Chapter 414: Global Crisis, All Parties Mobilize

After intense crossfire and several skirmishes with controlled employees, the special forces finally reached the top floor. The security door leading to the roof had been twisted and deformed by some kind of force, and an eerie purple light leaked through the gaps.

The Commander made a gesture, the team members immediately assumed an attack formation, and then kicked open the deformed security door.

On the rooftop platform, a shocking scene unfolded before everyone's eyes—Yang Zhiyuan stood in the center of the platform, his body already half-eroded by Void Energy, appearing in a semi-transparent state. His expression was painful and twisted, as if he were making a final struggle against some kind of force.

Even more terrifying was that around Yang Zhiyuan, a massive Void Vortex was slowly forming, with purple-black energy clouds swirling in the air and constantly expanding. In the center of the vortex, a huge figure could be vaguely seen attempting to cross the dimensional barrier and enter the real world.

"Yage..." the special agent's face turned deathly pale, "He is trying to descend ahead of schedule!"

Yang Zhiyuan turned his head with difficulty to look at the special forces, a flash of clarity appearing in his eyes: "Too... late... he has already... controlled the global 'Star Brain' network... the plan... has already been initiated..."

Before the words had even faded, his body suddenly twisted violently, and more Void Energy surged into him. Yang Zhiyuan let out a shrill, miserable scream, then fell completely silent; his eyes turned a pure purple-black, and a cold smile that did not belong to a human appeared on his face.

"Foolish humans," the voice that came from Yang Zhiyuan's mouth clearly did not belong to him, "Your resistance is meaningless. The 'Global Synchronization Project' has been initiated, and the countdown has begun. Before the end of Summer Solstice Day, this world will welcome a new master."

The truth about "Star Brain" exposed by Xu Feng's team swept across the globe at an unprecedented speed. Overwhelming reports from major media platforms, emergency safety warnings issued by governments, and terrifying video clips circulating on social media—in less than twelve hours, almost everyone knew of this horrifying conspiracy: Star Technology's flagship product "Star Brain" was not some revolutionary human-machine interface device, but a tool used to guide the Void Invasion, and all users would become "biological batteries" and puppets for interdimensional beings.

Governments around the world reacted quickly, issuing emergency orders calling for the public to immediately stop using and destroy all "Star Brain" devices. Military and police forces began taking over Star Technology's global branches, searching for and sealing relevant technical data. The scale of this operation was comparable to wartime mobilization.

However, the situation was more complex than anticipated. Approximately thirty percent of "Star Brain" addicted users showed strong resistance to government orders. They formed loose but surprisingly large groups of "Star Brain Believers," holding demonstrations in major cities around the world, claiming that "Star Brain" represented the inevitable path of human evolution and that the government's ban was a fear and suppression of technological progress.

Even more worrying was that as Summer Solstice Day approached, cases of "Star Brain Syndrome" were growing explosively across the globe. In the past 24 hours alone, more than one thousand severe cases had been confirmed. Patients exhibited similar symptoms: headaches, hallucinations, and abnormal behavior, with the most severe even beginning to demonstrate the ability to manipulate Primary Void Energy, posing a threat to those around them.

At the same time, the concentration of Void Energy continued to climb, reaching a level that even ordinary people could perceive. Similar abnormal phenomena were reported all over the world: the sky showed a faint purple halo, most noticeable at dusk and dawn; electronic equipment frequently experienced unexplainable malfunctions; animals showed abnormal restlessness, and many city zoos and wildlife sanctuaries reported large-scale collective panic behavior.

Lin Xuan stood on the observation platform of the Five Elements City Guardian Network Headquarters, his brow furrowed. The city skyline in the distance was already shrouded in a thin layer of purple mist, marking the continuous infiltration of Void Energy. Although the Urban Great Array was still operating, energy consumption was faster than expected, and maintaining the status quo was already the limit.

"The situation is much more serious than we anticipated," Lin Xuan said to Xiao Yuan and Lin Jiangjun, who were standing beside him, "The Five Elements City Guardian Network alone cannot cope with a global crisis of this scale."

Lin Jiangjun nodded: "Indeed. According to the latest intelligence, the infiltration of Void Energy is not limited to our city, but is spread across the globe. All regions with a large number of 'Star Brain' users have become high-danger zones."

Lin Xuan pondered for a moment, then suddenly thought of a possibility: "General, I remember you once mentioned that there are various cultivation traditions and organizations existing all over the world."

"Yes, although their forms and theoretical systems are different, they are essentially the study and application of supernatural power." Lin Jiangjun understood Lin Xuan's thought, "You think we should unite global cultivation forces?"

"This is the only choice," Lin Xuan said firmly, "At the current speed of Void infiltration, the day of the Summer Solstice will be the decisive moment. We need to establish a defense network on a global scale to have any possibility of resisting Yage's invasion."

Lin Jiangjun mused for a moment: "This would require breaking the barriers and secrets between various cultivation systems that have existed for thousands of years. But you are right, the moment of life and death has arrived. I will immediately contact secret cultivation organizations around the world through special military channels."

Within the next twelve hours, Lin Jiangjun activated a secret network codenamed "Dawn Guardian." This was a global communication system that was usually in a dormant state, designed specifically for responding to supernatural disasters. Through this system, major cultivation organizations around the world received detailed information about the Void crisis and the joint defense proposal put forward by Lin Xuan.

The response came faster and more positively than expected. Practitioners from various countries responded to this global crisis in their own ways:

The Japan Onmyoji Association activated the Shrine Protection Array spread across the country, and hundreds of ancient shrines simultaneously activated barriers that had been dormant for years, forming a protective net covering the Japanese archipelago.

Indian Yogis and Tantric masters established energy barriers along the Ganges River, and ancient mantras and rituals caused the holy river basin to emit a soft golden light, effectively isolating the erosion of Void Energy.

The descendants of Druids in Europe recreated ancient rituals that had disappeared for a thousand years, activating ley line nodes distributed across the European continent to awaken dormant Earth energy to confront the Void.

African Shamans and tribal witch doctors held large-scale ancestral spirit sacrifices, requesting the power of their ancestors to protect their people from Void interference.

Guardians of ancient civilizations in South America opened energy nodes known as the "Sun Gate" in the mysterious ruins of the Andes Mountains.

Practitioners from all over the world joined this defense of human civilization in their own ways, forming an unprecedented global joint defense system.