CHAPTER 425: CHAPTER 425: WHERE DOES THE PEACEFUL TIME COME FROM?

"Wang Lan, do you recognize this person?" Cheng Jianlong asked hastily.

"Chief Cheng, he must be the ancient Giant Demon who was released by the Lv Family in the fixed dimensional space. At that time, the Giant Demon possessed Lv Yifeng, and Yifeng’s face showed bloodshot veins and scales. The scales on the face of the person in the photograph are identical to Lv Yifeng’s at that time. Although Lv Yifeng was killed by the Sunlight Sword Skill, the primordial spirit of the ancient Giant Demon wouldn’t die so easily; he must have also escaped the fixed dimensional space. But..."

"But what?"

"But if the ancient Giant Demon has already escaped the fixed dimensional space, why would he come to Modu City?"

This question immediately brought everyone present to their senses. Yes, why come to Modu City? Even if he weren’t an ancient Giant Demon, if he were any kind of Demon Clan spy, why would he come to Modu City to cause destruction?

Although Modu City is only a secondary capital, that was a term from the imperial era. Nowadays, the capital of Jade Country is only the Capital. Modu City boasts a thriving economy and a very high city status, but it cannot compete with the Capital. Yet, Modu City’s defensive forces are by no means inferior to the Capital’s. If the Demon Clan wanted to disrupt the political landscape of Jade Country, then they should be causing trouble in the Capital. What are they doing running to Modu City?

If it was merely for destruction, they could have picked any other city to wreak havoc. Choosing Modu City is like posturing as the fiercest, only to hit the hardest wall.

From the perspective of the Demon Clan, Modu City is not a strategic location that must be conquered, so today’s trouble in Modu City feels somewhat like a farce.

"The Demon Clan must have another scheme; it’s not just about causing us trouble."

Just then, Cheng Jianlong’s mobile phone beeped again with a new message alert. After reading it, he suddenly stood up.

"Just now, the intelligence department sent new information. Last night at midnight, a group of mysterious Star Martial Warriors attacked our Number 8 Prison, abducting fifty Star Martial Warrior criminals."

"A prison break? Is it related to the opening of these Different Dimensional Spaces?" a leader from the Academy asked.

"I can’t guarantee it’s related. But the fact that it was launched at this special time tonight, and they managed to abduct almost all the Star Martial Warrior criminals at once, makes me believe there is a definite connection. What do you think, Wang Lan?"

Why would the ancient Giant Demon come to Modu City? Wang Lan was still pondering this when Cheng Jianlong suddenly called his name. He looked up, deliberated for a moment, and said, "Is it possible that... their purpose was the prison break?"

"That... impossible, right?" the director of the intelligence department said with some hesitation. "To organize such a grand operation just for a prison break? Besides, are the criminals in that prison really worth such a spectacle by the Demon Clan? If they need manpower, Paradise Bird has plenty of people."

"But from another perspective, it’s not impossible," Ming Baiye suddenly interjected. "Modu City’s Number 8 Prison is extremely secure, and it’s only two kilometers from the Tianjian Bureau. Would they have had a chance under normal circumstances? Moreover, although the opening of the seventy-three Different Dimensional Spaces has caused a great deal of chaos, the strength of these Different Dimensional Spaces isn’t actually that high. These Different Dimensional Spaces give me the impression they were used to create chaos."

Ming Baiye’s words instantly plunged the director of the intelligence department into deep thought.

"Let’s do this: The Tianjian Bureau and the Academy will continue to maintain the status quo, guarding their respective areas and make their regional deployments denser. I will immediately issue a warning to the superiors. Until we understand the Demon Clan’s purpose and how many individuals possess the ability to open Different Dimensional Spaces at will, it’s best that all cities across the country adopt similar defensive measures. Lastly... Wang Lan!"

"Present!"

"You are responsible for investigating all underlying causes of this incident and uncovering the Demon Clan’s conspiracy. The forces of the Tianjian Bureau are at your disposal."

"Understood!"

"Wang Lan!" Eld Di suddenly spoke up as well. "You can make any request from the Academy—manpower, resources, anything you need, you can mobilize. As long as you can find that fellow and uncover the Demon Clan’s conspiracy quickly."

"Dean, my biggest concern right now isn’t the Demon Clan’s conspiracy, but... the issue of our highest combat power. Yu Ruoyun and I both have a profound understanding of the ancient Giant Demon’s strength. Before it, a Titled Strongman would be annihilated with just a snap of its fingers."

"No worries. Qing Emperor Yu Qing will be staying in Modu City for some time, and this old man can still lend a hand. If it truly comes to it, Dao Tianxuan can be recalled for temporary assistance. You just need to find the whereabouts of the Demon Clan spies, the ancient Giant Demon, and uncover their conspiracy."

"Understood!"

In a high-end villa complex somewhere in Modu City, a black car slowly entered the neighborhood. A light rain was falling, and the windshield wipers scattered messy droplets across the glass.

The car drove into the ground-level parking garage of a villa, and the garage door slowly closed. Through the lowering shutter door, a young man in red military attire stepped out of the car.

Crisp footsteps echoed as he descended a long flight of stairs deep underground. Lights flickered on, revealing several people sitting in an underground chamber. They shared no commonalities in age, physique, or even profession.

"The Time-Space Gemstone is not at the Tianjian Bureau. It should be in the hands of the Dean of the Star Martial Academy."

"Then what are we waiting for?" a gruff voice suddenly erupted. Astonishingly, a set of strange crystals was placed in the chamber. The voice emanated from within these crystals. As the voice sounded, a face gradually materialized within them.

The face slowly coalesced, forming into the visage of the Giant Demon from the fixed Different Dimensional Space.

"Respected Titan General, in Modu City, the strongest power is not the Tianjian Bureau but the Star Martial Academy. If the Time-Space Gemstone were at the Tianjian Bureau, I might be able to devise a plan. But if it’s at the Academy, we are powerless. How about this, Titan General—why don’t you lay low with us and bide your time? You can return when the Empire’s grand army arrives. What do you say?"

"Without a body, I cannot survive for long. The more time passes, the weaker my power will become, until I return to the embrace of the Ancient Gods. Only by returning to my home planet is there a possibility of regenerating my body. I only have twelve days. Within these twelve days, I must obtain the Time-Space Gemstone and open the spatial passage."

"Apologies, twelve days is simply impossible. The modification work for the Biochemical Demon General will take at least a month to complete."

"I am not negotiating with you. Twelve days. That is the final deadline. If you cannot achieve it, then I will borrow your body. When that time comes, don’t blame me for disregarding our kinship."

As his voice faded, the face within the crystal dissipated like smoke. With the Giant Demon gone, the six people present finally seemed to relax, letting out long sighs of relief.

"Why lie to him? Isn’t ten days enough for the transformation of the Biochemical Demon Soldiers?"

"Would he stay if we didn’t say that?"

"Although he is from the ancient Titan Clan, he is, after all, not of our era. He is bound not to follow our arrangements. Such a troublesome individual will pose a threat to our infiltration. In my opinion, we should send him away quickly."

"But he is indeed very strong, isn’t he?" the young man in red asked with a faint smile. "The ancient Titan Clan, even now in a mere spiritual state, can rival powerful beings like humanity’s Five Emperors. If we could devise a way to clone his body here, it would be perfect. The Titan Clan in their prime, even under the suppression of the Laws, possessed absolutely formidable strength. He could clear any obstacle we wish for him to clear."

"Create a Titan body in the earthly realm? Impossible. Let alone the suppression of the Laws, even without it, we couldn’t do it," an old, scholar-like figure quickly interjected.

"Do you recall... the Evil spirit?"

"The Evil spirit? That notorious criminal?"

"The Evil spirit possesses the ability of bodily regeneration. He can regenerate his own body, so naturally, he can regenerate others’ bodies as well. If we find the Evil spirit, we can definitely create a body for the ancient Titan."

"The Evil spirit was exiled to the earthly realm two or three thousand years ago along with a group of extremely vicious criminals. Is he still alive? I remember most of those criminals died."

"He should still be alive. The teachings of the Evil spirit cult are still passed down in the Cloud Sea region."

"Since you have this plan, why didn’t you tell the Titan General?"

"Because I’m not sure if his priority is returning to his home planet or regenerating his body. Besides, as you said, he is not of our era. We need a sharp blade, not an ancestor to worship. If we don’t have some leverage, how can we control him? If he’s not a fool, then we’ll do everything in our power to help him create a body. If he’s hopelessly foolish, then he can make his final contribution to the Divine Clan."

"Typical of you... so insidious."

"There aren’t many left of the Titan Clan anyway. Even if he returns, he won’t be able to revive the Titan Clan. HEH HEH HEH..."

Meanwhile, Wang Lan was entrusted with the critical mission of investigating the Demon Clan’s motives for causing chaos in Modu City. He would definitely take Jiang Xinyu, and Yu Ruoyun was also essential. One was his girlfriend; with the other, he could leverage the Yu Family’s power. Wang Lan would also bring the Tianjian Bureau’s S Squad; after all, he had cooperated with them before and highly recognized their capabilities.

That night, the entirety of Modu City remained sleepless. That night, Modu City’s various media outlets frantically barraged the nation’s attention. After countless questions erupted—Why did Modu City suffer such an attack? Why did so many people die?—public anger was easily directed at the Tianjian Bureau and the police. Had the Tianjian Bureau failed in its duty to protect? Was it dereliction of duty by the police?

By daybreak, the official media outlets collectively spoke out. Under the headline, "There Was Never An Age of Perfect Peace; Only People Carrying the Burdens for Others," they lifted the veil on what lay beneath the veneer of peaceful times for the common people.

"Jade Country, at peace for seventy years? For these seventy years, has Jade Country truly enjoyed peace and prosperity everywhere, with its people living and working contentedly?

Wrong!

You may live in peace and prosperity, but this peace has been bought with the lives of hundreds of thousands of Star Martial Warriors who died in battle over the past seventy years. It is because countless unsung heroes, enduring pain you can scarcely imagine, have protected you from the shadows.

What ’peace and prosperity’? The Demon Clan and the Ghost Clan have never relinquished their destructive ambitions, and the Exotic Beasts have consistently viewed humanity as nothing more than prey. Look at the known truths around the world—if not for countless individuals fighting in corners unknown to you, the calamitous situation in other war-torn regions would be a stark warning.

So what if Modu City suffered one such attack? Seventy-three Different Dimensional Spaces opened, and over 10,000 people died? Modu City has a population of 20,000,000! The opening of seventy-three Different Dimensional Spaces spread across Modu City resulted in a death rate of only one in 2,000!

If this were any other country, who could have performed better? Compare this to places where a single Different Dimensional Space can slaughter an entire city. What do you still have to complain about?"

In response to this narrative, the people, amidst their fear, gradually stopped their outcry. However, when the mayor of Modu City declared a city-wide state of alert, fear began to spread explosively.