blue cluster reacted more violently, its surface flickering rapidly—but soon returned to stillness.

"Effect negligible. Switch to third group… prepare…"

The controller's voice was tense.

Everyone held their breath. This was the final frequency predicted to be effective!

Qin Feng unconsciously clenched his fists.

"Third group frequency… fire!"

A slightly different energy ripple struck the ghostly blue cluster with precision!

In an instant!

The ghostly blue cluster, like ice thrown onto a red-hot iron, emitted a piercing, non-material screech that threatened to rupture eardrums! It twisted, contracted, and swelled violently; its surface flashed wildly, as if countless internal structures were disintegrating!

Effective!

In the control center, every eye lit up!

Yet just as success seemed within reach, a new anomaly erupted!

The ghostly blue cluster, moments ago collapsing, suddenly exploded with unprecedented intensity of light and energy radiation! It seemed enraged—or perhaps making its final, desperate stand! A powerful, aggressive, chaotic wave of Spiritual Impact surged outward like a tidal wave!

Even with the Spiritual Shield Field dampening it, everyone in the control center felt intense nausea and vertigo! Several external monitoring screens went black instantly! The technician operating the energy generator groaned, blood gushing from his nose, nearly fainting!

"Increase energy output! Stabilize the frequency!" Qin Feng roared into the comms. He himself felt a wave of spiritual disorientation—but his 35-point Spiritual Attribute and the Blessing of Spiritual Recovery stabilized him instantly.

"Energy output at critical limit! Frequency fluctuating! Equipment overload warning!" came the frantic cry from the control panel.

As the ghostly blue cluster hovered between collapse and resurgence, threatening to regain stability, Qin Feng's gaze turned sharp!

No more waiting!

He spun on his heel and sprinted out of the control center!

"Leader! You can't go in!" Gao Yuan and Sun Zhe shouted in unison, trying to stop him.

"Stand by outside!" Qin Feng tossed over his shoulder, his figure vanishing at the end of the corridor.

He moved swiftly, leaping several times until he reached the airlock of the isolation lab. The sensors recognized his authorization, and the heavy alloy door slowly opened.

Qin Feng did not hesitate—he stepped inside.

The door closed behind him.

Inside the lab, energy was in utter chaos; the air itself twisted. The ghostly blue cluster hovered at the center, radiating suffocating pressure and mad spiritual whispers.

Qin Feng ignored the spiritual interference, his gaze locked firmly on the glowing orb. He could feel the resonance frequency was now extremely close—just that final, tiny bit left… the stability and precision of the final push!

And that tiny bit, perhaps, he could make up himself!

He took a deep breath, forcibly combining and mobilizing the Qi and Blood stored within him from Combat Mastery and attribute boosts, along with his immense 35-point Spirit power, in a way never before attempted!

This was not a skill—it was the ultimate application of his own power!

He raised his hand, fingers spread, aiming directly at the deep-blue orb!

"Erase…!"

He growled low, channeling that unique, pure energy—fused from Spirit and Qi—through an unusual vibration, like an invisible bridge, into the last unstable ripple of the external energy resonance field!

Hum—!

As if a string had been plucked at the perfect resonant point!

In the center of the lab, the writhing deep-blue orb suddenly froze!

Then, like a supernova erupting, it blazed forth an indescribable, utterly pure white light!

No sound. No explosion.

Only the annihilation of light.

When the white light faded, the crystal container was empty.

The Mother Strain of the Zerg Spores—the source of the apocalypse—along with all its vitality and spiritual corruption, vanished completely, as if it had never existed.

The energy fluctuations and spiritual interference within the lab also ceased instantly.

Success.

Qin Feng slowly lowered his arm, beads of sweat glistening on his temple, his face pale. That single act had nearly drained his remaining Spirit power and physical strength.

Yet he stood there, his posture still unbent.

In the command center, everyone watching the restored monitor footage erupted in cheers of relief!

"We did it! We succeeded!" "Incredible! Mr. Qin!"

Gao Yuan and Sun Zhe rushed into the lab, staring at the empty container, then at Qin Feng—pale-faced but eyes blazing—and were too stunned to speak.

Qin Feng waved his hand, signaling he was fine. He walked to the monitoring console, watching the screen's calm ocean surface and the deeper seabed where the "Traveler-7" now lay temporarily "quiet."

The greatest threat had been temporarily neutralized.

He picked up the internal communicator and connected to Su Wenqian's channel.

Su Wenqian's voice, trembling with tears, came through at once: "Sir! Are you alright? You scared me to death!"

Qin Feng smiled, his tone carrying a hint of post-crisis ease—and a touch of his habitual, effortless arrogance:

"I'm fine. Minor issue."

"Mainly because I'm strong, elegant, and wealthy—this kind of small trouble? Handled effortlessly."

On the other end, Su Wenqian sniffled, then laughed through her tears—helpless, yet proud.

In the command center, everyone else, hearing Qin Feng's signature words, smiled knowingly, filled with respect.

Yes—only a Leader like him could lead them, again and again, through seemingly impossible despair.

Qin Feng gazed out the window at the sun sinking slowly below the ocean horizon, his eyes growing deep once more.

The Mother Strain was gone, but the reckoning against Deepsea Technology and Creation International had only just begun.

The "Traveler-7" remained—a potential great threat, and a great opportunity.

His path was still long.

But for now, he savored this brief victory, this quiet peace.

After all, those with ability bear more burden—someone as outstanding as him was destined to shoulder more.

This, perhaps, is the burden of a Shenhou.