Chapter 473: Large-Scale Spatial Rifts

Xu Feng confirmed the door was tightly shut, and after activating the final Isolation Array, he finally spoke: "The situation is far worse than anticipated."

He opened a holographic projection, displaying a global map. On the map, large areas were covered in red markers; these were the Void Pollution Zones. Shockingly, these red areas had expanded at least threefold since Lin Xuan left, covering nearly one-third of the globe's surface.

"How is this possible?" Lin Xuan said in shock, "We've only been gone for a little over a month, how could it expand so quickly?"

Xu Feng sighed heavily: "It's not just the expansion; what's worse is that the areas we previously successfully purified have also developed Void Pollution again. It seems some force is accelerating the awakening process of the Void Sovereign."

He switched to another image, showing the personnel distribution map inside headquarters. Disturbingly, at least one-third of the areas were marked as "untrustworthy."

"Headquarters has been infiltrated," Xu Feng's voice was low, "Many high-level officials are behaving abnormally; some have even defected directly, turning to the side of the Void Council."

Lin Xuan felt a chill climb up his spine: "When did this start?"

"Shortly after you set off for Beiming Hanyuan," an elder interjected. Lin Xuan recognized him as the head of security at headquarters, Zhang Shoudao, "At first it was just some minor anomalies, but later it became gradually obvious. We discovered people secretly passing internal intelligence, tampering with monitoring data, and even attempting to sabotage core facilities."

"But that is not the most worrying part," Xu Feng continued, "Globally, the Awakening Faction of the Void Council has begun full-scale operations. They have not only secretly controlled government officials in many countries but are also using Void Power to manipulate the general public, inciting large-scale chaos."

The projection switched to global news feeds, where conflicts, violent incidents, and strange phenomena were breaking out everywhere. Especially in the "Void Triangle" regions—Nanji, the Bermuda Triangle, and the depths of the Amazon—anomalous phenomena were more frequent: large-scale mass hallucinations, indiscriminate acts of violence, and peculiar astronomical anomalies appeared one after another.

"Our communication systems are almost entirely monitored," Xu Feng whispered, "This room is one of the few places that is still safe."

Lin Xuan took a deep breath and recounted in detail the discoveries at Beiming Hanyuan and the intelligence provided by Helian Zigui. Hearing that the Void Council was already divided internally, a glimmer of hope flashed across the faces of Xu Feng and the others, but it was immediately suppressed by the severity of reality.

"The existence of the Balance Sect is indeed good news," Xu Feng mused, "but judging from the current situation, the Awakening Faction clearly has the upper hand. We must find the remaining Heaven and Earth Origin fragments as soon as possible."

Xiao Yuan took out the Jade Slip given by Helian Zigui: "Here is detailed intelligence regarding Wu Xiang Yan Gu, including the location of the entrance and the dangers that may be encountered."

Xu Feng took the Jade Slip, browsed it quickly, and handed it to a member of the technical team for analysis. Afterward, he turned to Lin Xuan: "The Primordial Cold within you... how does it feel?"

Lin Xuan closed his eyes slightly and sensed the changes within his body: "It is slowly changing my constitution, making me more compatible with the properties of the Heaven and Earth Origin. The specific effects are not yet entirely clear, but I can feel my control over the cold becoming increasingly proficient."

Just as Xu Feng was preparing to ask further, the entire conference room suddenly shook violently. The alarm sounded sharp and piercing, and the red warning lights flashed frantically.

"What happened?" Lin Xuan stood up abruptly.

Zhang Shoudao quickly operated the monitoring system: "A large-scale spatial anomaly has appeared above! It is a spatial rift, a structure similar to a portal, and the scale is unprecedented!"

On the monitoring screen, the sky above headquarters was torn open into a massive rift, and amidst thunder and lightning, countless Void Creatures of various forms descended like rain. The defensive Array of headquarters was teetering under such an offensive, and multiple breaches had already appeared.

"They are here..." Lin Xuan's expression was grave, "The Awakening Faction has launched a full-scale strike against us, and the target is the Primordial Cold within me!"

At this moment, the Fate Compass at Xiao Yuan's waist suddenly vibrated violently, golden light flared, and the needle spun frantically, finally pointing to a location beneath the conference room.

"The guidance of fate..." Xiao Yuan looked at the compass in surprise, "What is below?"

Xu Feng's expression changed: "A Dimensional Flying Boat! The final resort we prepared for extreme situations." He quickly entered a string of complex commands into the console, and the center of the conference room floor slowly opened, revealing a downward passage.

"Lin Xuan, Xiao Yuan," Xu Feng's tone was resolute, "You must evacuate immediately. The Awakening Faction's target is you—or more precisely, the Primordial Cold. You must stay alive to find the remaining Heaven and Earth Origin fragments."

"What about headquarters?" Lin Xuan said, unable to bear it, "We cannot leave everyone behind!"

Zhang Shoudao patted Lin Xuan on the shoulder: "My brothers and I will stay behind to intercept the enemy and buy you time. Since you are their target, your departure will actually reduce the pressure on headquarters."

On the monitoring screen, the Void Creatures had already broken through the outer perimeter, and the Practitioners of headquarters were rising up to resist; fierce battles were breaking out everywhere.

Xu Feng led Lin Xuan, Xiao Yuan, and several core members to quickly enter the passage. The passage was long and narrow, clearly designed for emergency evacuation. Along the way, they could feel the vibrations and explosions coming from above.

"What is a Dimensional Flying Boat?" Lin Xuan asked while running.

"A type of Ancient Artifact," Xu Feng explained, "We restored it based on records in ancient texts. It can travel through spatial layers to evade tracking by conventional means. We have always kept it as a final insurance policy; I didn't expect to have to use it so soon."

At the end of the passage was a massive underground cavern, with a streamlined aircraft docked in the center. The Flying Boat was about thirty meters long, shaped like a slender fish, its surface covered in complex Runes and metal panels, exuding an ancient and mysterious aura.

"Get on the ship quickly!" Xu Feng urged, "This place could be discovered at any moment!"

The group quickly boarded the Flying Boat, and Xu Feng activated a series of complex Arrays. The Runes on the surface of the Flying Boat lit up with a faint glow, and the entire ship trembled gently, as if it were a lifeform awakening.

"Target: Wu Xiang Yan Gu," Xu Feng set the course, "Full power, engage!"

The Flying Boat rose slowly, and the top of the cavern opened, revealing a passage leading to the surface. Just as the Flying Boat was about to rush out of the ground, the sky above was torn open again, and a massive Void Creature—resembling a lizard but with six wings—swooped down, opening its blood-red maw.

"Oh no!" Lin Xuan shouted, and just as he was preparing to strike, Xu Feng pressed a red button.

The Flying Boat accelerated suddenly, simultaneously releasing a blinding golden light. The golden light formed a spherical shield, completely enveloping the Flying Boat. The Void Creature's attack landed on the shield, sparking countless golden flames, but it failed to break through the defense.