Chapter 420: Global Linkage, Peak of the Void

"The final activation step requires Yang Zhiyuan's biometric identification to complete," Xu Feng said with annoyance, "This is a firewall ensuring that only Yang Zhiyuan himself can initiate the final shutdown procedure. Without his retinal scan and fingerprints, we cannot complete the final activation."

The command room fell into silence; everyone realized the severity of the problem. Yang Zhiyuan was currently almost entirely controlled by Yage; obtaining his biometric authentication was an almost impossible task.

Lin Xuan took a deep breath and suddenly had a bold idea: "Remember Yang Zhiyuan said that he implanted a 'Void Feedback Suppressor' in his own body to retain a sliver of clarity? Although he is controlled by Yage now, perhaps he can still maintain brief autonomous consciousness. We can try to contact him again."

"But Yage is almost certainly monitoring all conventional communication channels," Xu Feng raised his concern, "Once he discovers we are trying to contact Yang Zhiyuan, the consequences will be unimaginable."

"We can use the Guardian Network's Quantum Encryption channel," Lin Xuan said firmly, "That is a backup system designed specifically for extreme situations; Yage may not have discovered its existence yet."

The plan was quickly put into action. Xu Feng activated the quantum communication equipment hidden beneath the headquarters and sent a message that had undergone multiple encryptions, transmitting it directly to Yang Zhiyuan's private channel.

"Message sent," Xu Feng stared intently at the screen, "Now we can only wait."

Several minutes passed without any response. Five minutes... ten minutes... the atmosphere in the entire command center became increasingly oppressive; everyone understood that time was slipping away second by second.

Suddenly, a faint signal light lit up on the communication panel.

"There's a response!" Xu Feng shouted excitedly, immediately adjusting the equipment to receive the signal.

Yang Zhiyuan's image appeared on the screen, more blurred and fragmented than during the last call; his figure flickered in and out, as if it might dissipate at any moment. His body was already covered by purple-black energy for the most part, with only a small portion of his face still retaining human features.

"I... only have... a few dozen seconds..." Yang Zhiyuan's voice was intermittent and filled with pain, "Yage... is... preparing... the final... ritual... three hours from now... Summer Solstice... midnight... he will... completely... descend..."

Xu Feng immediately interjected: "We need your biometric authentication to activate the Shutdown Protocol! Without it, we cannot start the system!"

Yang Zhiyuan seemed to use all his strength to stay conscious: "Listen... the authentication... code is... QZ7H... 9TXD... BLKW... this will... bypass... the biometric... identification..."

The image suddenly shook violently, and Yang Zhiyuan let out a painful groan: "Yage... has discovered... hurry... I... cannot hold on..."

The communication was interrupted by a burst of harsh static, and the screen returned to a silent state.

Xu Feng quickly wrote down the authentication code and immediately began entering it into the system. A moment later, he let out a sigh of relief: "Authentication successful! The system accepted the code and is unlocking the final program."

Lin Xuan looked around, his gaze firm: "Everyone, now we have all the tools we need. The next step is to implement our plan—before the Summer Solstice midnight, start the Five Elements Array, activate the Shutdown Protocol, and stop Yage's descent."

Everyone nodded in agreement; despite their exhaustion, the flames of determination burned in their eyes.

Xiao Yuan cast her gaze toward the increasingly dense purple sky outside the window and asked softly: "Do you think we have a chance of winning?"

Lin Xuan's expression was resolute and calm: "No matter the odds, we must fight. This is our world, and we will not let the Void take it easily."

Work in the command center progressed rapidly. The technical team, following Xu Feng's guidance, constructed a complex energy Zhuanghua array; the medical team performed final physical enhancements for every Practitioner participating in the array; the intelligence team continued to monitor the global situation, providing real-time data for the upcoming operation.

Lin Xuan stood by the window, staring at the ever-expanding Void Vortex above the city; the pain in his left arm reminded him of the urgency of time. Three hours later, everything would be revealed—whether human civilization would continue, or the darkness of the Void would descend.

Just at this moment, the monitoring system suddenly captured an anomalous phenomenon—around the Xingchen Keji Zongbu Dalou, countless "Star Brain" users were gathering; they walked with stiff gaits, their eyes glowing with purple light, approaching the building like walking corpses.

"Yage is gathering power," Xu Feng analyzed, "These controlled people might be the energy source for him to complete the final ritual."

Lin Xuan nodded: "Then our plan must be even more thorough. Prepare to activate the city-wide Five Elements City Array; this will be our final line of defense."

At dusk on the Summer Solstice Day, the sky appeared an unnatural purple-red, as if the entire firmament were covered by a strange film. People all over the world looked up, their expressions a mix of confusion and fear. Those ordinary people who did not use "Star Brain" could still maintain their sanity, while hundreds of millions of "Star Brain" users exhibited varying degrees of abnormal behavior—some stood blankly on the streets with hollow gazes; some walked toward a certain direction for no reason; others even began to perform dangerous acts, as if driven by some invisible will.

Governments around the world had declared a state of emergency; the military and police struggled to maintain a semblance of order but were helpless against the true crisis. Television, radio, and the internet were flooded with chaotic information and panic. Scientists could not explain the anomalous phenomena appearing in the sky, military weapons were ineffective against Void Energy, and the defenses of modern civilization were rapidly collapsing.

Only those ancient Practitioner organizations understood the essence of all this and had long since made preparations.

At the summit of Mount Fuji in Japan, one hundred and eight Yin and Yang masters dressed in white robes formed a circle, holding specially made talismans and charms. Sitting cross-legged in their midst was a white-haired old man—this was Japan's last great Yin and Yang master, the ninety-plus-year-old Matsumoto Ryuichi. He formed hand seals and chanted ancient incantations, guiding the power of the surrounding Yin and Yang masters to merge into the "Millennium Great Barrier."

A pure white light shot into the sky from the summit of Mount Fuji, rapidly expanding into a massive, semi-transparent protective shield that covered the entire Japanese archipelago. Inside the barrier, the purple Void Energy significantly weakened, and the "Star Brain" users trapped within the barrier gradually regained a portion of their consciousness.

At almost the same moment, in a hidden valley deep within the Himalayas, seven Indian yoga masters draped in orange robes were conducting a rare joint meditation. They represented seven of the oldest yoga lineages; they usually did not interact and even competed with each other, but at this moment, they set aside all differences and jointly guided the energy from deep within the earth.

As their meditation deepened, the entire valley began to vibrate slightly, and the earth's energy converged into a massive golden energy shield, enveloping the entire South Asian subcontinent.