CHAPTER 416: CHAPTER 415: IN THE BLINK OF AN EYE, HE WAS GONE...

Chapter 415: In the Blink of an Eye, He Was Gone...

"Those heretics... they may not outnumber us, but they have no shortage of powerful individuals."

President Chen sighed heavily.

From what he knew, many familiar faces who joined this latest heretic-hunting operation still hadn’t returned with any news...

Even someone as strong as Ba Liming had to sacrifice an arm just to make it back alive.

And today happened to be the one-month deadline. Those who hadn’t been heard from by now were likely never coming back.

"Uncle-Master lost an arm?"

Chen Ye asked in shock, "How is he now?"

"He’s resting at home, no need to worry," President Chen replied. "Your uncle-master’s physique is no longer ordinary. He even said himself that his arm should grow back in a few months."

Chen Ye paused in surprise, then remembered that Ba Liming was a top-tier powerhouse—a cultivator who had broken through the void and attained the Undying Divine Body.

At that level, one’s control over their own life force was nearly unimaginable. While not as extreme as Chen Ye’s own capabilities, regrowing a severed arm shouldn’t be too difficult for him.

In fact, Chen Ye could do the same. If his arm were severed, it wouldn’t even take months—his flesh and blood would regenerate almost immediately.

"That’s good," Chen Ye said with relief, then added, "I’ll go visit Uncle-Master tomorrow."

President Chen nodded at that. "You should. I’ve got some nourishing herbs to replenish his vitality. Take them with you when you go."

The father and son chatted for a while longer, naturally shifting the conversation to the dimensional rift.

"Dad, has anything happened near the rift lately?"

"While you were away this past month, the military clashed with the invaders several times."

President Chen thought for a moment and said, "Though we won each battle, the military suffered heavy casualties. Word is that the otherworlders are massing forces. Seems like they’re preparing for full-scale war. Command’s getting nervous—they’ve started recalling personnel."

"If you hadn’t returned today, I would’ve gone over myself tomorrow."

Chen Ye’s brows furrowed tightly at this.

"What’s wrong with those otherworlders? After losing so many times, what makes them think they can invade the human world?"

President Chen answered, "The Academy of Sciences has studied them. They’re not less intelligent than humans. If they dare attack, it must mean they’re relying on something."

"Oh?" Chen Ye’s expression turned serious.

Even though he was confident in his own strength, this wasn’t something to take lightly.

A war with another world... could affect the fate of all humanity.

"Dinner’s ready—come eat!"

His mother’s voice interrupted their talk.

The family of three sat at the table to enjoy dinner together. Chen Chao, the eldest brother, had gone to a regional branch office and wasn’t home.

...

After dinner—

Chen Ye pulled out his phone and contacted his girlfriend, Tang Zichen.

She had returned a few days before him and was already back to her normal life.

Soon, they agreed to meet up.

"Chen Ye, you look different than before..."

As soon as they met, Tang Zichen said, "Did you break through again?"

Her spiritual perception was quite high, and she was very familiar with him—so she immediately noticed the changes in his aura.

Chen Ye smiled and nodded. "Yeah. I made solid gains this time. My strength rose to a whole new level."

"What about you, Zichen?"

Tang Zichen replied, "Not bad. I took down more than a dozen heretics. After that, my spiritual warning activated, so I left."

Over a dozen heretics...

Even at the lowest potential yield, that meant over a thousand potential points.

Her trip had been highly rewarding.

Compared to Qin Muyin, Tang Zichen had far better luck.

She only got the spiritual warning after killing a dozen targets and could leave safely anytime.

Unlike Qin Muyin—her first encounter was with S-rank Han Li...

Had Chen Ye not appeared when he did, she might’ve perished at Han Li’s hands. Without his intervention, Han Li would never have let her go just to spare her life.

Then again...

Meeting Chen Ye meant Qin Muyin actually had the better luck!

That encounter had turned her into a legend.

Her strength had grown more than twentyfold!

"Chen Ye? Chen Ye..."

Noticing he had zoned out, Tang Zichen asked, "What are you thinking about?"

"Uh..." Chen Ye replied, "Just thinking about a heretic I fought. Zichen, I have to say—this one was insanely strong. Truly invincible among the heretics. But in the end, your fiancé still came out on top!"

They were already engaged, so calling himself her fiancé was perfectly appropriate.

Tang Zichen smiled upon hearing that. "Your strength is the one thing no one ever needs to worry about."

Seeing the trust in her eyes, Chen Ye suddenly felt a pang of guilt.

After all... what happened between him and Qin Muyin was basically cheating on Tang Zichen.

While his thoughts drifted—

Suddenly—

His entire body began trembling.

"What’s wrong?" Tang Zichen’s expression changed. "Chen Ye, you’re shaking. Are you hurt?"

Chen Ye frowned and replied, "It’s not me. I’m fine. It’s my clothes—they’re moving."

"Your clothes?" Tang Zichen blinked in confusion.

"The outfit I’m wearing is made from a special metal from the otherworld..."

Chen Ye explained the origin of his clothes.

Tang Zichen nodded in realization. "Then why is it suddenly reacting?"

Chen Ye closed his eyes to sense it, then said, "It’s scared... Seems like it’s sensing something."

Tang Zichen analyzed, "If it’s afraid, then whatever triggered it must be from the other world."

Chen Ye nodded, brows furrowed in thought. Then he said, "Well, my dad is heading to the rift tomorrow. I’ll go check it out too."

Tang Zichen immediately said, "I’m going with you."

Chen Ye had wanted to dissuade her, but her gaze was firm—he couldn’t bring himself to argue.

"Then we’ll leave in the afternoon. I want to visit my uncle-master first—he was injured during the last heretic hunt."

"Alright, I’ll wait at home."

After chatting a bit longer, they parted ways.

Back home, Chen Ye changed out of his clothes.

The metal-infused outfit had been shaking constantly.

And as time passed, the vibrations were getting worse. By midnight, they were so loud he could barely sleep.

After some thought—

Chen Ye decided to go ahead and check it out early.

"I want to see exactly what you’re so afraid of."

With that, he packed the strange metal into a small suitcase, took to the sky, and flew straight toward the dimensional rift...

...

Moments later—

Chen Ye arrived at the entrance to the otherworld.

Though it had only been a short while since his last visit, the portal had already changed—it was larger than before.

At the same time, the military had stationed a massive force around it, sealing off the exit completely to prevent any otherworlders from breaking through and threatening human cities behind the front lines.

Chen Ye’s eyesight was excellent. With just a casual sweep from midair, he estimated that over a hundred thousand troops were garrisoned here.

It was clear how seriously the higher-ups were taking this.

He also noticed that the trembling inside the suitcase had intensified.

Without hesitation, Chen Ye descended and landed in front of the military camp.

His sudden arrival startled many soldiers—some nearly fired in panic.

But once they saw who it was, their alarm turned to excitement.

Ever since Chen Ye publicly killed the invading alien, he had been hailed as a hero who saved Blue Star and all of humanity.

In terms of fame, Chen Ye was now arguably the most well-known person on the planet.

Especially in Xia Nation—everyone knew his name.

"Mr. Chen!!"

A battalion-level officer quickly approached, saluting with excitement. "Welcome, sir!"

"Please wait a moment, I’ll notify the commander right away."

Chen Ye nodded, accepting the gesture.

He was hoping to gather some intel from the military anyway.

Soon—

His arrival startled the base’s highest-ranking officer. A silver-haired general, wearing the insignia of a full commander, came out personally to greet him.

"Mr. Chen, welcome, welcome!"

The commander enthusiastically shook his hand. "On behalf of all our soldiers, thank you for coming. With you here, I can finally breathe easy."

Chen Ye was escorted into the camp and brought to the largest tent.

Many senior officers stood at the entrance to greet him.

Though all of them were significantly older—old enough to be Chen Ye’s elders—none dared treat him lightly.

His battle with the alien hadn’t just demonstrated his terrifying strength—it had earned him extraordinary status.

"I just returned from the secret realm," Chen Ye said, getting straight to the point. "I heard the otherworlders have been making moves. What’s the situation?"

The commander nodded and signaled to a nearby staff officer.

The officer stepped forward and began explaining the recent events.

"In the past month, the otherworlders launched four attacks against us. The intensity was low—likely probing attacks, meant to test our defenses before a full-scale invasion..."

"A full-scale invasion?" Chen Ye’s face darkened.

"Yes!" the officer confirmed. "Our scouts discovered large numbers of enemy forces gathering near the exit. Judging by their formation, they’re definitely preparing for serious conflict. A major war could break out at any moment."

No wonder...

None of the high-ranking officers had gone to sleep, even at this late hour.

Who could rest easy with enemy forces massing at the gates?

Chen Ye thought for a moment. "Can I take a look at the information you’ve gathered on them?"

The officer turned to the commander for confirmation—this wasn’t a decision he could make.

"Of course," the commander agreed without hesitation.

Soon—

A compact military laptop was brought over and placed in front of Chen Ye.

On the screen were over thirty pages of data—each page representing a different species.

It was clear the enemy had a wide variety of races.

As Chen Ye flipped through, he saw countless bizarre and grotesque creatures—his eyes opened wide with intrigue.

The final page described an enormous creature over forty meters tall.

Noticing his interest, the staff officer explained, "This giant was discovered recently. There only seems to be one of them, but even that is frightening enough."

"Also, it appears to hold a high rank among the otherworlders. The rest of them treat it with great reverence."

Though he listened, Chen Ye’s attention was entirely fixed on the image of the giant—and more precisely, on the weapon in its hand.

It was a massive, mace-like club—enormous, made from what appeared to be an unknown metal...

"This giant..." Chen Ye asked, "Where is it now?"

"Near the edge of the exit," the officer replied.

"What about its strength? Has it shown any power?"

"Not yet," the officer answered. "According to our scouts, it hasn’t moved since its appearance. It’s like it’s waiting for something."

Chen Ye nodded, his gaze shifting to his suitcase.

Ever since entering the camp, the strange metal inside had gone quiet. As if it had returned to normal.

That abnormal silence puzzled him... and made him uneasy.

Because he didn’t believe the metal would act that way without a reason.

His original plan was to head into the otherworld tonight—after all, he was powerful and bold enough to do so.

But now, with the metal showing no reaction, he decided to be cautious. A rash move might ruin everything.

With that in mind, Chen Ye said, "I understand. I’ll come back tomorrow. If anything happens, notify me immediately."

He had promised his father to visit Ba Liming tomorrow—and he couldn’t break that promise.

Hearing this, the commander looked uneasy. He signaled the officer beside him.

Catching the hint, the officer quickly spoke up. "Mr. Chen, if you’re not urgently needed elsewhere, would you consider staying here for the night—just in case?"

Chen Ye waved it off. "Don’t worry. If anything comes up, I can be here in no time. I flew from Jing City—took me less than two minutes."

That statement left everyone stunned.

This camp was hundreds of kilometers from Jing City.

Getting here in under two minutes? What kind of speed was that?

No one could even begin to comprehend it.

Seeing their disbelief, Chen Ye didn’t explain further. He simply stepped outside the tent—and rose slowly into the air.

In the next moment—

BOOM!!

A deafening sonic boom roared across the entire camp like thunder from the heavens.

Every officer and soldier felt their ears buzz from the shockwave.

Looking up, they saw that the night sky was now empty—Chen Ye’s figure was gone.

Only a long, torn streak in the air remained—proof that he had truly been there.

In the blink of an eye... he was gone.

[Author’s Note: Wrapping up, patching the final holes. Apologies—rough writing day, this Chapter was a bit filler. Be gentle with your criticism!

Probably seven or eight Chapters left until the end.]

(End of Chapter)