69novels Chapter 72: Relics Deep in the Qinling Mountains
Chapter 72: Relics Deep in the Qinling Mountains
The global headquarters of the Ultimate Martial Arts Academy, medical room.
Hong strode into the room.
His brows were furrowed tightly.
In the center of the compartment, two top-of-the-line life-restoration pods were operating at full power. Iceberg and Beast lay pale-faced in the pale green repair fluid. The sturdy space-standard combat suits they wore were now tattered and torn. The surface of the suits was covered with cracks, as if they had been brutally smashed by a blunt object.
Hong stopped in front of the repair pod and immediately checked the two men's injuries. Both had multiple fractures throughout their bodies, but thankfully, their lives were not in danger.
"What exactly happened? Where is Yao Rao?" Hong turned to the medical director beside him and asked directly.
Iceberg heard the sound and abruptly opened his eyes. He struggled to press the communication button inside the cabin, coughing up a mouthful of blood mixed with fragments of internal organs.
"Master, we were careless." Iceberg's voice was extremely weak.
After acquiring cosmic equipment and secret techniques some time ago, the three of them experienced a qualitative leap in strength. To test their abilities, they decided to travel together to an unknown ruin recently scanned by the Dome of Light system. That ruin was hidden beneath the Qinling Mountains in China.
I thought that with my planetary-level strength and new equipment, this exploration would be foolproof.
Unexpectedly, the ruins in the Qinling Mountains were not ordinary inanimate objects at all.
A highly advanced autonomous defense system was concealed at the entrance to the ruins. The moment the three of them stepped inside, the defense system inside the ruins was triggered.
Three puppet figures, each wielding a giant sword, appeared before them.
These puppets don't have very strong energy fluctuations, but their power generation techniques are very sophisticated, and their defense is extremely strong.
It took them some effort to defeat it.
Unexpectedly, after defeating three puppets, six more appeared.
Thanks to their arduous training and enhanced equipment, the three of them managed to repel the enemy after sustaining minor injuries.
Just when they thought it was over, nine more puppets appeared, their strength and technique even greater than the previous ones. The three of them teetered on the brink of collapse under the puppets' onslaught.
In the critical moment, Yao Rao used a special move tailor-made for her by the museum master to forcibly bind the nine puppets. The three immediately fled, but just as they were about to escape, Yao Rao was too slow due to excessive exertion and was trapped inside the ruins.
"We're out of danger, but the gate to the ruins is locked tight. Yao Rao got trapped inside while covering us!" Beast pounded on the wall of another repair pod, his eyes red-rimmed.
After hearing these accounts, Hong immediately reassessed the danger level of the Qinling ruins.
The fact that so many puppets, capable of tearing apart the defense systems of standard cosmic combat suits, are preserved makes this no ordinary relic.
Hong immediately took out several pieces of pure wood crystal, crushed them, and melted them into the repair fluid in the medical pod.
"You two focus on recovering. I'll handle the rest," Hong instructed the medical staff to monitor the data closely and ordered a complete information blackout.
Just then, Luo Feng and Thor rushed in one after the other.
They had just sensed a burst of primal energy arising from Hong's emotional fluctuations.
"Big brother, what happened?" Luo Feng was very surprised when he saw the two seriously injured people at a glance.
Hong did not hide anything and briefly recounted the Qinling ruins and the story of Yao Rao's entrapment.
"Ancient civilization ruins in the Qinling Mountains? After the Babata scan was completed, there was no special danger marking for that area in the database." Luo Feng realized that things were definitely not simple.
"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go tear down that ruin and rescue the people!" Thor roared, his fighting spirit soaring.
Hong, however, stretched out his right hand and stopped the two who were about to leave.
"You can't go." Hong's tone left no room for argument.
Luo Feng stepped forward, about to retort, but Hong shook his head forcefully, interrupting him. With a wave of his hand, his primal energy enveloped the three of them.
"Third brother, Yao Rao is from my Limit Martial Arts School and is also my personal guard. I can handle this matter by myself. With my current strength and the sixth level of the Light Domain, I can easily protect myself inside."
"Earth may seem peaceful now, but a real crisis could descend from the vast cosmos at any moment. Your top priority is to get the Golden Horned Beast to devour the metal and complete its evolution as soon as possible! That's the most important thing."
"The mineral deposits left behind by the Silver Blue Empire on Mars are the guarantee for Earth's future defense against external enemies."
Hong patted Luo Feng's shoulder forcefully, then turned to look at Thor beside him.
"Second brother, the spaceship matter cannot be delayed. You must depart for space immediately as planned. This concerns the fate of all humanity; do not act impulsively!"
These words were arranged flawlessly.
After giving his instructions, Hong turned and walked towards the helipad. Then, the Primordial Fighter Jet, carrying Hong, transformed into a streak of light and headed straight for the Qinling Mountains in China.
Sensing that the Primordial Fighter had flown far away, Thor walked to Luo Feng's side and nudged him hard with his shoulder.
"Third brother, did you notice? We've known each other for so long, but I've rarely seen Brother Hong in such a hurry." Thor rubbed his bald head and said jokingly.
Luo Feng sighed helplessly and shrugged at Thor.
"Second Brother, Sister Yaorao is, after all, one of Brother's personal guards who has risked her life alongside him. Now that her fate is uncertain, it's only natural that Brother is anxious. Don't make wild guesses."
"Hey, what do you know, kid? Brother Hong's mental state is usually so calm and collected, like a still well. This time, he didn't even have time to plan carefully; he just dropped everything and rushed in. There's definitely more to this than meets the eye!"
Thor smiled, his expression meaningful.
Luo Feng didn't reply; he stared at the monitor screen, still somewhat worried.
"Second Brother, that's a relic that can even tear apart a space suit. Big Brother, are you really sure you'll be okay going alone? Are we really just going to go to space and abandon it?"
As soon as he finished speaking, a red light popped out from the auxiliary light computer on Luo Feng's wrist.
Babata's virtual projection popped up. It flew to Luo Feng's head and gave him a sharp flick on the forehead.
"Luo Feng! What are you meddling in? You're just worrying about things that don't concern you!" Babata crossed his arms, looking at him with a disappointed expression.
"With Hong's monstrous cultivation level and his domain, what on your Earth, besides the Golden Horned Beast, could possibly threaten him?"
Babata quickly retrieved several complex data streams and projected them into the air.
"I just scanned the residual energy on the Iceberg and Beast suits in detail. It's not destructive primal energy; it should just be a defensive alert mechanism, not a lifeless trap. Even if Yao Rao is trapped inside, she won't be in any immediate danger."
Babata circled in mid-air and pointed at Luo Feng's nose.
"The most urgent thing right now is your strength! If your Golden Horned Beast can't evolve to a cosmic level soon, any random interstellar adventurer could easily turn Earth into a slave planet! Besides, it won't take us long to mine on Mars. If Hong still hasn't resolved the problem by then, we can easily fly back in our spaceship to help!"
After listening to Babata's analysis and seeing Luo Feng's embarrassed expression, Thor couldn't help but burst into laughter.
"Third brother, Babata, that little guy, is right this time. Let's stop arguing."
"When has Brother Hong ever made a mistake? Let's stick to the plan. When we return from Mars with a full load, we'll bring back some big news from the universe so Brother Hong can broaden his horizons and show off!" Thor patted his chest heartily, full of enthusiasm.
Luo Feng was persuaded by the two, and his eyes became firm again.
He took a deep breath and nodded emphatically.
"Alright, let's set off for space!"
Without further delay, the two immediately turned and headed towards the helipad at the deepest part of the base.
A deep blue exhaust plume erupted from the engines. The black, saucer-shaped spaceship blurred into a streak, silently breaking through Earth's atmosphere and heading towards the vast, boundless starry sky.
at the same time.
Deep in the Qinling Mountains, in the land of China.
Hong's figure hovered in mid-air. Below him should have been endless primeval forests.
But at this moment, a huge canyon radiating an ancient metallic luster suddenly emerged from the ground, changing the entire landscape.
The canyon was shrouded in a dense energy mist, isolating it from all external satellite detection.
Hong gripped his black spear tightly, expanding his domain to dispel the surrounding mist. Without fear, he strode boldly into the massive metal gate of the canyon.
As soon as Hong Gang stepped in, a completely emotionless, mechanically synthesized voice exploded in the depths of his mind in the most standard universal language.
"A celestial-level life form has been detected..."
"The target meets the requirements for highest-level privileges. Initiate the 'Deathmatch' process immediately!"