Outside the main hall.
Yun Sheng withdrew her sword intent and fixed her gaze on Chen Lin. There were no fluctuations of spiritual power, no terrifying pressure; even his once-piercing gaze had become gentle and calm. Yet she felt that what stood before her was not a man, but a fathomless ocean.
Mid Nascent Soul-power refined back to simplicity.
"My lord." Heavenly Hatred True Lord and Changqingzi stepped forward together and dropped to one knee, their bearing even more reverent than it had been six months ago. They could truly sense the terrifying power held dormant within Chen Lin. The slightest contact would crush them to dust.
"Rise." Chen Lin spoke casually, turning his gaze to Song Qiuya, Qin Chuxia, and the others behind them. "Late Foundation Establishment. Good progress. But you're short on actual combat experience."
Qin Chuxia waved her little fist. "Chen Lin, I can punch through steel plates now. What more combat experience do I need?"
"Steel plates don't hit back." Chen Lin was about to continue when the dedicated-line phone in his pocket suddenly vibrated.
He took it out and saw Ye Wenjun's number.
He answered.
"Advisor Chen!" Ye Wenjun's voice carried unmistakable exhaustion and anxiety. Shrill air-raid sirens could even be heard in the background. "We have a crisis. The military region's defense line is about to collapse!"
Chen Lin's expression remained unchanged. "The Sea Tribe?"
"Not the Sea Tribe. Mutated beasts!" Ye Wenjun spoke rapidly. "Over these six months of spiritual energy recovery, the beasts in the remote mountains and forests have mutated at an unimaginable rate. Before dawn today, beast tides erupted simultaneously in the Greater Khingan Mountains, Shennongjia, and the Hundred-Thousand Great Mountains."
"The soldiers have been practicing the Taiyin Breathing Technique. Shouldn't they be able to fight back?" Chen Lin asked.