Chapter Seventy-One: The Gray Flame

The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest ocean on Earth, situated between Europe, Africa, the Americas, and Antarctica.

Its total area, including its marginal seas and parts of the Southern Ocean, is about 91,655,000 square kilometers, with an average depth of 3,597 meters. Its deepest point lies within the Puerto Rico Trench, reaching 9,218 meters.

It was at this very depth in the Puerto Rico Trench, at the instant gray flames erupted, that the abyssal darkness was suddenly illuminated. In this realm of perpetual silence, where no life had ever dwelled, an elliptical object, roughly the size of a millstone, had appeared at some unknown time.

From the intermittent traces left behind, it was clear that the gray flames originated from this oval object. From within, a light pulsed—sometimes bright, sometimes dim—as if some living creature were breathing.

Could this be... a life form?

Consider: this was the ocean floor, ten thousand meters deep!

Ordinary divers can reach only about eighteen meters. Professional divers can descend easily to forty meters, where the water pressure is about 3.9 atmospheres—equivalent to having four hundred and twenty-eight grown men lying atop you. The extreme limit for humans, unaided by equipment, is just over one hundred meters; to go beyond is certain death.

At three hundred meters, the water pressure becomes utterly terrifying, about twenty-nine atmospheres, pressing over five hundred kilograms onto every inch of skin.

At six thousand meters, one enters the hadalpelagic zone, where the pressure is enormous and the temperature hovers between zero and one degree Celsius year-round. Here, hardly any fish survive. Deeper still, scientific research has never found living fish below eight thousand meters—where the pressure has reached unimaginable extremes.

At the bottom of the Puerto Rico Trench, after the gray flame erupted, the water temperature soared. Endless bubbles rose upward, and the elliptical object was quickly buried beneath the swirling silt and debris.

No one knows how much time passed before an untraceable cracking sound finally broke the silence. The mud-covered surface of the elliptical object fractured.

In the next instant, a faint pulse of sound radiated in all directions. Wherever the wave passed, seawater was sucked inward, all material dissolved into nothingness, and the gray flames blazed ever more fiercely.

...

In the days that followed, the influence of the virtual network expanded rapidly. Responding to the joint requests of people worldwide, Lantian withdrew his previous decision—not waiting for the full month to pass before shipping, but instead releasing one million units per day to satisfy the demand for access to the virtual network.

More and more people received virtual network helmets, and more and more were amazed by the wonders of this new technology. The reputation of the Virtual Network Company soared to unprecedented heights, and the call for the “Blue God” grew ever louder. Meanwhile, the international situation became increasingly tense. Unlike the masses, governments and organizations subtly began to focus their suspicions on Huaxia. Across various industries, nations started to suppress Huaxia, overtly or covertly.

“Chief, messages from various countries have reached us through different channels. They claim the Virtual Network Company is engaging in monopoly practices and must be sanctioned,” someone reported in the same conference room as before, though this time more people were present.

“How is the protection of Lantian proceeding?” The chief did not comment on the previous statement but asked this instead.

“Chief, we have already deployed a division to Ning City. Both the Virtual Network Company and the Xuanxin Flower Garden villa district where Lantian resides are under strict military control,” a middle-aged man with the bearing of a general reported in a clear voice. “We have also detained numerous so-called international fugitives, all heading toward Ning City.”

“Hmph! What fugitives? They’re all agents! It’s always the same worn-out excuse!” an elderly man beside the general snorted.

“It doesn’t matter. Whether they’re agents or fugitives, keep them under control. These are extraordinary times—better to be overcautious than let anyone slip through the net!” The chief waved his hand with authority.

“By the way, I asked you to get in touch with the young Lantian. How did that go?” the chief continued.

“Frankly, Chief, he declined our invitation on the grounds of being too busy,” Old Huang, the previous speaker, replied, visibly annoyed, his beard bristling.

“Haha, the lad is certainly spirited. Does he think I should go see him in person?” The chief laughed heartily. In truth, he greatly admired young men like Lantian—capable and bold, truly people who could accomplish great things.

“You give him too much credit, Chief! There’s no need for you to meet him personally!” The others were astonished.

“There’s no such thing as too much credit. In fact, I look forward to meeting this young man who has astounded the world,” the chief declared. He then instructed his staff to arrange a meeting with Lantian in the near future.

What he did not know was that their entire discussion was once again being monitored by Bai, who promptly relayed every detail to Lantian.

“Heh, our chief is quite a decent fellow. We’re not related, but he still looks out for me. I should meet him and express my thanks,” Lantian said, watching the footage Bai had saved, a smile on his lips.

“Please! With your current power at Energy Condensation Level Seven, do you even need their protection? Those ordinary folk are more of a burden!” Bai retorted with disdain.

Lantian shook his head. After days of continuous cultivation, he had reached the seventh level of Energy Condensation, now strengthening his internal organs. Having completed the refinement of his heart and liver, he had become something beyond human. Short of a high-yield explosive, no firearm could harm him. In fact, with his speed, bullets couldn’t even touch him.

But that wasn’t the point—others didn’t know his abilities. For the state to assign so many people to protect him, with no strings attached, was already quite generous.

During the incident with Zou Tao, the surveillance footage had been collected immediately by Wang Yu’s secretary, and anyone in the Ning City Public Security Bureau aware of the matter had been placed under a gag order by Wang Yu. To this day, Lantian had never visited the bureau, nor had any related investigations taken place, so the higher-ups remained unaware.

“When they arrange another meeting, I’ll see the chief. There are things they need to know—I can’t carry this burden alone. It’ll do them good to realize that Earth’s humans are not as remarkable as they think.” Lantian decided it was time to reveal the secrets of the universe to the chief. Now that the virtual network’s training chamber was complete, he wanted to launch the trial in his homeland first—a plan that required full national cooperation.