After his breakthrough, Gao Mountain quickly opened his eyes, overjoyed.
However, he was startled when he saw Lin Xinghaiâs pale face.
"Brother Lin, whatâs wrong?" Gao Mountain asked anxiously.
"Itâs nothing. Just a bit of overexertion. Iâll be fine after some rest," Lin Xinghai said, waving his hand dismissively.
Hearing this, Gao Mountain breathed a sigh of relief, but the look he gave Lin Xinghai was filled with even more gratitude.
âFor Lin Xinghai to accomplish something so Heaven-defying, he must have paid a considerable price,â he thought.
Once Gao Mountainâs breakthrough was complete, the two didnât linger and quickly left the private room.
When they reached the main area of the Cultivation Room, Lin Xinghai saw that Liu Miaomiao had already come out at some point. She was sitting on the sofa, talking quietly with Shen Han.
"Miaomiao, how did it go? Did your Superpower undergo its secondary awakening?" Lin Xinghai asked expectantly.
"Yes!" Just as Liu Miaomiao nodded, she noticed Lin Xinghaiâs pale face and was startled as well.
She rushed over to support him and asked urgently, "Whatâs wrong? Do you need me to heal you with my Superpower?"
"No need. My Perception Power is just drained. Iâll be fine after some rest."
Lin Xinghai changed the subject. "By the way, what changed after your Superpowerâs secondary awakening?"
Liu Miaomiao stared at Lin Xinghai for a moment. Seeing that he really did seem to just be drained, she relaxed slightly and replied, "After the secondary awakening, its effective range has expanded to 10 meters. The speed at which I can drain an enemyâs Life Force should be twice as fast. The duration I can use the Superpower has also been extended by quite a bit."
Even though Lin Xinghai was prepared for it, he couldnât help but exclaim after hearing Liu Miaomiaoâs description, "Incredible!"
He also knew that this wasnât the limit of Liu Miaomiaoâs Life Control Superpower. Once she went to East Sea Academy and learned the Divine Demon Body technique, the probability of her Superpower awakening again would increase.
If she successfully completed a third awakening, her Life Control Superpower would likely become a nightmare for all her enemies.
After that, they all exchanged insights about their breakthroughs, particularly on the methods for inducing a Superpowerâs secondary awakening.
After all, if they compiled their experiences, it would be an invaluable resource for anyone attempting a breakthrough in the future.
Of course, they didnât stay much longer. Another ten minutes passed, and once Lin Xinghaiâs complexion returned to normal, the group left together.
Facing the expectant gazes in the main hall, Lin Xinghai had no intention of keeping them in suspense and immediately announced that all three of them had successfully broken through.
Instantly, the base erupted into an ocean of joy, with members of both Mercenary Corps cheering wildly.
A few days ago, when the news of Lin Xinghaiâs impending departure was announced, the members of both Mercenary Corps had been filled with anxiety.
Everyone knew that their current privileged position was entirely due to Lin Xinghai.
Now, hearing that Shen Han and Gao Mountain had successfully broken through, the members of both Mercenary Corps felt at ease.
This went without saying for the Heaven-Sundering Mercenary Corps. Having two Blood Qi Realm experts at the helm was absolutely unprecedented.
As for the Mountain and Sea Mercenary Corps, with Gao Mountainâs successful breakthrough to the Blood Qi Realm, combined with the five Mechas they already possessed, they now met the requirements for promotion to a Third Level Mercenary Corps. They didnât even need to wait for Zhang Meiling and the others to break their third Genetic Lock.
One could only imagine how excited the members of both Mercenary Corps were. Many even proposed holding another celebration.
After all, it was just past 10:00 PM. For the energetic Mercenaries, it was still far from bedtime.
Lin Xinghai didnât refuse the suggestion. Since he was leaving tomorrow anyway, celebrating with everyone tonight seemed like a good idea.
The Mercenaries gathered in the hall quickly and energetically went out to make preparations.
However, Lin Xinghai stopped the two corps leaders, Fang Tianhe and Gao Mountain. He also called over Shen Han, and the four of them headed to a small meeting room in the base.
After Fang Tianhe and the others took their seats, their expressions grew slightly solemn. They had a feeling that what Lin Xinghai was about to say would be anything but ordinary.
"Alright, Iâll keep this brief." Lin Xinghai said, turning to look at Gao Mountain and Shen Han.
"Now that youâve broken through to the Blood Qi Realm, there are some secrets I can share with you. For instance, the Abyssal Passages."
Lin Xinghai then gave them a concise explanation of the Abyssal Passages.
He explained that the Mutated Zombies, for instance, actually all come from within the Abyssal Passages.
He also mentioned that the number of Abyssal Passages was increasing every year, and that the rate of increase was accelerating.
In as little as three years, humanity might become powerless to defend against newly appearing Abyssal Passages.
If that happens, an endless stream of Mutated Zombies will pour out of the undefended Abyssal Passages. The outside world will no longer be as peaceful as it is now. Itâs even possible that Mutated Zombies will be roaming everywhere.
At first, Gao Mountain and Shen Han were able to maintain their composure, but their faces gradually turned pale. When they heard the phrase "Mutated Zombies will be roaming everywhere," their expressions turned to utter despair.
And it wasnât just Gao Mountain and Shen Han. Even Fang Tianhe, who had already learned this secret from Elder Wei alongside Lin Xinghai, looked extremely grim.
He usually tried his best not to think about the Abyssal Passages. âJust live well in the present,â heâd tell himself, âand leave matters of humanityâs survival to the higher-ups to worry about.â But now, Lin Xinghai hadnât just brought the issue out into the open; he had laid bare its cruelest aspects in the most direct way possible.
In the face of this, all they could feel was true despair.
âMutated Zombies roaming everywhere... what would that even be like?â
âForget roaming everywhere, even an attack by two or three hundred Mutated Zombies would be enough to overrun this branch base.â
âEven if Star Shield Shelter were upgraded to Star Shield Base in the future, it would be impossible to defend against an assault by several thousand Mutated Zombies.â
They could all imagine that if things really reached that point, even the major bases would likely fall, one after another.
And the underground Shelters, cut off from outside supplies, would ultimately meet the same fate.
"Ah Xing! Why bring this up all of a sudden?" Fang Tianhe asked after taking a deep breath to compose himself.
âAlthough reaching the Blood Qi Realm qualifies them to know about this,â Fang Tianhe thought, âit wouldnât have been too late to let Shen Han and Gao Mountain enjoy their achievement for a day or two before telling them the cruel truth. And if it were up to him, he certainly would have been far more tactful about it.â
"I want you to clearly understand the current situation, so you donât grow complacent after becoming the top Mercenary Corps."
"Of course, thereâs no need to despair. Follow my plans, and even if that day comes, we might just have the ability to protect ourselves," Lin Xinghai said seriously.