189: Chapter 189 The place we're going is the sea of ​​stars.

Black-Robed Shen Ye disappeared.

But the mess he left behind remained.

Although the underground factory had stopped collapsing, its main structure was severely damaged and teetering. The suppressed modified beasts, though too afraid to move, were still ticking time bombs.

"Phew..."

Ye Fei, suspended in mid-air, slowly descended to the ground.

As her toes touched the ground, the golden light on her body gradually faded, and her hair returned to its original fiery red, though a faint golden afterglow still lingered deep within her eyes.

"Captain... I did it."

Ye Fei's body went limp, and she nearly collapsed.

That sudden burst just now had nearly drained all of her mental energy.

"Well done."

Chen Xi was quick to react, catching her in his arms, his eyes filled with praise:

"From today on, you are no longer that little sister who needs protection."

"You are Nirvana's... Divine Maiden of Ten Thousand Spirits."

"Mhm!"

Ye Fei smiled weakly, her eyes brimming with pride.

"Alright, we shouldn't stay here for long."

Shen Ye (younger version) walked over; his injuries were severe, but his spirit was unusually high.

He glanced at the kneeling vicious beasts around them, his expression complex:

"Although the Black-Robed Man is gone, this place has already been locked onto by the Military Department."

"With such a huge commotion just now, there's no way to keep it a secret."

As if to confirm his words.

"Rumble—"

From high above, a muffled roar could be heard faintly.

That wasn't thunder, but... the sound of heavy machinery and the military advancing!

"The army is closing in."

Chen Xi looked up at the ceiling where rubble was falling, his expression solemn:

"The people from the Military Department are here."

"If they see what's happening here, especially Ye Fei's ability... it will likely cause a lot of trouble."

Although the Li Zhenhai was one of their own, the Military Department was divided into many factions. Once this ability to control all beasts was exposed, Ye Fei would likely be treated as a strategic weapon, placed under house arrest, or even sliced up for research.

The current Nirvana was not yet strong enough to completely ignore the rules.

"We must evacuate immediately!"

Chen Xi made a decisive call:

"Ye Fei, can you make these monsters disperse?"

"I can."

Ye Fei nodded, forcing herself to focus as she waved her hand at the surrounding pack of vicious beasts:

"Scatter! Run for your lives!"

"But you are not allowed to hurt people again! Get back to the deep mountains and old forests!"

"Roar..."

The beasts, as if granted a grand pardon, let out low growls and scattered in all directions, disappearing into the interconnected abandoned tunnels of the underground factory.

Even that massive broodmother flesh mass, under Ye Fei's command, slowly sank into the magma layer deep underground, sealing itself away.

Though it was still alive, and though the future Ye Fei was still struggling in pain.

But at least for now, it was no longer a threat.

"Go!"

Chen Xi hesitated no longer, leading everyone in a frantic dash toward the emergency exit they had reserved earlier.

...

Half an hour later.

On a hidden hillside on the outskirts of the Black Swamp Forest.

The four members of the Nirvana Battle Team, along with Shen Ye and Xia Qing, sat slumped on the grass, panting for breath.

From here, they could clearly see that the distant area had been illuminated by countless searchlights.

Countless military airships and armored vehicles surrounded the Black Swamp Forest, while fully armed soldiers conducted a carpet search.

"That was close... we almost got surrounded."

Xia Qing wiped the fog off his glasses, lingering fear in his heart.

"This time... thank you."

Shen Ye looked at Chen Xi, his gaze sincere:

"If it weren't for you all, Xia Qing and I might have already died at the hands of that lunatic."

"And... you also saved Ye Fei, saving the hope of the future."

Chen Xi waved his hand and pulled something from his coat.

It was the flare gun the Li Zhenhai had given him.

He toyed with the gun, his eyes deep.

Originally, this was a trump card kept for saving his life, but he hadn't expected it to become one of the bargaining chips that allowed him to maintain his confidence before the Black-Robed Man.

"Captain Shen, what are your plans next?"

Chen Xi asked.

Shen Ye fell silent for a moment, glancing at the distant military lights:

"Our identities are special; we are still 'missing persons.' We can't appear in public with you."

"Furthermore, after what happened this time, I've come to understand a truth."

"Relying solely on evasion and hiding is useless."

Shen Ye stood up, a firm light gleaming in his single eye:

"I will take Xia Qing and continue to investigate in the shadows."

"Although the Black-Robed Man has disappeared, the organization behind him—those Men in Black—and that so-called 'time machine' technology remain a massive hidden danger."

"I'm going to dig out their roots!"

"Good."

Chen Xi extended his hand:

"Then we'll operate on two fronts, one in the light and one in the dark."

"We'll attract attention and improve our strength in the open; you'll investigate the truth from the shadows."

"When the time is ripe..."

"Together, we will completely end these chaotic times!"

Shen Ye reached out, and two powerful palms clasped firmly together.

"Take care!"

"Take care!"

Shen Ye and Xia Qing didn't linger, turning and disappearing into the vast night.

They were walkers in the night, destined to travel alone.

Chen Xi watched them leave, then turned to look at his three teammates.

Su Xiaoxiao, Li Murou, Ye Fei.

Each of them had been reborn through this battle.

Chen Xi pulled a sealed bag from his coat, something he had pilfered from the underground factory.

Inside were several top-secret documents about "man-made vicious beasts" and "space-time rifts," as well as... a few high-purity energy crystals.

"Captain Chen, where are we going now?"

Li Murou asked.

Chen Xi put away the documents and cast his gaze toward the distant south.

That was the end of the Southern District Defense Line, a broader and more dangerous true battlefield.

"Back to camp, hand in the mission, and then..."

An ambitious smile curled at the corners of Chen Xi's mouth:

"To a bigger stage!"

"This tiny Black Swamp Forest can no longer contain a dragon like us."

"The Southern District Joint Challenge... that's just the beginning."

"Our destination is the sea of stars!"

Under the moonlight, the shadows of the four young figures stretched long.

As the winds surged and clouds gathered, the curtain of a great era had only just begun to rise.