169: Our hope is you

“For two millennia, they have never given up on infiltration, sabotage, and plunder.”

“Some of these forces and individuals possess abilities no less than ours, the Qi Masters, employing even more insidious and cunning methods, and having a deeper understanding of human weaknesses.”

Yue Li’s fingers tapped lightly on the table, and a series of chilling names fell like drops of ice.

“For instance, the ‘Remnants of the Knights Templar’ lurking in the shadows of the Alps; they long ago deviated from their original faith, becoming dark hunters pursuing forbidden power and wealth, with a morbid obsession with the Dragon Country’s ancient ‘Dragon Veins’ and knowledge of spatial nodes.”

“For instance, the ‘Merlin’s Secret Society’ active in the shadows of the British Isles; they claim to have inherited the legacy of ancient druids and court mages, excelling at manipulating natural forces and prophecy. Their actions are secretive, and they have profound research into the Dragon Country’s ‘Fortune’ and the fluctuations of spatial rifts.”

“And there is that great alchemist master who made a fleeting appearance in history but mysteriously disappeared—the ‘Lord of the Alchemical Throne, Isaac Newton’.”

Yue Li’s tone noticeably deepened when she mentioned this name.

“He was not merely the scientist known to later generations, but an alchemist who touched upon the ultimate mysteries of matter and energy conversion. The legend of the ‘Philosopher’s Stone’ he left behind and the vast alchemical organization ‘Emerald Tablet’ are still active in the shadows today, with a fervent pursuit of the ‘Secret of Immortality’, the ultimate laws of ‘Transmutation’, and the stable mechanisms of spatial rifts that might exist within the Zu Long Secret Realm.”

“And… the brightest star of the Renaissance, the inheritors of the ‘Eye of Da Vinci’.”

“They do not refer to Da Vinci himself, but a secret society that inherited his legacy of anachronistic mechanical arts, human modification technology, and mystical manuscripts. They covet the ancient mechanical arts, biological modification technology, and the physical structure of spatial rifts that might exist within the Dragon Country’s secret realms…”

Some of these names were thunderous, others were lost in the dust of history. Now, uttered by Yue Li in such a manner, they were imbued with a chilling reality and threat.

Lin Feng felt a chill rise from his spine.

It turned out that those seemingly distant historical figures and legendary organizations, their shadows had never truly dissipated. Instead, in the transcendent dimension, they had woven a vast web of conspiracy targeting the core secrets of the Dragon Country.

“These Western forces are different from the foreign races we face,” Yue Li concluded, her tone heavy.

“They understand humans better and are more adept at exploiting human greed, fear, and ambition.”

“They infiltrate, bribe, sow discord, and even attempt to dismantle our secret realm defense system from within.”

“They know that the essence of the Zu Long Secret Realm is that spatial rift. Their goals are often more covert and more deadly!”

“Their only goal is to seize the ‘key’, even if it means directly destroying the ‘lock’!”

“They are the most pressing hidden danger for the Dragon Country, venomous snakes lurking in the shadows of the bed, capable of delivering a fatal blow to the Dragon Country at any moment.”

A brief silence fell in the pavilion as Lin Feng digested the immense amount of information.

The Zu Long Secret Realm’s core position as the initial spatial rift fortress, the scattered secondary secret realms, the Qi Masters’ two millennia of tragic vigil, the terrifying threats from foreign races, and those equally ancient and powerful hostile forces from the West… beneath the calm surface of the Dragon Country, there were such turbulent and perilous undercurrents!

Yue Li’s clear, cold words were like stones dropped into still water, stirring up layers of surging waves in Lin Feng’s heart.

The flowing clouds outside the pavilion also seemed to sense this heaviness, becoming still. The apparent prosperity and stability of the Dragon Country were, in fact, supported by so many unknown sacrifices and such dangerous undercurrents.

The silence lasted for a moment. Lin Feng took a deep breath, suppressing his tumultuous emotions, and looked sharply at Yue Li.

“So, you brought me here, to the Hidden Moon Realm, not just to tell me all this, right? What do you need me to do?”

A hint of approval flashed in Yue Li’s eyes. Lin Feng’s keenness and resilience pleased her.

She no longer beat around the bush and went straight to the core.

“That’s right. There are three reasons why I brought you here.”

“Firstly,” Yue Li’s gaze swept over Lin Feng, carrying a hint of inquiry.

“It’s you yourself, and the peculiar abilities displayed by your bonded beast, the Alien Queen.”

“To be able to contend against a Mythical-Grade Void Insect Mother at Transcendent-level mid-tier is truly extraordinary. Your strength, and the Alien Queen’s unique control over the power of rules and her evolutionary potential, both contain possibilities that transcend common sense.”

“We originally wanted to conduct in-depth research on you…”

She looked at Lin Feng, her sharp gaze seeming to have already scrutinized Lin Feng from inside out.

However, when she saw that Lin Feng had no reaction, Yue Li continued, losing interest.

“But we have already abandoned that idea. Everyone has their own unique encounters, and this is a ‘capability’ that is very difficult to replicate.”

“Secondly,” Yue Li’s gaze shifted to Ya Ya, who had been quietly staying by Lin Feng’s side, curiously looking around. Her eyes became deep and complex.

“It’s because of her—Ya Ya.”

Ya Ya seemed to sense being mentioned. She blinked her large eyes, tilted her head, and looked at Yue Li.

“I think you should know her origin.”

Yue Li’s voice carried an unprecedented solemnity.

“We have also thoroughly investigated her origin in the past few days, and we have some idea of her relationship with you. Based on the Professional Association’s evaluation of you and our trust in you, we will not make things difficult for her. In fact, if you need it in the future, we can even help her grow to her original potential as quickly as possible.”

Lin Feng’s heart lit up with joy, and he was about to speak and ask Yue Li to act, but Yue Li stopped him.

“We don’t have time to help her grow now. The reason is the third point I am about to make.”

Yue Li’s voice was resolute, her gaze fixed on Lin Feng like a torch.

“This third point is the most important!”

“The core seal of the Zu Long Secret Realm being destroyed was by no means accidental!”

“We suspect that the person capable of accurately finding the Zu Long Secret Realm is very likely a traitor from within the Dragon Country, bribed and infiltrated by those Western forces!”

“Lin Feng, you must understand that the damage to the Zu Long Secret Realm’s seal has far greater implications than you can imagine.”

“It not only weakened the Zu Long Secret Realm’s own suppressive force on the spatial rift, but it also tore a huge, unhealable wound in the seal composed of numerous secondary secret realms!”

“The stability of the entire seal has been severely shaken, and the energy circulation is in disarray.”

“To prevent the seal from completely collapsing, and to prevent those foreign races lurking nearby from taking advantage, we, the ‘Qi Masters’ guarding each secondary secret realm, must pay a price a hundred times heavier than before for a very, very long time to come!”

Her tone carried a kind of tragic solemnity.

“We, including myself, all the guardians of the secondary secret realms, will be firmly bound to the secret realms we guard for a very, very long time to come, unable to leave!”

“All our strength must be used to maintain the nodes of the seal, to repair the chain cracks caused by the damaged seal, like using our bodies to plug the breach in a dam, not daring to relax for a moment.”

“Once we leave a secondary secret realm, the seal’s nodes will become unstable, potentially even triggering a chain collapse!”

“We have, at present, completely lost the possibility of leaving the dimensional secret realms!”

This news exploded in Lin Feng’s ears like a thunderclap!

He finally understood why a powerful individual like Yue Li would so solemnly bring him here for a personal conversation.

It turned out that the Dragon Country’s top guardians, due to this disaster, had almost been “sealed” in their respective posts!

They had become the “cornerstones” for the operation of the grand formation, but in doing so, they had also lost the ability to directly intervene in the outside world!

“So…” Yue Li’s gaze was fixed on Lin Feng, filled with endless expectation and a hint of irrefutable meaning.

“We need a pair of eyes, a pair of hands, someone who can freely move in the real plane, and is trustworthy and capable!”

“Lin Feng, that person is you!”