272: Chapter 272 Overall Results and Countermeasures

As the morning light crept over the eaves of the Main Hall, the copper bell swayed in the wind but made no sound.

Chen Wuwang's fingers were already pressed against the communication Formation Plate, and three light patterns lit up in succession—

They were the response signals from Chen Tiezhu, Chen Xiaodao, and Bai Ling.

The last one, Ling Zhenzi's rune mark, appeared a beat slower, accompanied by a voice message:

"Another meeting? I only just finished modifying the thirty-seventh version of the Formation base last night."

"If you don't come, I'll weld your compass to the entrance of the Artifact Refining Workshop," Chen Wuwang replied bluntly.

As his voice faded, the door was pushed open.

Chen Tiezhu entered first, his mechanical boots echoing dully on the floor, his shoulder armor still stained with the charred ash from last night's mountain blasting.

He plopped down into the workshop seat on the left, rested his elbows on the edge of the table, and said in a low voice:

"The Materials warehouse is open, level three access has been granted, and half the personnel have been reassigned. The protective module for 'Anti-Blood One' will have its first prototype ready today."

"Not bad," Chen Wuwang nodded, his gaze turning to the door.

Chen Xiaodao walked in with his sword on his back, his steps light, but his eyes smoldering with suppressed fire.

He stood still in the combat zone on the right without sitting down: "I've practiced the new Sword Intent seven times, and the success rate for severing the resonance chain is eighty-two percent. Give me three more days, and I can achieve instant activation."

Bai Ling floated in from the side corridor, her feet not touching the ground, with a floating chip spinning around her fingertips.

She walked over and stood under the beam of light in the corner, saying softly: "The Life Tree sap has been prepared, and the spray devices for coating the perimeter are ready for deployment at any time. The heartbeat recognition error is less than 0.3 seconds."

Ling Zhenzi, who entered last, clutched his bronze compass with an impatient expression: "You're all acting like you've been injected with adrenaline. Do I not need sleep? Speak up, what do you want me to do this time?"

Chen Wuwang didn't answer but raised his right hand.

His Mechanical Prosthetic Eye flashed, and a topographical map of the Eastern Wasteland was suddenly projected into the air, with mountains and rivers as clear as if carved.

The compass data connected automatically, and several red dots lit up along the edges of the map, distributed in different directions.

"At 3:47 last night, in the border rift, there was a faint fluctuation."

His voice wasn't loud, but it made everyone go quiet. "It lasted for 6.8 breaths, and the frequency characteristics match the initial activation phase of the Blood River Demonic Art. The System marked it as 'low-risk interference'."

"A fluctuation of this level could be a beast accidentally touching a Spiritual Vein," Ling Zhenzi frowned.

"Or it could be a probe," Chen Wuwang swiped his fingertip, and the image rewound, the trajectory of the flickering red dots elongated for analysis. "Look at the waveform fluctuations—this isn't natural dissipation; it's a controlled release. It's like they're testing to see if we react."

The room was quiet for a few breaths.

Chen Tiezhu suddenly spoke up: "So, they are already watching?"

"Not 'watching', but 'waiting for us to let our guard down'."

Chen Wuwang withdrew his hand, but the map remained. "The insect nest is destroyed, Blood Butcher has escaped, we are celebrating, and they are lurking."

"While we are repairing mechs, planting herbs, and running the Artifact Refining Workshop, someone is crawling along the underground toward the core area."

He paused and scanned the room: "Now, we have intelligence, equipment is being produced, and combat power can be mobilized. The question is—can we turn these three things into a net?"

No one answered.

Chen Tiezhu rubbed the stubble on his chin: "You want to centralize command? But we're used to doing our own things; if you suddenly take charge, I'm afraid..."

"Afraid of what?" Chen Xiaodao interrupted coldly. "Afraid of losing your life because you misunderstood an order? Or afraid that you're not as good as others?"

"I'm afraid of chaos," Chen Tiezhu glared at him. "War isn't about who has the loudest voice."

"You charge fast, I blast hard, Bai Ling controls the field, and the old guy detects accurately—"

"But if no one knows who should do what and when, then it's just a chaotic mess."

"That's why I'm establishing an Emergency Response Team," Chen Wuwang said directly. "From now on, all defensive operations will be under my unified command."

"Chen Tiezhu, you are responsible for mechanical armament dispatch; Chen Xiaodao, you will lead the Sword Cultivator patrol team;"

"Bai Ling, you will assist with energy sensing calibration; Ling Zhenzi, you will maintain the operation of the Formation network."

"The four of you will report directly to me and must not change deployments without authorization."

Ling Zhenzi sneered: "Easy to say. If I'm in the middle of adjusting a Formation and you suddenly order me to switch frequencies, what happens if all my previous work is wasted?"

"Then synchronize in advance." Chen Wuwang flipped his palm, produced a black crystal, and inserted it into the central projection array.

Hum—

The simulation program started, and three deduction scenarios appeared in turn:

"First, Blood Demon disguised infiltration, contaminating the Spiritual Vein core;"

"Second, night raid on the Medicinal Field, creating chaos with pill poison;"

"Third, gathering remnants to launch a suicide attack."

In the image, virtual enemy shadows roamed the map, simulating invasion paths.

"We will break them one by one," Chen Wuwang said. "Let's look at the first scenario: Spiritual Vein contamination."

"The enemy is most likely to take the underground currents, using the water veins to mask their Qi. Chen Tiezhu, how will you defend against this?"

Chen Tiezhu stared at the projection and said after a moment: "I will install Spiritual Power pressure valves at seven key nodes."

"Once abnormal Spiritual Pressure fluctuations are detected, the area will be immediately sealed, and a reverse purification flow will be triggered simultaneously."

"Feasible," Chen Wuwang nodded. "Second scenario, Medicinal Field attack. Bai Ling?"

Bai Ling tapped the chip with her fingertip, and a green light wave swept across the simulated scene: "I have already coated the perimeter with Life Tree sap."

"If any non-clan heartbeat frequency enters, the sap will change color and release warning spores. In thirty breaths at most, the entire territory will know."

"Third scenario, frontal assault." Chen Wuwang looked at Chen Xiaodao. "What are your thoughts?"

Chen Xiaodao sneered: "Set up a fake family head decoy. Use a mech to replicate my combat frequency and patrol the perimeter."

"If they dare to come, I will lie in ambush ten miles away, and once the sword Formation opens, I'll ensure they never return."

Ling Zhenzi suddenly interjected: "Don't forget the underground."

"I have buried twelve resonance rune chains in the Eastern Wasteland main vein. As long as someone mobilizes blood Qi exceeding the Golden Core level, the entire territory will vibrate, allowing the source to be traced within a hundred zhang."

"Good," Chen Wuwang slapped the table. "Integrated plan: three-layer warning + dynamic interception. First layer, the compass and rune chains are responsible for long-range detection;"

"Second layer, the Life Tree sap and pressure valves execute mid-range identification;"

"Third layer, the sword Formation and mech clusters implement point-clearing."

"The entire process will be centrally coordinated by me, and no one is allowed to act beyond their assigned lines."

The room was silent for a few breaths.

Chen Tiezhu finally spoke: "What about resources? To roll this out, Spirit Stones, Materials, and manpower will all need to double."

"All Artifact Refining Workshops will prioritize the supply of defensive modules," Chen Wuwang said. "Thirty percent of the daily output will be transferred to the emergency reserve. Sword Cultivators will add two quarter-hours of combat linkage training daily."

"All Spirit Arrays will enter a level two standby state, and the rotation mechanism will take effect immediately."

"This is not a temporary defense," he stood up and pointed his right hand out the window.

In the distance, a team of mechs was flying low over the Medicinal Field, their shield generators shimmering in the sunlight.

"We are not defending against a single attack; we are defending against an era."

As his voice fell, no one questioned him again.

Chen Xiaodao rested his hand on his sword hilt, his eyes sharp as blades.

The chip at Bai Ling's fingertips spun faster, and the green halo spread slightly.

Ling Zhenzi lowered his head to fiddle with his compass, cursing under his breath: "Madman..." but his actions were meticulous.

Chen Tiezhu pressed his hands on his knees, his brows slightly furrowed, still deducing the closing logic of the pressure valves.

Chen Wuwang looked at them and spoke slowly: "I am not trying to win the next battle."

He paused for a second, his voice dropping extremely low.

"I am trying to make the enemy afraid to come."