The ancient age of the Shadow World was the era of the Mother of Ten Thousand Serpents.
During that period, the Shadow World was largely similar to the
One could tell that Xavier's father, a history PhD, held a cautious attitude toward those descriptions of the "serpent descendants" and "bloodline holders," believing them to be nothing more than the superstition and fear of ancient commoners toward power.
The true turning point in history began after the Mother of Ten Thousand Serpents' defeat and departure.
Approximately thirty thousand years ago, the Mother of Ten Thousand Serpents failed in her bid for control over the Shadow World and was driven out, after which the Night Lady came to dominate the Shadow World.
Ordinary people would never know about these events, but they did witness this critical juncture — the "Psi Energy Eruption" and the "Establishment of the Magic Network"!
"After the Mother of Ten Thousand Serpents departed, humans became the mainstream in the Shadow World, followed by an explosion of technology... and the key was the discovery of 'Psi Energy'..."
Leilin's right index finger slowly tapped the cover of a history book, a contemplative look flickering through his eyes.
"Psi Energy! It's the Shadow World's gift! Clean! Efficient! Low pollution! Most importantly — enormous reserves! It can even be artificially synthesized! The cost is absurdly low! As soon as it was discovered, it rapidly replaced all existing fuels and was widely adopted across every field... Now, all maglev trains, aircraft, even military high-energy armor — they all run on Psi Energy..."
Leilin slowly read through the passage.
"Before the Mother of Ten Thousand Serpents, there was none. Once the Night Lady arrived, it appeared... And the widespread use of Psi Energy immediately touched upon another entity — the Shadow Magic Network!"
Anyone reading this would realize it was the Night Lady's design.
"From then on, humanity had access to nearly limitless energy, and for just a small fee, they could use spells from the Shadow Magic Network indefinitely. Extraordinary power was swept into the dustbin, and those ancient cultivation methods were completely abandoned. They had truly entered the technological age."
This could be seen from Xavier's family heritage.
Tens of thousands of years ago, mythological heroes still appeared from time to time, but by the era of his ancestor Shanaer, even a trace of extraordinary power was painstakingly recorded. Clearly, there had been a massive decline.
"Over-reliance on tools while neglecting the self, the withering of extraordinary power, fewer opponents... and the omnipresent Magic Network monitoring the entire world..."
Leilin felt he was beginning to glimpse part of the Night Lady's grand design.
At that moment, a soul transmission arrived. Leilin's expression changed.
...
Anduo City! The city was now surrounded on all sides by dense military forces. Grim cannon barrels and numerous terrifying soldiers clad in exoskeletal armor made the very air seem to freeze.
At the center of their encirclement lay an enormous meteorite crater. Its core bore only crystallized traces left by extreme heat — whatever had been there had long since vanished.
Inside a hastily erected command center, staff officers and analysts streamed back and forth, delivering intelligence reports to the middle-aged officer from before.
"Nearby Magic Network has been sealed! No high-energy breakthrough traces detected!"
"Meteorite organization sampling complete! Currently being delivered to the Imperial Royal Researchers for analysis!"
"All Security Department personnel in position! Ready to deploy at any time!"
...This stream of intelligence did nothing to improve the middle-aged officer's mood. After all, he was facing an enemy that had destroyed a military base in an instant!
What was even more terrifying was that there was more than one such enemy!
"If this is the case, we can confirm that Envoy Number One is hiding within Anduo City! So — what about the positions of Envoys Number Two and Three? Where did they land?"
The middle-aged officer rubbed his brow.
"Based on orbital trajectory estimates, Envoy Number Two landed in the eastern Empire, within a thirty-mile radius west of Duonao City! However, since the branch base there has gone silent, the matter has been handed over to local garrison forces..."
A female officer in a crisp uniform pushed up her glasses — which lent her a touch of intellectual composure — and reported calmly. Her legs beneath the uniform were long and slender.
"As for Envoy Number Three, it landed in the Coral Ocean region. We've already requested the Imperial Navy's assistance in searching and eliminating it..."
"Three envoys appearing at once..."
The middle-aged officer looked as though he could barely bear the weight of the situation. "And one of them has already infiltrated Anduo City... How is the city lockdown progressing?"
"The military has fully entered the city. Citizens are strictly prohibited from leaving the Anduo City area... A few minor clashes occurred, but overall it remains stable..."
"That's good... For the Empire's safety, we have no choice but to inconvenience them for now..."
The middle-aged officer said expressionlessly.
Star Realm creatures were extremely dangerous! They could even hide within the souls of ordinary citizens, causing contamination of brainwaves!
The Empire had prior experience with this. They would certainly not allow it to happen again!
And even if these particular envoys were not the soul-contamination type, carrying even a single alien pathogen or plague would be more than enough to bring catastrophe upon the people in this area.
"Reiterate the lockdown measures! No one is permitted to leave — not even the original local officials. Anyone who disobeys is to be executed on the spot!"
After deliberating for a long time, the middle-aged officer finally issued the order.
"...Yes!" The female officer froze momentarily at this ruthless command, but ultimately obeyed with grim compliance.
"Heh heh heh... It seems our Empire's Eagles aren't so impressive after all! Getting all flustered over something like this!!"
Just as the female officer was about to leave, a mocking laugh suddenly sounded from outside the tent.
The green military tent was unceremoniously thrown open, and a squad of personnel in black coats strode in. The laughter had come from a crew-cut man among them with dyed-blond hair.
"Guards! Guards!"
The female officer instantly drew a compact firearm from her thigh holster and aimed it at the intruders, seething inwardly that the guards outside had been so careless.
"Hands up! You've just trespassed into a military restricted zone — I have every right to shoot you dead!"
The other civilian staff also drew their weapons and surrounded the group, and the female officer shouted furiously.
"Hee hee... shoot us dead? How amusing! Foolish mortals..."
Facing the female officer's threat, every member of the group looked unconcerned. The blond man simply flicked a finger with casual contempt.
"Ah..." In an instant, the female officer felt her hand no longer obey her commands. The firearm clattered to the ground, and her entire body was hoisted upside down into the air.
"How is this possible? There are anti-Magic Network defenses here — spells below mid-tier shouldn't work at all..."
The other personnel cried out in alarm.
"Nice legs! Those stockings... didn't expect you were the quiet type, Boss. Can I have some fun with her?"
The blond man eyed the female officer's legs, his narrow eyes glistening with a lecherous look as he turned to his leader.
"Enough!!! All of you, stop! Put your weapons down!"
The middle-aged officer was the first to command. Then he turned to look at the group's leader, his gaze complicated. "Are you here to mock me, Janus?"
"I don't have time for that, brother!"
The black-clad giant Janus first gave a signal, and the blond man immediately released the female officer. Then Janus produced a document stamped with the Imperial Prime Minister's seal and several other insignias.
"I'm here to clean up your mess... This proves that only our Special Action Division is the Empire's true trump card for handling these affairs!"
Upon hearing "Special Action Division," every military officer present silently drew a cold breath.
This hidden department of the Empire collected individuals with extraordinary abilities from across its territory, possessed the greatest resources and the highest level of technological support, and specialized in responding to supernatural incidents!
More critically... these people were even more lawless. Horrifying stories about their brutality were constant, and every member was a lunatic criminal!
"The Empire has deployed the Special Action Division? Do the higher-ups really think things have gotten that bad?"
The female officer slumped to the ground, cold sweat pouring down her face. She didn't dare glance at the blond man again.
"If this is the central government's decision, I have no objections!"
The middle-aged officer carefully examined the document, especially the seal of his direct superior, then rendered a formal military salute and handed a silver key directly to Janus.
"Don't disappoint the commander's expectations!"
"Don't worry! I'm not like you!"
Janus smiled coldly. The silver key in his hand melted instantly, seeping through the skin of his palm and vanishing into his body.
In an instant, the computers throughout the military camp chimed with a mechanical voice: "Base authorization transferred! Anduo City Shadow Network management access enabled! Welcome, General Janus!"
"Good! Connect me to Mole and Wolf Fang!"
Janus issued his command coldly, and shortly after, the screen flickered to life, displaying two figures in black uniforms.
"Boss! Team One in position!"
"Team Two in position!"
"Our target this time — Envoy Number One possesses the ability of soul transfer. Based on Shadow Magic Network feedback and the Central Intelligence Core's calculations, there's a high probability the target is hiding inside a civilian! Here is a consolidated list generated from the city's surveillance system. Carry out targeted elimination immediately!"
Janus raised his hand, and a dense list of names materialized before them — these were all individuals the Central Intelligence Core had flagged for abnormal behavior or whom the Shadow Magic Network had detected as producing anomalous energy signatures.
"Are you insane?!"
Janus's brother, the middle-aged officer, stared at the densely packed list containing tens of thousands of names and immediately roared: "They are all subjects of the Empire! They could all very well be innocent — the real culprit is just one person!"