Come forth, Tiger Pillar God!

"Boom, boom, boom—"

Within the winding, rugged tunnels of the underground palace, Hong Tao charged forward with the momentum of a war chariot.

Wherever he passed, the swarming black Shell Currency, the eerie walls of flesh, and even the grotesque, blood-red forests were all trampled into dust or torn to shreds by Hong Tao.

Like a man of iron, he smashed directly through the earthen walls blocking his path, carving a straight tunnel through the underground.

His eyes were vacant, as if he were in a dream, and as he advanced, he muttered to himself:

"Heart like a rock, fearless, firm as steel, even metal and stone shall yield..."

His direction was guided by the core of the anomaly infection zone indicated by the Anomaly Radiation Detector in his hand.

On the 3D waveform map, the core area—previously a blank space—had turned a deep, dark crimson, so red it was almost black.

The team of Anomaly Bureau investigators followed closely behind Hong Tao. Yang Gan and several other Awakened were responsible for clearing the remaining anomaly infections, followed by ordinary investigators wielding flamethrowers to perform high-temperature sterilization.

Behind them were the combat engineers, laying communication lines as they moved to prevent radio interference in the high-intensity anomalous mental radiation environment.

"Hum—" A roar echoed in everyone's minds, causing the ordinary investigators to clutch their heads and scream.

The Anomaly Radiation Detectors carried by everyone displayed chaotic waveforms, the values jumping wildly and peaking at nearly 5,000.

"Bang!" With a dull thud, Hong Tao, who had been charging forward, slammed headlong into a rock wall, his head instantly split open and bleeding.

His eyes suddenly cleared. He clutched his forehead and spoke through his headset:

"High-intensity anomalous mental radiation interference detected ahead. Self-hypnosis failed; unable to break through."

The voice of the subway station base came through the communication channel:

"Received. We just detected an instantaneous mental radiation value of 5,210. It is currently stabilizing around 3,000. The demolition team is on its way!"

As they spoke, several investigators carrying C4 Explosive reached Hong Tao and began planting the charges.

Watching the wall gradually being blown open, Hong Tao took a deep breath and said:

"Requesting increased firepower! Send all Awakened here! Also, I need a Fuel-Air Explosive Rocket Launcher!"

In the Bright Mall Subway Station, which had been converted into a makeshift command center, Zhao Yifeng nodded slightly at the curly-haired man, who immediately replied:

"Received. Heavy firepower is being deployed and will reach the front line shortly..."

Zhao Yifeng grabbed the microphone, took a deep breath, and said in a low voice:

"Hong Tao, you should understand what a peak of 5,000 points of anomalous mental radiation in the center of Gu City means. I order you to contain this anomaly at all costs! I have reported the situation to the General Bureau; reinforcements will arrive soon!"

A look of grim determination appeared on Hong Tao's face as he replied:

"Don't worry, Director Zhao. Gu City is my home, too. I am prepared to sacrifice myself—after I hold that anomaly back, of course. If I die, please tell my girlfriend that I love her very much."

Zhao Yifeng said solemnly, "I await your triumphant return."

Yang Gan, standing nearby, chimed in: "Brother Hong, which girlfriend are you talking about? Liu Yan, Zhao Xuemei, or Guo Xiao?"

Hong Tao glared at him, ripped off his headset, and tossed it aside. His eyes turned vacant once more before he charged toward the hole blasted into the wall.

"Boom!" This time, he smashed through, creating a large opening, and surged inside.

The Awakened and investigators behind him followed in a steady stream.

The scene before them suddenly opened up; they had entered a massive underground palace with a towering dome!

Looking into the distance, they could see an underground palace and bronze hanging coffins.

A massive Amalgam, the sight of which was enough to drive a person insane, was moving through the depths!

The anomalous mental radiation here even distorted their vision, making everything appear blurry, as if viewed through frosted glass.

Based on their positioning, they were now directly beneath the Silver Glow Cinema Subway Station.

Yet, blocking their path were layers upon layers of black shells like an endless tide, forming a wide, impassable moat!

As the shockwaves of anomalous mental radiation rippled out, eerie Ascension Tomb Murals began to appear on the dome and rock walls of the underground palace.

The earthen platform before them gradually transformed in their eyes into a complete palace, painted with blood-red cinnabar and exuding an eerie aura.

The hanging coffins suspended in mid-air by bronze chains began to tremble faintly!

Everyone understood that the anomalous mental radiation in this area was so intense that it was distorting their vision and causing hallucinations.

The mother looked at her jewelry-encrusted watch, her expression grave:

"The anomalous mental radiation value here has reached 936, and it's still rising!"

Her watch had been modified to function as an Anomaly Radiation Detector as well.

A chill ran through everyone.

They were currently in a location with no anomalous objects nearby, yet the reading was already this high. Near the bronze coffins at the core, it must be at least 3,000, if not higher!

"King Dian Li is inside the hanging coffin. He chose a bronze hanging coffin burial to be closer to the heavens, hoping to ascend to immortality after death. However, King Zhou Li could not bear to part with his beloved Snake Concubine and was resurrected during his feigned death."

Old Sun said solemnly, his voice filled with emotion.

Noticing that everyone around him was looking at him with strange expressions, he quickly added:

"That's all from the Ancient Dian Kingdom TV show. Don't you guys watch TV?"

Mother took a drag of her cigarette and said:

"According to the Great One's deduction, the movie is currently showing, and the plot should be reaching a terrifying climax. This is affecting the mental fluctuations of thousands of viewers. That bronze coffin and the other devices must be designed to absorb the mental radiation of ordinary people. Once the absorbed mental energy reaches a certain level, that should be the moment the anomaly known as King Zhou Li awakens."

At this moment, the anomalous influence from the underground palace below was gradually spreading outward. Strange blue bricks began to appear at the underground entrance of the subway station, the walls had been completely sealed off, and they were covered in all sorts of twisted, fleshy trees.

Li Fan said with an expressionless face:

"Old Chen, you are responsible for taking the people from the Dissection Department to a safe zone. They are a crucial part of the infiltration plan; protect them well."

Old Chen, the driver who had been silent on the side, nodded. He put on his protective suit and immediately climbed the nearby rock wall like a spider, scaling twenty meters in just a few movements to reach the platform where the Dissection Department personnel lay unconscious.

He then piled the dozen or so unconscious people onto his shoulders like a stack of arhats, carrying them as if they were a small mountain, and bolted toward the exit, disappearing from the platform in no time.

Inside the underground palace, the massive Tai Sui controlled by Huo Lei was in no rush to attack, instead slithering around the palace and the sacrificial devices like a giant python.

His eyes were filled with the joy of someone who had already secured victory.

His giant face, pieced together from various limbs, was full of enjoyment, as if his power were rapidly increasing.

The anomalous mental energy throughout the entire underground palace was also gradually coming under his control.

In the blink of an eye, he climbed to the top of the underground palace and looked at the bronze pillar altar to one side, revealing an excited expression.

The bronze pillar on the altar, decorated with tiger and python patterns, was trembling!

Huo Lei then suddenly looked up at the Cleaning Association members before him, a playful look on his face:

"A powerful anomaly I unearthed has returned, and it's nearby! Before King Dian Li awakens, let it play with you for a while... Come forth, Tiger Pillar God!"

As he spoke, Huo Lei channeled his vast mental energy toward the bronze pillar, offering it as a sacrifice!

Li Fan, who had been wondering whether the Tiger Pillar God would actually work, immediately felt his own mental energy begin to surge wildly!