49: Chapter 49 Alliance Shock

Huaxia Martial Arts Academy, its towering gates shimmering in the sunlight. The six gilded characters "Huaxia Martial Arts Academy" on the lintel were vigorous and powerful, exuding an ancient and solemn aura. This Holy Land, which had cultivated countless martial arts experts, was now shrouded in a heavy atmosphere.

The off-road vehicle carrying Lin Wu and the others slowly drove through the academy gates. The scenery outside the window blurred past—familiar buildings, familiar roads—but everyone's heart was incredibly heavy.

After several hours of travel, they finally returned to the academy from Broken Soul Gorge. But no one felt relieved; although they had successfully intercepted the spirit source crystal, the news of the Wang Family's betrayal still needed to be officially reported to the Alliance High Command, and an even greater storm was coming.

The vehicle stopped in front of an ancient hall. The door opened, and Lin Wu was the first to step out. His face was pale, dried blood still lingered at the corners of his mouth, and his clothes were tattered. The wound on his shoulder, grazed by Wang Tianba's palm wind, still throbbed with pain despite having been briefly treated.

Su Qingxue followed closely behind. Her complexion was equally poor, and a hint of exhaustion showed in her ice-blue eyes. Continuously using extreme skills like Absolute Zero had taken a massive toll on her.

Chu Tianjiao was the last to get out, his body swaying slightly, barely able to stand. Burning all his lightning power to unleash Wrath of the Thunder God had left him weakened to the extreme.

"Chu Tianjiao, are you alright?" Fatty Chen quickly supported him.

"I'm fine, I can still hold on." Chu Tianjiao waved his hand, forcing a smile.

Just then, the sound of footsteps came from the hall entrance. Zhou Xuanqing walked out quickly, followed by Zhao Wuji and several other academy higher-ups.

Seeing the state Lin Wu and the others were in, Zhou Xuanqing's steps came to a sudden halt, and his expression instantly turned grave.

"What... happened?" Zhou Xuanqing rushed forward, his gaze sweeping over everyone. When he saw their injuries, a flash of shock crossed his eyes.

As the Acting Dean, Zhou Xuanqing had seen many great storms, but he couldn't help but be moved at this moment. Lin Wu and the others were the academy's most outstanding students—especially Lin Wu, who was Gu Cangwu's Personal Disciple and a martial arts Genius at the Peak of the Grandmaster Realm. How strong must their opponent have been to injure them like this?

"Dean Zhou." Lin Wu bowed slightly, his voice somewhat raspy. "The mission is complete, but there were some complications."

Zhou Xuanqing took a deep breath, suppressed his shock, and said in a low voice, "Don't speak yet. I'll immediately arrange for a healer to treat your wounds."

"No need, Dean Zhou." Lin Wu shook his head. "The injuries are serious, but I can still hold on. There is something more important that needs to be reported right now."

He took out a translucent crystal box from his robe. Inside lay a fist-sized crystal emitting a faint glow, its dense Spiritual Qi fluctuations making one feel refreshed.

"Is this... the spirit source crystal?" Zhou Xuanqing's pupils contracted as he recognized the stone.

"Yes." Lin Wu nodded. "We successfully intercepted the transport team at Broken Soul Gorge and seized the spirit source crystal. But..."

He paused, his voice turning low. "Wang Tianba appeared."

"Wang Tianba?" Zhou Xuanqing frowned. "The Head of the Wang Family? Why would he be there?"

"Because he is the traitor," Lin Wu said solemnly. "The Wang Family has defected to the Dark Night Organization. Wang Tianba underwent Blood Demon Modification, and his strength is close to the Grandmaster Realm."

"What!" Zhou Xuanqing's face changed drastically, and Zhao Wuji and the others behind him were equally shocked.

The Wang Family, one of the four major families of the Huaxia Alliance, had actually betrayed them? This news was like a thunderclap exploding in everyone's hearts.

"Are you certain?" Zhou Xuanqing's voice trembled slightly. This news was too startling; if true, the entire Alliance would be shaken.

"I saw it with my own eyes." Lin Wu nodded with certainty. "Wang Tianba admitted it himself. He also said that Ye Wuhun is about to emerge from seclusion. Dean Zhou, the situation is urgent. An emergency meeting of the Alliance must be called immediately."

Zhou Xuanqing took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down. He knew that now was not the time for shock; he had to respond as quickly as possible.

"Fine, I'll arrange it immediately," Zhou Xuanqing said heavily. "Go and get your wounds treated first. The meeting will be held at the Alliance headquarters in one hour."

"No, we must participate as well," Lin Wu said firmly. "We were the ones who experienced it; we must report in person."

Zhou Xuanqing looked at Lin Wu's determined eyes, remained silent for a moment, and then nodded. "Alright, but get your injuries treated briefly first. The meeting cannot wait too long."

...

One hour later, at the Huaxia Alliance headquarters, in the emergency conference hall.

This was a spacious and solemn hall with a massive circular conference table in the center. At this moment, representatives from various factions had already taken their seats, and the atmosphere was tense to the extreme.

Zhou Xuanqing sat in the head seat, his expression serious. To his left was Zhao Wuji, and to his right was Li Changhe, the younger brother of the Li Family representative Li Changfeng. Opposite them sat Su Zhentian, the father of Su Qingxue and representative of the Su Family, along with the military representative, Tie Zhan.

Lin Wu and the others sat in the observer section. Although they had received simple treatment, their faces were still pale.

"Everyone, I have called you here today because there is urgent intelligence that needs to be communicated," Zhou Xuanqing began, his voice echoing through the hall. "In the early hours of this morning, Lin Wu's team successfully intercepted the Dark Night Organization's spirit source crystal transport team at Broken Soul Gorge."

He signaled for Lin Wu to step forward.

Lin Wu stood up, walked to the center of the conference table, and placed the crystal box on it. The spirit source crystal shimmered with a soft light under the lamps, and its dense Spiritual Qi fluctuations allowed the experts present to sense its extraordinary nature.

"This is the spirit source crystal, the core material for the Blood Moon Project," Lin Wu said in a low voice. "We clashed directly with Wang Tianba during the interception. We can now confirm that Wang Tianba, the Head of the Wang Family, has defected to the Dark Night Organization."

"What?" Su Zhentian stood up abruptly, his face ashen. "Wang Tianba really betrayed us?"

"Family Head Su, it is absolutely true." Lin Wu looked at him calmly. "I saw it with my own eyes. Wang Tianba has undergone the Dark Night Organization's Blood Demon Modification, and his strength is close to the Grandmaster Realm. If Master hadn't arrived in time, we likely wouldn't have made it back alive."

"Blood Demon Modification?" Tie Zhan frowned. "What is that?"

"It is an evil human modification technology," Gu Cangwu spoke up, his voice low and powerful. "The Dark Night Organization forcibly increases strength by performing a Fusion of Blood Demon Power with the human body. The deeper the modification, the greater the increase in power. Wang Tianba underwent deep-level Blood Demon Modification, and his Physical Body has completely merged with the Blood Demon, making his strength several times greater than a normal Peak of the Legendary Realm."

Silence filled the hall as everyone was stunned by this news.

"Is there evidence?" Tie Zhan asked heavily. As a military representative, he needed solid proof to make a judgment.

Lin Wu nodded and took off his tattered outer garment, revealing the wound on his shoulder. Although it had been treated, the surrounding skin was still a bizarre black color, as if eroded by some evil power.

"This wound was left by a graze from Wang Tianba's Blood Demon Soul-Devouring Claw," Lin Wu said. "That kind of corrosive power cannot be expelled by ordinary true Qi."

He then displayed his other injuries and described the battle in detail. From the ambush deployment to Wang Tianba's appearance, from the horror of the Blood Demon Modification to the team's desperate counterattack, every detail was crystal clear.

"Wang Tianba admitted himself that the Wang Family has defected to the Dark Night Organization," Lin Wu said solemnly. "He also said that Ye Wuhun is about to emerge from seclusion. When that time comes, the entire Huaxia Alliance will be forced to kneel at their feet."

The atmosphere in the hall grew even heavier.

"If this is true, the situation is indeed grave," Tie Zhan said gravely. "As one of the four major families, the Wang Family controls a vast amount of the Alliance's resources and intelligence. If they have betrayed us, the Alliance's interior has likely been deeply infiltrated."

"I can guarantee on the Li Family's honor that everything Lin Wu said is the absolute truth," Li Changhe spoke up, his expression equally serious. "In fact, our Li Family recently discovered some abnormal movements from the Wang Family. Their assets were being moved in secret, and the movements of their core members became mysterious. We just didn't expect that they would actually defect to the Dark Night Organization."

"Father." Su Qingxue stood up and walked to Su Zhentian. "What Lin Wu said is true. I personally saw Wang Tianba attack; that kind of evil power is definitely not something a Martial Artist of the Righteous Path should possess."

Su Zhentian looked at his daughter, a flash of worry in his eyes. "Qingxue, are you alright?"

"I'm fine." Su Qingxue shook her head. "Father, this mission has taught me a lot. Lin Wu and the others risked their lives to protect the Alliance. As a daughter of the Su Family, I will not back down either. No matter what happens, I will stand on the side of the Alliance."

Su Zhentian looked at his daughter's determined eyes, went silent for a moment, and then nodded. "Alright, I understand."

He turned to Zhou Xuanqing and said heavily, "Dean Zhou, the Su Family supports all of the Alliance's decisions. The Wang Family's betrayal must not be tolerated."

"Thank you, Family Head Su." Zhou Xuanqing nodded, his gaze sweeping over everyone present. "Everyone, the Wang Family's betrayal is just the tip of the iceberg. The Dark Night Organization's infiltration is likely deeper than we imagined. Now, we must make a decision."

He paused, his voice turning cold and sharp. "I propose we immediately conduct a purge within the Alliance, screening all personnel who might have connections to the Dark Night Organization. Simultaneously, we will establish a Special Investigation Group to thoroughly investigate this matter."

"Agreed." Li Changhe was the first to state his position.

"Agreed." Su Zhentian followed immediately.

Tie Zhan pondered for a moment before also nodding. "The military agrees. But the purge must be handled carefully; we cannot wrongly harm the innocent."

"Naturally," Zhou Xuanqing said. "The Special Investigation Group will be led by Senior Gu Cangwu, with Lin Wu and the others assisting. Senior Gu is a Great Grandmaster with a unique perspective; he will surely uncover the truth."

Gu Cangwu nodded slightly. "It is my duty."

"Furthermore," Zhou Xuanqing continued, "we must strengthen the protection of vital facilities to prevent attacks from the Dark Night Organization. At the same time, we need to find a way to stop the Blood Moon Project as soon as possible."

"Regarding that," Lin Wu spoke up, "I suggest researching the spirit source crystal. This crystal is the core material of the Blood Moon Project; perhaps we can find the key to dismantling the project within it."

"That makes sense." Zhou Xuanqing nodded. "The spirit source crystal will be temporarily handed over to the academy's research team for analysis. Lin Wu, as a witness to its power, you will also participate in the research."

"Yes," Lin Wu replied.

The meeting continued as representatives from all sides discussed specific deployments and measures in detail. Although the atmosphere was heavy, everyone showed firm determination.

...

After the meeting ended, Lin Wu and the others returned to their residence.

It was a small, independent courtyard with a quiet environment, a residence the academy specifically prepared for outstanding students. But at this moment, no one was in the mood to appreciate the scenery.

"It's finally over." Chu Tianjiao flopped into a chair and let out a long sigh. "The experiences of this one day have been more exciting than my entire past year."

"And yet you say that when you almost died back there." Su Qingxue gave him a sidelong glance, but there was a hint of concern in her eyes.

"Well, I'm fine now, aren't I?" Chu Tianjiao grinned. Although his face was still pale, his spirits were much better.

"Fatty, how are your injuries?" Lin Wu looked at Fatty Chen.

"I'm okay, it just hurts a bit." Fatty Chen gave a simple and honest smile. "Brother Lin, it's all thanks to you this time; otherwise, we definitely wouldn't have gotten the spirit source crystal."

"It was a team effort," Lin Wu shook his head. "Without your cooperation, I wouldn't have succeeded either."

Just then, the courtyard gate was pushed open, and Gu Cangwu walked in.

"Master." Lin Wu quickly stood up.

"Sit down, your injuries haven't healed yet." Gu Cangwu waved his hand and sat on a stone stool in the courtyard.

His expression was somewhat grave as he looked into the distance. "Lin Wu, there is something I must tell you."

"Please speak, Master."

"Ye Wuhun's emergence from seclusion might be sooner than we imagined," Gu Cangwu said heavily. "According to the intelligence I've received, he will emerge in one month at most."

"One month?" Lin Wu's heart tightened.

"Ye Wuhun is the leader of the Dark Night Organization, and his strength is unfathomable," Gu Cangwu's voice grew low. "Twenty years ago, he was already at the Peak of the Grandmaster Realm. Having been in seclusion for so many years, he has likely already surpassed that Realm."

"Surpassed the Grandmaster Realm?" Lin Wu's pupils shrank.

"In the path of martial arts, the Grandmaster Realm is not the end," Gu Cangwu said. "Above the Grandmaster Realm, there are higher Realms. Ye Wuhun has very likely already touched that threshold."

Lin Wu fell silent. If Ye Wuhun truly surpassed the Grandmaster Realm, what kind of terrifying existence would he be?

"Master, what should I do?" Lin Wu asked.

"Get stronger." Gu Cangwu looked at him with piercing eyes. "If you want to oppose Ye Wuhun, you must Breakthrough to the Grandmaster Realm."

"The Grandmaster Realm..." Lin Wu gave a bitter smile. "I am currently only at the Peak of the Grandmaster Realm, just one step away from the Grandmaster Realm. But that one step is like a heavenly chasm."

"That is because you have not yet comprehended the power of Law," Gu Cangwu said. "The key to breaking through to the Grandmaster Realm lies in comprehending the power of Law. Only by touching the edge of Law can you truly step into that Realm."

"The power of Law..." Lin Wu murmured to himself.

He knew what Gu Cangwu was talking about. In the previous battle, he had felt that profound aura from Gu Cangwu, as if he were one with heaven and earth—that was the manifestation of the power of Law.

"How can I comprehend the power of Law?" Lin Wu asked.

"This requires Opportunity, and it also requires Comprehension Ability," Gu Cangwu said. "Everyone's Law is different; some comprehend the Law of Fire, others the Law of Water. You need to find your own path."

He stood up and patted Lin Wu on the shoulder. "Time is of the essence; you must Breakthrough as soon as possible. Otherwise, when Ye Wuhun emerges, no one will be able to protect you."

After speaking, Gu Cangwu turned and left, leaving Lin Wu alone in the courtyard.

A night breeze blew by, bringing a hint of chill. Lin Wu looked up at the sky; dark clouds gathered, obscuring the starlight, as if a storm were imminent.

"The power of Law..." Lin Wu clenched his fists, his gaze resolute. "No matter what, I must Breakthrough to the Grandmaster Realm. To protect those around me and to safeguard the Huaxia Alliance, I must get stronger!"

In the distance, thunder rumbled faintly, and lightning pierced the night sky. An even greater storm was brewing.

...

Meanwhile, in a secret underground base somewhere in the Huaxia Alliance.

Under the dim light, a figure dressed in black robes stood before a massive crystal ball. Within the ball, blood-red mist surged, and a humanoid silhouette was vaguely visible.

"Lord Ye Wuhun, the spirit source crystal has been intercepted," the black-robed man said in a low voice, his tone carrying a hint of a tremor.

The mist within the crystal ball surged violently, and a low, majestic voice emerged: "Wang Tianba, that useless waste... But it doesn't matter; the Blood Moon Project has a backup plan."

"My Lord, regarding Lin Wu..."

"Lin Wu..." The voice paused, tinged with a hint of amusement. "He has escaped my grasp time and again. When I emerge from seclusion, I will surely kill him."

"Yes, my Lord."

The mist in the crystal ball gradually settled, but that heart-palpitating pressure lingered for a long time.

The black-robed man wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and turned to leave.