(As Zheng Zha had predicted, these strange creatures seemed entirely designed to counter me, or perhaps, creatures like me? Are there others who have shared my fate and belong to the same category as I do?) Imhotep was consumed by curiosity. Before Zheng Zha fell into slumber, he had heard a great deal about the "Main God" space. After all, following this sub-plot mission, he would have to decide whether or not to join Zheng Zha and the others in the Main God space, so being informed beforehand about its detailed workings was his right. However, the more he knew, the more unknown things surfaced—like whether these Yellow Turban Warriors before him were truly tailored to combat beings like him? And what exactly was this world, and what were those surviving within it? But this was hardly the time for contemplation. Facing five Yellow Turban Warriors, Imhotep felt utterly powerless. Dry sand was useless against them, their death energy was simply absorbed, and all his carefully honed techniques proved futile against their sheer brute force. He desperately wished he could crush these five Yellow Turban Warriors into mere patties; that was the precise measure of Imhotep’s current mood.

(...No, these five Yellow Turban Warriors are far stronger than the ones in Shanghai. A direct confrontation is unwinnable... I need to get out of here first. If I turn into a whirlwind...) Imhotep’s mind was made up. He immediately shouted to Qi Tengyi and the other person, “Be careful! I’ll get you two out of here first!” With that, Imhotep spun in place.

His body transformed into a swirling vortex of yellow sand. The whirlwind instantly expanded upon appearing, enveloping everyone, including those still asleep, before the Yellow Turban Warriors could launch their next attack. In an instant, Imhotep had lifted the entire group into the air.

(Escaped? That was easier than expected...) A spark of joy ignited in Imhotep’s heart. At this moment, he had completely become the yellow sand whirlwind; if he chose, this vortex could even expand into a dust storm covering several kilometers.

But this was not a desert, so even a full dust storm wouldn't possess much real power here. Moreover, in terms of raw escape velocity,

the speed of the yellow sand whirlwind was superior.

However, before the whirlwind had traveled fifty meters, with a muffled thud, everyone tumbled out of the yellow sand vortex. Fortunately, their altitude was only about three or four meters, so no serious injuries were sustained.

But Imhotep fared much worse. He reverted instantly from the whirlwind back to human form and, as soon as his feet hit the ground, his entire body began to tremble violently.

Not only that, but blood slowly began to seep from his orifices—the first time Imhotep had suffered a physical, bleeding injury.

Somewhere in the air above, a semi-transparent defensive layer had appeared. To call it a protective layer felt slightly inaccurate, as its color wasn't uniform semi-transparency; rather, it was composed of five distinct colors, corresponding sequentially to the five elements. It was this barrier that had injured Imhotep moments before.

No matter how one looked at it, this felt exactly like something out of Chinese Xianxia novels—a cultivation skill known as a formation.

The group had initially breathed a collective, secret sigh of relief when the whirlwind took off, but the sudden turn of events left everyone dizzy and disoriented. When Qi Tengyi and Liu Yu were the first to get up, they realized they were entirely surrounded by Yellow Turban Warriors. Four colossal Yellow Turban Warriors hovered in mid-air; looking at their immense fists and bodies, a single blow from one could surely flatten an ordinary person into a patty... Wait, four Yellow Turban Warriors? Qi Tengyi and Liu Yu looked up simultaneously and indeed saw the Wind-type Yellow Turban Warrior suspended directly above them. That wasn't the worst of it; the crucial detail was that this Warrior was raising its fist to strike—by all appearances, doom was certain for everyone.

Before either of them could let out a scream, the Wind-type Yellow Turban Warrior suddenly caved in at its center, its yellow cloth garments instantaneously compressing into a single protruding cone shape. Then, with a massive BOOM, the sound finally registered. As the sound arrived, the yellow cloth garments shattered into fragments. Only then did Qi Tengyi and Liu Yu recognize the sound: it was the distinct, powerful report of a Gauss sniper rifle. The sound wave only reached them after the bullet struck its target. In other words, Zero Point had arrived! High above them, tens of thousands of meters away from their location, Zero Point crouched on his Green Goblin Skateboard, calmly sighting his target below. The Gauss sniper rifle in his hands had been loaded with Spirit-class ammunition. As predicted, the Spirit-class rounds from the Gauss rifle possessed immense power and could indeed destroy the Yellow Turban Warriors. Furthermore, from such extreme distances, these monsters couldn't reach him in a short time.

(...He arrived so fast! Does he use a teleportation function for long distances?) Zero Point eliminated the Wind-type Yellow Turban Warrior with a single shot. Just as he prepared to fire a second, he suddenly couldn't locate the remaining four Yellow Turban Warriors through his scope. Startled, Zero Point quickly looked up from the scope. He had enhanced his visual attributes in the Main God space, allowing him to see great distances with the naked eye. In the few seconds it took to snipe one Warrior and look up again, the remaining four had flashed to a distance within a thousand meters. They disappeared and reappeared abruptly, much like fast-forwarding in a movie. Watching them close the distance to him rapidly, Zero Point’s Gauss sniper rifle boomed again.

(No problem! There’s a brief pause after each flash-step. Each jump is about one thousand to fifteen hundred meters. By the time they reach me, I’ll have time for about ten shots... No problem!) Zero Point’s sniping skill was honed to perfection. With his Gene Lock activated and his attributes enhanced, his sniping ability had increased dramatically. He proceeded to fire four consecutive shots.

After those four shots, the remaining Yellow Turban Warriors were all reduced to fragments by the Gauss sniper rifle. He hadn't missed a single shot; both accuracy and speed were flawless beyond criticism.

... "After I handed over the communication metal shards to the KMT government, Chu Xuan said that human technology wouldn't be able to decipher the technology on those shards for at least two hundred years, so handing them over was safe. Only after we had allied with the KMT government did Chu Xuan instruct me to hurry here. He said if Zheng Zha hadn't woken up, you would need my strength."

Zero Point looked at the assembled group before him and calmly explained how he had arrived, having rushed over immediately after concluding matters in Chongqing, following Chu Xuan's orders.

He had, in fact, saved them at the critical moment.

Qi Tengyi and Liu Yu both let out a breath of relief, exchanging glances. They were inwardly thankful that Chu Xuan hadn't abandoned them; otherwise, they would truly be doomed.

Of course... Chu Xuan remained the same as ever—was it arrogance, or disdain?

Regardless, he still looked down upon everyone else's intellect and never volunteered any of his own thoughts... “So, how is Zheng Zha?” Zero Point suddenly asked.

The others simultaneously looked towards the sleeping figures. Everyone, including Zheng Zha, was sound asleep. Even after the crisis posed by the Yellow Turban Warriors, these individuals slumbered peacefully; even Zheng Zha, who had briefly awakened, was now asleep among them.

Zero Point sighed, “Sigh. If everyone weren't asleep, our team’s strength wouldn't be in such a sorry state. Xiao Honglu and Chu Xuan could each lead a separate team. One team could concentrate the majority of the powerhouses, and the other would have Zheng Zha. We could have handled this sub-plot mission by splitting into two teams and operating independently. Then, our manpower and operational capacity wouldn't be so depleted...”

“Then, following Chu Xuan’s instructions, I will guard this location until Zheng Zha awakens,” Zero Point stated calmly after surveying the group.

(Though I say that... if the Yellow Turban Warriors truly scale their strength based on a percentage of the last time they died—meaning, if their flash speed and range increase drastically—can I still snipe them all before they get close? Can I?) Zero Point’s attack profile was one of extremes: immense strength coupled with extreme weakness. Given sufficient distance and preparation time, he could eliminate beings whose physical capabilities dwarfed his by a hundredfold. But once engaged in close combat, a martial artist with only half his physical conditioning could kill him. That was Zero Point’s limitation. So, while destroying the Yellow Turban Warriors seemed easy this time, if even one got close, ten Zero Points wouldn't be enough to withstand a single punch from those monsters.

(I can only wait. I hope Zheng Zha and the others wake up before the Yellow Turban Warriors become too strong... By the way, with me gone, are Chu Xuan and the others truly alright?)

“Alright? What do you mean, ‘alright’!” Cheng Xiao roared. “What does ‘alright’ mean? How can it be alright? If it were just meeting the party leadership—fine, some of those figures are my idols—but you idiot, you want me to do this? Can that be called ‘alright’? Are you planning to kick me aside after securing the alliance with the Communist Party?”

(Author’s Note: Due to warnings from the editor regarding the potential ramifications of publishing this section, approximately nine thousand characters here have been deleted or heavily revised, including names of the first generation of our party’s leadership, place names, and details of the party’s actions. Please accept our apologies; please imagine the general context yourselves.)

Due to the successful alliance with the second largest political faction in China at that time, the integration of internal Chinese intelligence systems was largely complete. Although the two parties were allied with the central focus being the resistance against Japan, this alliance was fragile and temporary. When the anti-Japanese war ended, the Chinese Civil War would begin, a fact both sides clearly understood. Therefore, complete cooperation between their intelligence networks was impossible. Even under the dual pressure of military threat and vested interests, Chu Xuan could, at best, gain limited access to both intelligence systems.

“It is alright,” Chu Xuan said seriously, holding the silver metal shard. “Because I am not asking you to go to Japan as an envoy to discuss the alliance; I am asking you to deliver a threat. Do you understand?”

“But it is a problem!” Cheng Xiao yelled. “If it’s a threat, shouldn’t military power be the backup? But you forbid me from using force! What is this? Am I going there for a vacation or a sightseeing trip?”

“Uh, it is not a vacation or sightseeing...” Chu Xuan affirmed. “You are going for negotiation and intimidation.”

Cheng Xiao fell silent on the other end of the silver metal shard for a long moment. He then roared, “If it’s a threat, then let me destroy a Japanese division as well! You know I’m a textbook hothead. If I go to the Northeast and do nothing, do you think I can stand idly by after seeing the atrocities there? You want me to be nothing more than a standard messenger—I absolutely cannot do that!”

“There is the saying, ‘During wartime, envoys are not to be slain’...” Chu Xuan remained calm. “Similarly, a wartime envoy should not slay a general. An envoy should simply be a tool for communication and discussion between both parties. Zhang Heng has already completed the purpose of 'beating the bush to startle the snake.' Your goal is not to run wild, but to retrieve the remaining parts of the Buddha statue. We can confirm two things about the Japanese forces: First, their secret troops have entered Shanxi. Second, they possess at least one part of the Buddha statue. Your mission is to threaten them into handing over all the statue components and to confirm the identity of at least one high-ranking official among them who knows the total number and location of the fragments. That person must be a top leader—that is your task.”

“This is not the real world; I have warned you before. So, do not invest too much emotion, Cheng Xiao. Completing the mission is the top priority. I won’t care about secondary matters...”

“So,” Chu Xuan’s voice suddenly turned colder than usual, and he stated plainly, “Do not let personal feelings jeopardize the team mission, or else...”

“U-understood!” Cheng Xiao shuddered, immediately replying, “I understand, but please don't make your voice sound so ominous! It’s terrifying enough with your naturally intimidating personality; your voice right now sounds even worse. I’ll do my best, but aside from frightening and threatening them, can I really not do anything else?”

Chu Xuan suddenly sighed. “Your strength is focused on single-target melee combat. In group fights, you are only suitable for battles involving fewer than a hundred people. Sending Zhang Heng to attack a division was already a decision made under duress. Neither you nor Zero Point is suited for ten-thousand-person engagements. In this scenario, Ba Wang and Wang Xia would actually be the most suitable candidates. But Wang Xia has another assignment, so for meeting with the Japanese high command in the Northeast, you remain the best choice.”

“Furthermore... await my orders at all times. If the Japanese leadership remains obstinate and refuses to return the Buddha statue components, I will have Wang Xia bring that thing to you... Regarding the Magic Cannon, it is best not to use it within the continental shelf of China. That is the basic situation... We have less than four days left. Zheng Zha is asleep, Zero Point is forced to hold his position, and intelligence reports show two Buddha statue components are still missing... I can only do my best. I hope that by the time Zheng Zha wakes up, we aren't all in hell...”

Chu Xuan never shared his thoughts with others—whether this stemmed from arrogance in his own intellect, disdain for the intelligence of his teammates, or simply a lack of emotion—so no one could ever fathom what he was planning. However, he inadvertently revealed a sliver of his inner state now, which surprised Cheng Xiao. After thinking it over without reaching any clear conclusion, he reluctantly accepted the assignment and set off on his Green Goblin Skateboard toward the Japanese-occupied Northeast.

As Cheng Xiao advanced toward the Northeast, Zhang Heng was also heading in that direction. His orders were to wait there until further commands arrived. Naturally, because Cheng Xiao’s capability in large-scale group combat was poor, Zhang Heng had a secondary mission: should Cheng Xiao be unable to resist engaging the Japanese army, Zhang Heng would provide support. As for Wang Xia’s destination, it was East; he was to cross the Pacific Ocean before the American Navy fleet transporting that specific Buddha statue component could reach their home waters... He was to retrieve the Buddha statue and annihilate the entire American naval fleet holding the fragment!

Then, only the sleeping Zheng Zha remained...

(This is so boring. I’m about to fall asleep in this dream world already...) Zheng Zha was truly bored. He had been alone on this deserted island for over two months. For some reason, after the Assassin Family sent helicopters to pick up the youths from the island, Zheng Zha was left behind. He had followed Zhao Yingkong everywhere on the island previously, but after she also left, he found himself unable to depart. Even when standing on a departing aircraft, once it moved a few hundred meters away from the island, he would simply fall off, as if the plane didn't exist—meaning he was confined to this small island.

(Does this imply that Zhao Yingkong has the deepest impression of this island, and this is where her transformation took place?) Zheng Zha took a deep breath and silently adjusted his state to unlock the third stage of his Gene Lock, setting his simulation target to Zhao Yingkong. Once everything was set, he punched a large tree beside him.

As his fist struck, the tree immediately snapped, breaking cleanly in two.

Zheng Zha hadn't been idle during this time. Besides intensely studying some close-combat techniques from the Assassin Family, he had been searching for ways to access this dream world. After trying numerous approaches, he found only one method: shifting his thought process to align with Zhao Yingkong's. The closer his thought patterns mirrored hers, the greater the power he could wield within this world. So far, if he simulated Zhao Yingkong at full capacity, his strength reached almost fifty percent of his original power.

(Because this is her dream world, simulating her allows me access? But I am simulating the cold girl I knew in the Main God space, not this smiling, cold girl in the dream world. Can this still work? Do both Zhao Yingkongs, with their different personalities and strengths, coexist?)

Zheng Zha’s concern was valid. The appearance of the new Zhao Yingkong, or rather, the Zhao Yingkong from his past memories, had led him to believe the one he knew from the Main God space had vanished. Thus, when he formed this theory, the joy he felt was immeasurable... Although, in terms of raw strength, the Zhao Yingkong in the dream was far superior, the cold girl with whom he had spent so much time was their true companion in terms of emotional connection.

As Zheng Zha was deep in thought, a faint sound of air displacement reached him from the far distance. The sound grew closer to the island until Zheng Zha scanned his surroundings and finally saw over a dozen transport helicopters appearing on the horizon—the mode of transport the Assassin Family used for its children. All were the latest model military transport helicopters in the world, illustrating the secular wealth possessed by the Assassin Family. An ancient lineage spanning thousands of years certainly possessed extraordinary wealth and power.

Two months after leaving the island, Zhao Yingkong and the others returned. The children began disembarking in small squads. Due to some special connection, the moment Zhao Yingkong set foot on the island, Zheng Zha reappeared beside her, instantly reverting to his previous state. Zheng Zha silently followed Zhao Yingkong like a ghost.

(...Nine, ten, eleven... Everyone from Zhao Yingkong’s squad is here. It seems no major upheaval occurred while they were away,” Zheng Zha sighed in relief. His biggest fear was that Zhao Yingkong's transformation would occur where he couldn't see it, causing him to miss the opportunity to leave this dream world. However, as his relief settled, a new worry arose: who knew when the turning point would occur? Zhao Yingkong still looked very young; there were several years until she reached the age she was when she entered the Main God space. Zheng Zha had no desire to spend years in this dream world, yet the current situation suggested the dramatic change was still far off.

For a time, there was silence. The children who had arrived on the isolated island scattered once more, reverting to their previous states of solitary or shared survival. Zhao Yingkong’s team members conferred briefly and then also dispersed, spreading out across the island to forage for food and water. Time slipped by. Zheng Zha only observed Zhao Yingkong gathering food and ice blocks, just as she always did. It was only as night fell that Zhao Yingkong’s team regrouped, followed by the natural course of laughter, eating, and drinking, until late into the night when everyone finally drifted off to sleep.

More than an hour after everyone had settled down.

Zhao Yingkong lightly sprang up from the ground, then slipped into the nearby jungle with the agility of a cat. Zheng Zha hovered silently behind her, following her like a shadow until several minutes later.

Zhao Yingkong finally paused softly beside a towering tree.

“Come out, Zhui Kong. I have something to ask you.”

The moment she arrived, Zhao Yingkong spoke urgently, even scrambling up toward the treetop as she spoke.

Indeed, a dark figure emerged from behind the crown of the tree. Zhao Zhui Kong stood there. He managed a wry smile for Zhao Yingkong, who had leaped up to join him on the branch, but before he could speak, Zhao Yingkong pressed on, her voice laced with anxiety: “I haven’t been able to ask until now—is Rui Kong injured? Were you and she ambushed during your mission? Tell me quickly. That damned brother, you can’t even protect your own sister…”

Zhao Zhui Kong gave a bitter smile. “It was indeed my fault… Let’s set that aside for now, Yingkong. On this last trip back, my younger sister and I infiltrated the forbidden grounds of the family headquarters. We discovered something extraordinary there… Something that directly led to my sister’s injury. Do you understand? Perhaps all our previous assumptions were wrong. The Elders are not intending to cultivate the next generation of powerhouses for the Assassin Family.”

“Or perhaps we aren’t being groomed to become the next generation of powerhouses. Even if we are injected with special genes, we might only be tools to be utilized.”

At this, Zhao Yingkong became utterly calm.

She pondered for a moment. “That’s right. According to the pact we set, upon returning this time, I will focus on finding a way to resolve the Heart Demon issue. You and Rui Kong, meanwhile, must find a way to penetrate the core area of the headquarters and uncover every single detail… Speaking of which, you discovered something astonishing on this return trip? What was it?”

Zhao Zhui Kong nodded. “Yes, we successfully gained entry to the core location of the headquarters… There, we found two individuals who had unlocked the fourth stage of the Gene Lock. No. To be precise, two monsters devoid of thought…”

“We initially hypothesized that the Heart Demon state was the obstacle before unlocking the fourth stage of the Gene Lock, much like ancient legends of achieving immortality or the Dao. The Heart Demon should be a type of Heavenly Tribulation—failure results in madness and death; success leads to the intermediate stage of unlocking the fourth Gene Lock. But the two monsters we found there forced me to change that idea. Perhaps even if we go mad, we won’t necessarily die, but enter a state of blankness. And this state… this is what the Elders desire. In other words, perhaps they don't want us to become stronger or to be the next generation of powerhouses for the Assassin Family. Instead, they view us like raw materials for poisons in alchemy—raising us all in the same environment, then having us all enter the intermediate stage of the fourth Gene Lock, losing all thought, becoming nothing more than their tools… Only body, power, life, but no consciousness—biological tools! This might be the Elders’ true objective! This might be the final destination for all of us!”

Zhao Zhui Kong grew increasingly agitated as he spoke, finally roaring the last words. Zhao Yingkong reacted the fastest, clamping her hand over his mouth. It took several tens of seconds before the man slowly calmed down, at which point Zhao Yingkong said, “Tell me the general situation. Briefly describe what happened then…”

“My sister and I snuck into that core area together. Just as we predicted, there was indeed a mysterious structure beneath the family headquarters. As we tried to proceed further, two monsters of differing forms blocked our way. One monster retained about seventy percent of its human appearance, though it was significantly larger than a normal person. The other monster was only thirty percent human-like, resembling a winged, serpentine creature. The power of these two monsters was astonishing. My younger sister was completely overwhelmed, even when she deployed her special abilities. We discovered their minds were nothing but blank, raging bloodlust, focused only on killing any living creature they saw. Aside from that, there was only the residue of their memories—the memories from when they were still human, having grown up just like us, then unlocking the fourth Gene Lock, losing their minds, and becoming what they are now… That’s the general course of events. Besides the internal injuries to her body, my sister’s consciousness is also quite damaged from prolonged exposure to such violent mental states,” Zhao Zhui Kong concluded, exhaling deeply.

Zhao Yingkong also let out a breath. She forced herself to stabilize her emotions before speaking, “I have some ideas regarding overcoming the Heart Demon, and I will constantly monitor Rui Kong’s condition. However… what you described deeply worries me. Failing to pass the Heart Demon trial truly doesn’t lead to madness and death, but to this state of mindless, free-will-less living corpses? Or does it mean the Elders possess not only the technology to convert the fourth-stage gene into a catalyst, but also advanced technology to control these maddened fourth-stage beings?”

This line of reasoning was purely her personal speculation. The two discussed it for a long time without reaching a definite answer. Thus, they decided that the next time they returned to headquarters, Zhao Yingkong would accompany them to break past the guard of those two monsters and enter the core area. Their discussion then shifted to the method Zhao Yingkong had recently discovered for conquering the Heart Demon.

“The so-called Heart Demon should be the greatest obsession within the heart. I have hypothesized that the Heart Demon manifests in two primary forms of obsession: one is being unable to let go, and the other is being unable to obtain. ‘Unable to let go’ refers to the greatest obsession you have consistently held—such as loving someone, hating someone, achieving a certain objective, or completing a specific goal, like wanting to kill someone, or simply the sheer desire to survive. When this obsession becomes too powerful, that is your Heart Demon. ‘Unable to obtain’ refers to an obsession over something never possessed—perhaps a person you desire, an object you cherish, or a level or state you have always strived for. The immense obsession arising from never obtaining these things is where the Heart Demon of ‘unable to obtain’ resides.”

Zhao Yingkong sighed deeply. “My Heart Demon probably falls under the ‘unable to let go’ category. I cannot let go of everyone… In short, my Heart Demon is to abandon this reluctance to let go. When I can achieve this great letting go, I will achieve a true breakthrough. I just don’t know which type Rui Kong belongs to—unable to let go, or unable to obtain. If it’s the latter… then I don’t know how that type breaks through, or perhaps the Heart Demon of ‘unable to obtain’ is even harder to overcome than the first type…”

Suddenly, Zhao Zhui Kong drew Zhao Yingkong’s small frame into his embrace. To his surprise, Zhao Yingkong gently accepted the hug, unlike her usual shy resistance. They simply held each other quietly for a long time. Finally, Zhao Zhui Kong spoke, “In two months, you’ve found so much information about the Heart Demon… You must have approached the Heart Demon state several times during these two months, haven’t you? You fool, what you’re doing is incredibly dangerous…”

“Whether it’s dangerous or not is irrelevant for now,” Zhao Yingkong said with a smile within his arms. “At least… I have found a path for everyone to survive. That satisfies me greatly.”

“…You fool, Yingkong. If—and I mean if—one of us fails to overcome the Heart Demon, you must kill that person. Do not let them become one of those mere physical tools, surviving without thought, without consciousness. That future is too tragic. Comparatively, I would prefer death. If the day truly comes when I am on the verge of becoming such a tool, I will certainly kill all my comrades, including you and my sister. All the sin… all the sin, I will bear alone…”

“It won’t happen…” Zhao Yingkong murmured, clenching her fist. “I will not let that day arrive. Rest assured, I will ensure everyone stays safe. We won’t die, and we won’t become controlled physical tools. No, we won’t!”

(So this is the origin of the great change that comes later? Zhao Zhui Kong’s vow and actions… he actually is…)

Zheng Zha did not know the full truth. He only knew one thing—though it was merely a personal premonition, he felt it keenly… That great change was about to begin!

Four days and three nights had passed; only half the time remained… The Buddha statue components were still scattered everywhere. The first team, along with Ling Dian, were guarding the Buddha’s head in Shanxi. The second team, with Cheng Xiao heading to the Japanese-occupied zone of Shanzhao, closely followed by Zhang Heng. Wang Xia was pursuing the American Pacific Fleet carrying a massive cache of plasma bombs. Chu Xuan was stationed in Shanghai. Only half of the seven-day critical timeframe was left…