475: Chapter 475 Mystery

Hua Liuli walked to his side and asked, "Are you worried that the strength of ZERO's original body far exceeds our estimates?"

Chen Yi nodded. "Yeah! In any case, I just feel a bit uneasy!"

"Then what about us now..."

"The energy has been exhausted!"

Chen Yi said helplessly, "The array eye drained the stored spiritual energy of all the Secret Realms across the globe, allowing me to advance six stages in a row. But this kind of overdraft-based improvement is unsustainable. As I see it, it will take at least a year to recover."

Hua Liuli frowned. "Then what can be done? There are only so many Secret Realms; there are no other Secret Realms left..."

Suddenly, a flash of inspiration crossed Chen Yi's eyes.

"The energy of the Blue Star Secret Realms is exhausted, but what about the energy inside the Space-Time Rift?"

This sentence stunned Hua Liuli.

The Space-Time Rift—that's where ZERO's original body is!

It can be said to be the most dangerous place in this world!

But it cannot be denied that the interior of the rift truly contains nearly infinite energy.

"The energy in the Space-Time Rift is inexhaustible!"

Chen Yi's train of thought became clearer and clearer. "If I can absorb energy inside the rift, I can break through again in a short time! Maybe even... have a chance to reach Tier 15!"

Hua Liuli immediately realized the problem and hurriedly said, "The risk is too great! Not to mention how harsh the environment inside the rift is, just the fact that ZERO's original body is there means going in is tantamount to walking right into a trap!"

Chen Yi smiled. "Therefore, can't we use the previous plan?"

"So it was for this?"

Hua Liuli immediately understood what Chen Yi meant.

The plan Chen Yi had mentioned three days ago in the basement of the Luo Family Manor.

"Liuli, let's proceed according to the plan!"

"I understand!"

She closed her eyes and focused, using a Soul sound transmission technique to contact Emilia, who was far away in the Dragon Kingdom, across half the globe.

The content of the transmission was simple, only three words: "Begin now!"

Emilia was also a woman of action and immediately began her operation.

An hour later, a piece of news exploded onto the global trending list with lightning speed.

[Emilia suspected of breaking ties with Chen Yi? What exactly is the reason? Does it seem to be related to overdrafting global spiritual energy?]

The comment section was instantly flooded!

[My god! The strongest combat duo is having internal strife? Then how are we supposed to fight ZERO?]

[Many experts make sense; it's the end of the world, why worry about balance?]

[But Chen Yi's approach isn't wrong, right? Overdrafting global spiritual energy—what if ZERO doesn't come, and we collapse ourselves first?]

[Did you guys notice? Emilia mentioned the Antarctic anomaly! I knew the commotion was too big; it turns out she wanted to break through to Tier 15!]

[Upstairs +1, I also think Chen Yi is too conservative! Emilia has lived for so long, her judgment should be more accurate, right?]

[It's over, it's over. Now ZERO is going to wake up laughing! With internal division in the Dragon Kingdom, there's no way to fight!]

[---]

Public opinion quickly split into two factions.

One faction believed Emilia was right and that Chen Yi was too conservative;

The other faction insisted that Chen Yi's approach was the long-term solution!

But regardless of the faction, everyone felt pessimistic about the future situation!

The split of the strongest combat power meant that the hope of resisting ZERO was even more remote!

---

Naturally, ZERO also noticed these events.

He was watching the news replay in the monitoring room, his fingers tapping lightly on the table, his eyes full of contemplation.

"Emilia and Chen Yi broke ties?"

"Isn't that too coincidental? I haven't even made a move against them, and they are already having internal strife?"

"Playing tricks on me? You are all still too naive!"

As an existence that has lived for over ten thousand years, ZERO has seen all kinds of conspiracies and schemes.

He would not easily believe any superficial information, especially good news that appeared at such a critical moment.

"Send agents to investigate. Find out exactly what happened in Antarctica!"

"I want the most detailed intelligence, including energy fluctuation analysis, residual auras at the scene, and all abnormal phenomena!"

An hour later, a detailed investigation report was placed in front of ZERO.

The report showed that there were indeed traces of large-scale energy mobilization in Antarctica. Emilia's magic residue was detected at the core of the Formation, with an abnormally high concentration, consistent with the characteristics of energy dissipation after a failed forced Breakthrough!

At the same time, Chen Yi's aura was also at the scene, but it was relatively weak, as if the two had had a confrontation!

More importantly, the report attached confidential intelligence obtained from within the high-level officials of the Dragon Kingdom.

When Emilia forcibly activated the Formation, Chen Yi had tried to stop her. The two had a fierce argument on the Antarctic ice sheet, and in the end, Chen Yi left in anger.

Emilia, however, staked everything on a single throw and continued the Breakthrough, but it failed, also triggering the decline of spiritual energy in global Secret Realms.

"It looks like... it's true?"

ZERO frowned, but still felt something was off.

With Emilia's personality, it was indeed possible for her to do such a headstrong thing.

She had lived for eight thousand years, and the pride in her bones was stronger than anyone else's. Once she decided on a path, even ten Dragons couldn't pull her back.

But what about Chen Yi?

Would that person chosen by the world will give up on cooperation so easily?

Would he fall out with the strongest combat power at such a critical moment?

"I still have to go see for myself."

ZERO immediately made a decision.

He tore through space and stepped out; the next second, he appeared above the Antarctic ice sheet.

He hovered in the air, closed his eyes, and carefully perceived all the traces left in this area.

There was indeed Emilia's aura, and also Chen Yi's aura.

And it seemed there were even faint traces of a battle?

"It looks like... they really fell out?"

ZERO opened his eyes, doubt still in them. "But I always feel like something is a bit off."

He landed on the ice, crouched down, and his fingers lightly touched the array eye nodes that had already dimmed.

The array eye had indeed been activated; the rich residual energy around it could not be faked!

Emilia had lived for eight thousand years; it was impossible for her not to understand Formations!

Unless she was deliberately using this crude method to forge the illusion of acting headstrong.

"What exactly is going on here?"

Just as ZERO was lost in thought, his portable emergency communicator suddenly vibrated.

After connecting, a subordinate's urgent voice came through: "My Lord! Something happened! Chen Yi's Contracted Spirit Beasts, along with the Dragon Kingdom's Seven Dragon Generals, have suddenly started to counter-suppress all our strongholds on the border of the Dragon Kingdom!"

"What?"

ZERO's eyes sharpened. "Explain in detail!"

"Half an hour ago, eight Spirit Beasts, including Lin Mengxue, Luo Shiyin, and Su Taotao, attacked simultaneously from four different directions, raiding twelve of our main strongholds located in the north, south, east, and west of the Dragon Kingdom!"

"These strongholds were originally responsible for monitoring and containing the Dragon Kingdom, but now they have all been wiped out!"

"Even more seriously, Luo Qinghe is leading the Five Dragon Generals, coordinating with the remnants of the Demon Abyss Cult, and is currently purging all our lurking personnel within the Dragon Kingdom!"

"Their actions are extremely precise, as if they knew everyone's location in advance!"