You, a living person, are telling me I've served in the underworld for ten years?

Chen Yang stood amidst the chaos, his wounds already healed.

He flicked a bit of charred blood off the black iron fork, looking at the four remaining men in black who were bound to the ground by Li Rou's gray chaotic chains, still convulsing in pain, their genetic armor tattered and almost unable to resist.

The leader was among them, his mask mostly shattered, revealing a pale, distorted face covered with blue veins, and a pair of scarlet vertical pupils staring intently at Chen Yang, filled with resentment and fear.

"Capture them all alive!"

Li Rou's illusory figure coalesced beside her. With a wave of her hand, more gray chaotic chains seemed to come alive and swam out, binding the four prisoners into a giant cocoon, leaving only their heads outside to breathe.

The prisoners were dragged along by chains, with Li Rou leading the way and Chen Yang following closely behind.

The surrounding scenery is no longer a misty stone forest, but a blessed land with towering peaks, flowing rosy light, and spiritual energy that is almost tangible.

Finally, they arrived at a massive dungeon carved out of a huge rock formation. The heavy, dark gold stone door was covered with powerful runes of isolation and suppression.

"Rumble..."

The heavy stone door slowly opened under Li Rou's mental control.

A strange, cold odor, mixed with a strong smell of blood, malevolent energy, and a faint, pungent disinfectant, wafted out.

The dungeon was extremely large and dimly lit, with strange, eerily glowing moss embedded in the walls.

Rows of thick bars, neither gold nor iron, separated individual cells.

Some cells were empty, with dry grass on the rough stone beds; but most cells were filled with all sorts of people!

There were company thugs who wore standard suits but were now filthy and had dull eyes; there were test subjects injected with drugs whose skin was covered with strange bluish-black patterns and who convulsed in pain from time to time; and there were also several defective genetic warriors who wore broken armor and had blank faces like puppets!
These are all henchmen of the Heavenly Dao Alliance who were captured in previous operations.

When Chen Yang dragged in four new prisoners, wrapped up like dumplings by chaotic chains and exuding a terrifying aura, the air in the corner of the cell seemed to freeze for a moment.

The captured henchmen were filled with a deep-seated fear.

With a thought, Li Rou automatically dragged the four most valuable fourth-generation "Source Warriors" into several special cells in the deepest part of the cell.

These cells were noticeably larger and more sturdier, with more complex and bizarre runes inscribed on the floor and walls. Heavy iron bars fell, chains wrapped around them.

Chen Yang's gaze swept over the prisoners, whose expressions varied but were all filled with fear, and finally landed on Li Rou's face. He asked in a deep voice.

"Has the interrogation been completed? Any new information?"

Li Rou shook her head slightly, and the illusory finger traced across the cages of the Source Warriors that emitted an ominous aura.

"The newly arrested ones haven't even started yet."

Most of those before were low-level executors or brainwashed experimental subjects, and knew only limited core secrets.

Her eyes, however, were unusually bright, with the burning passion of a researcher discovering a brand new treasure.

"Yang-ge, did you see that? These are living...samples!"

Her illusory figure pointed towards the prison cell, her voice carrying a hint of suppressed excitement.

"The genetic chains within these Source Warriors, the way the drug activated their energy circuits, and their modified and enhanced bodies... these are all invaluable living data! Tens of thousands of times more valuable than cold, hard dissections!"
"If we could establish a dedicated gene research base here... yes! Right here on our own turf, in a place where we won't be disturbed..." She looked up at Chen Yang, a strange light flashing in her cool eyes.

"Then, we will be able to truly understand the core technology of the Heavenly Dao Alliance! We will no longer blindly crack enemy weapons, but will be able to reverse engineer them, or even... tailor-make weapons to counter them!"

She added, her tone becoming more hurried.

"Perhaps we can even find a way to break free from this genetic control and purify the impure energy within their bodies!"

Those cauldrons that were tricked and modified... might still be able to regain their senses!

To build his own gene research and development base?! Right here in this blessed land that belongs only to him?
Chen Yang's heart skipped a beat!
An indescribable excitement and sudden enlightenment instantly swept over him!
This proposal was like a lightning bolt, cleaving through the fog of his previous passive counterattacks! From passive defense to active control! Why can't the enemy's knife become his own shield? Why can't the enemy's technology be transformed into a spear to pierce them?

“Establish a base here…” Chen Yang repeated slowly, his sharp gaze sweeping across the heavily guarded and secluded dungeon and the vast space outside.

"Far from the hustle and bustle, undisturbed, and self-contained... Good! Excellent!"

He slammed his hand on the stone wall, his eyes burning with intensity.

"This proposal is priceless! Once I get back and discuss it with Qiuniu and the others, I'll immediately begin preparations! I'll make sure to build you a top-of-the-line research facility here!"

A relieved smile flashed in Li Rou's eyes, and her voice became a little lighter.

"I had this idea vaguely during the last secret meeting of the Qingwei Sect."

However, at that time, the enemy was in the open while we were in the dark, and our foundation was unstable. Bringing up the issue rashly might only cause everyone to hesitate and become distracted.

She looked at Chen Yang.

"It seems the timing is just right to bring this up now."

Chen Yang's eyes were firm as he spoke each word clearly.

"It's not too late to bring it up now!"

It came at just the right time!

He glanced one last time at the four "Source Warriors" still growling and struggling deep inside the cage, as if looking at gold mines waiting to be mined, a cold and ambitious smile curving his lips.

"Our 'research' is about to begin."

Deep inside the dungeon, heavy breathing mingled with the clattering of bones against chains.

The four "Source Warriors," bound like cocoons by chaotic chains with only their heads exposed, stared intently at Chen Yang and Li Rou, who stood outside the cage, their eyes bloodshot like those of crazed beasts. The leader, whose mask was shattered, had bulging veins on his face, and his hoarse voice was filled with extreme malice and an unbelievable weakness.

"Test subjects? Ha! You dare use us as test subjects? Keep dreaming!"

He violently shook the gray, chain-like restraints, trying to ram the fence.

"The Heavenly Dao Alliance has spies everywhere! The coordinates of this godforsaken place will soon be calculated! The alliance's top Transcendent experts will descend! At that time, all of you will be reduced to ashes, wishing for death but unable to live!"

"That's right! If you know what's good for you, let us go! Maybe you can at least leave with a whole corpse!"

The other three also roared and howled, though their voices were muffled by the chains, but the fear in their voices was clearly discernible in the flames of desperate rage.

Chen Yang stood at the edge of the interplay of light and shadow, his face as calm as a deep, ancient well.

He listened quietly to the hysterical roar and threats, the cold smile on his lips remaining unchanged.

"Eyeliner? Calculation?"

He spoke slowly, his voice not loud, yet it seemed to possess a strange power, easily suppressing the noisy roars and clearly echoing in the gloomy dungeon, making the moss on the walls seem to tremble slightly.

"Who told you that this is a place that can be easily calculated?"

He took two steps forward, walked to the stone pillar closest to the leading "Source Warrior," raised his hand, and without warning, gently brushed across the rough stone surface. *Whoosh!*
The entire stone pillar lit up silently! It wasn't ordinary light, but rather a flash of countless extremely complex, ever-changing, grayish-white runes! The dungeon ceiling, the surrounding walls, all the fences… even the entire space itself! All were simultaneously covered for a moment by these obscure and profound runes!
A vast, boundless, cold, and all-encompassing will, like a sleeping beast, opened a single eye and swept over the souls of all the prisoners!

"Uh!"

The four roaring "Source Warriors" were suddenly silenced, as if their throats had been choked!

An overwhelming, irresistible fear, originating from the very depths of their being, gripped their hearts!

That feeling was like a tiny speck of dust trying to raise its head and challenge the will of the entire universe! The instantaneous suffocation made their vision go black, and their souls were almost frozen and crushed!

"You saw it?"

Chen Yang withdrew his hand, and the flowing runes on the stone pillar quickly disappeared.

He looked down at the four heads, stiff with terror and with bulging eyes, his voice indifferent and devoid of any emotion.

"This is the 'Sumeru Blessed Land' grotto-heaven, independent of the outside world. I, Chen Yang, am the master of this realm."

These four words—"Lord of the Realm"—were like a thunderbolt, crashing into the utterly chaotic minds of the four prisoners!
"The original essence of this blessed land is imprinted in my sea of ​​consciousness, and its spatial coordinates are integrated with my soul."

Chen Yang spoke calmly, as if stating an undeniable fact.

"Here, space, time, spiritual energy flow, and the life of all things... are all at my command! You, or those so-called boundary-breaking experts of the 'Heavenly Dao Alliance' behind you, want to perceive this plane?"

He shook his head slightly, with a hint of mocking pity.

"Unless I actively tear apart the spatial barrier and open the portal, even if a Great Luo Golden Immortal personally came and exhausted his lifespan to deduce countless ages, he would not be able to find even the slightest trace of this place! Let alone descend his power to break through the barrier of this blessed land."

"Your souls, your genetic signals, all the information fluctuations that belong to your existence... Under the rules here, not a single word can be revealed to the outside world."

Li Rou's cold voice rang out from the side, like the tolling of a final death knell.

"Death or being studied, that's your only choice."

"No...impossible..." the leading soldier muttered to himself, repeating the words in a daze. His face was contorted with fear and despair, all traces of the ferocious rage he had displayed moments before gone.

The other three had completely lost their sparkle in their eyes, as if their spines had been removed, slumped limply in the gray chains, only heavy, desperate breathing remaining.

This reality, beyond the limits of comprehension, utterly crushed their last shred of will to resist. The Heavenly Alliance, the world-breaking powerhouses—before this absolute ruler, they all became distant, illusory jokes.

Chen Yang stopped looking at the soulless prisoners and turned to Li Judo.

"Having people is not enough; the base also needs a large number of professional researchers, equipment, and a constant supply of consumables to operate."

Li Rou nodded.

"Manpower is the biggest problem. It's hard to guarantee that outsiders won't be infiltrated by the Heavenly Alliance, and their loyalty is also difficult to ensure."

Technology and equipment are relatively easy to obtain, after all, Yang Ge, you still have some 'international friends'...

Before she could finish speaking, a glint flashed in Chen Yang's eyes, and the corners of his mouth curled up in that confident smile again.

"People? That's easy to deal with."

At the exit of the deep, narrow mountain path, the night wind grew colder.

Qiuniu, a figure as imposing as a black iron tower, was the first to charge out! Closely following him were members of the Luanhuang Squad, including Li Mingrong, Wang Defa, and Xiao Wanlou, as well as a group of formidable helpers.

They all looked anxious, and their bodies still carried the smell of dust and gunpowder from the battle. Clearly, they had rushed to the aid of Chen Yang, following the faint clues he had left behind.

"Brother Yang?"

Qiuniu immediately spotted the man leaning against a sheltered rock, slowly wiping the blood off his face. His tense nerves relaxed abruptly, but he was then startled by Chen Yang's tattered outer robe, which was almost entirely stained red, and several deep, bone-revealing cuts.
"Big brother! Are you alright?!"

Li Mingrong also rushed over, grinning as he looked at Chen Yang's "miserable state".

"Cough cough... It's nothing."

Chen Yang waved his hand, coughed twice, and his face appeared just the right amount of pale and tired under the cover of night.

"It's just a superficial injury, it just takes a lot of energy."

He straightened up, casually tossed away the rag he had used to wipe his face, revealing a pale but unusually calm face.

Where are those men in black?

Qiuniu warily scanned the surrounding dark mountain valley, its sharp gaze like a searchlight.

The others also drew their weapons and became alert.

They received an urgent distress signal from Uncle Li, saying that they were surrounded by a powerful enemy. Chen Yang was left behind to cover the retreat and his fate was unknown. They rushed over but didn't see a single enemy. All they saw was a scene of devastation and the smell of blood.

"It's all settled."

Chen Yang's voice carried a hint of hoarseness from surviving a disaster, and nine parts of resolute coldness.

His gaze swept heavily over the mountainous area where the chase had just taken place.

"They were chasing us too closely, so I used a ruthless tactic to lure them into a pre-arranged killing formation."

"A spatially disruptive chaotic turbulence trap..." His lips seemed to twitch slightly, as if he couldn't bear to recall that scene.

"...They were all wiped out. Not a trace of their bodies remained."

"A spatial trap?!"

Wang Defa gasped, his eyes filled with shock and disbelief.

"Brother Yang, you...you can deploy such a deadly weapon? Even True Immortals..."

They could sense the lingering terrifying aura of the enemy described by Uncle Li; that was an enemy far more powerful than they had imagined! They were all wiped out by a spatial trap?

"cough."

Chen Yang coughed again at the right moment, his brows furrowing slightly.

"Knowing just the basics comes at a high price, and it's only a one-time opportunity."

He pointed to several fragments of bone armor on the ground, twisted into a pretzel shape by some immense force.

"I barely managed to get going after taking several of their sword strikes. I almost died."

His tone was a mix of sighing and relief.

This explanation makes perfect sense. He paid a heavy price, narrowly escaped death, and ultimately unleashed his deadly attack. Looking at Chen Yang's horrifying wounds and pale face, and then at the inhumanly twisted fragments of bone armor on the ground, the shock in Qiu Niu and the others' eyes gradually gave way to lingering fear and admiration. (End of Chapter)