The skyscraper of the Kim conglomerate beneath the floating sky island had been completely cleared.
To welcome the impending guests, Kim Won-seong personally directed the transformation of the building into a temporary hotel in the shortest possible time.
All available personnel from around Hancheng, Goryeo, were deployed around the building, forming an absolute defense perimeter.
The first to arrive was Yoo Won-tae, the joint representative of the Seven Stars Society and the major powers.
Following him was Jo Hyeon-in, who was temporarily in charge of the national intelligence agency.
The two ascended to the top floor to meet Kim Won-seong.
Kim Go-hee was conversing with her parents. The Yongcheon Base had agreed to release Kim Go-wol, and it was said that the mysterious treasure within the base had been fully researched.
This was largely thanks to the assistance of Su Mingyue, who held a transcendent position within the base.
However, Su Mingyue's refusal to visit Qin Ye Xuan was something no one had anticipated.
Kim Go-hee accompanied her mother out, leaving only the three major figures currently controlling Goryeo's highest powers in the room.
Kim Won-seong, representing the conglomerate's influence; Jo Hyeon-in, representing the nation's forces; and Yoo Won-tae, representing the underworld.
"Jo Hyeon-in, how is your intelligence agency?"
Jo Hyeon-in offered a wry smile, "Leaderless, the entire place is in chaos. After the spiritual energy revival, the nation was already divided and governed by the major conglomerates, and the intelligence agency barely survived in the cracks. Now, it's completely fallen apart."
Kim Won-seong turned to Yoo Won-tae, "What are the plans of the other factions?"
Yoo Won-tae bowed respectfully, "After the major upheaval in our three great sects and the Azure Dragon Temple, all major powers, including those in Hancheng, are now looking to flee. Some have already begun transferring their spiritual energy assets and are preparing to escape overseas."
Kim Won-seong remained silent.
Jo Hyeon-in produced a report, "There's something I must tell you all. This is intelligence from one of our agents stationed at the World United Space Organization."
He hesitated for a moment, "What the report says is rather unbelievable. To be honest, I don't believe it, but this intelligence is related to the mysterious floating islands, so..."
Kim Won-seong snatched the report, but could not understand it at all.
At that moment, Kim Go-hee rushed in excitedly, "Brother, brother is back."
Kim Go-wol was still wearing a white isolation suit, his face pale and gaunt, but his spirits were exceptionally high.
Choi Eun-cheol, supporting his son, was weeping uncontrollably. Kim Go-wol, upon seeing his father, was too emotional to speak.
"It's good that you're back. Now is not the time for sentimental family reunions. Come in and discuss matters with us."
Kim Won-seong suppressed his surging emotions and asked, "Did you see your Uncle Qin?"
"I did. He hasn't woken up yet. However, I also understand why Su Mingyue refused to see him." Kim Go-wol took a deep breath, "What happened at the Yongcheon Base is not what we imagined."
He comforted his sister and mother before quickly entering the secret chamber.
Everyone sat down again.
Kim Go-wol's eyes flickered, "Let me first explain about the Yongcheon Base. Hao Tian on the floating island was the most powerful being in this universe billions of years ago. He is not human, nor is he a life form of this planet, but was born from a stellar core of this universe and can transform his form at will."
Yoo Won-tae was dumbfounded.
Kim Go-wol continued, "Later, due to a strange event, Hao Tian merged with Uncle Qin. It can be said that Uncle Qin shares his consciousness and soul with him. I know this is difficult to comprehend, but the key point is that Hao Tian claims to be half Qin Ye Xuan, so after the spiritual energy revival, he voluntarily sought out Su Mingyue and asked her to go to the Yongcheon Base to study Pangu's Hand."
"Pangu's Hand is hidden within the Yongcheon Base!" Jo Hyeon-in clenched his fists. "Although intelligence had detected it long ago, we never believed it."
The matter of Pangu's Body and Pangu's Spirit had been clarified by Zhu Tianqi before she left.
However, the secret behind the universe's most powerful artifact, Zhu Tianqi had not explained, nor could she.
Kim Go-wol understood only partially, but he had had several secret conversations with Su Mingyue and thus knew another immense secret.
"Everyone assumed that Hao Tian tricked Miss Su Mingyue into betraying Uncle Qin. In reality, this was a super plan that had been in the works for half a year."
Kim Go-wol took a sip of water, "As soon as Hao Tian contacted Su Mingyue, forces such as the Su family's small building in Great Xia, the Tianyi conglomerate, and the Chaoge Academy began researching countermeasures. They eventually united with the highest levels of government from other countries in this world and devised a plan targeting Pangu's Hand."
"They called it Project Shatter Heaven!"
The 'Heaven' in Shatter Heaven naturally referred to Hao Tian.
Kim Won-seong and the others exchanged glances, looking unconvinced, "If Hao Tian is truly someone who can destroy the world with a single thought, then would the so-called Project Shatter Heaven be effective?"
Kim Go-wol smiled, "I asked the same question. Su Mingyue said the chance of success was very high. I believe everyone has guessed it; their plan was to tamper with Pangu's Hand. Under the guise of helping Hao Tian research Pangu's Hand, they would place a mechanism within it."
"It sounds like a very crude and naive plan, very rough. But the mechanism they used was not runes, not old-world bombs, nor any super weapon, but a virus."
"A virus?"
Kim Go-wol nodded, "Furthermore, this virus was extracted from Qin Ye Xuan's wife, Su Qing. The entire plan originated from that remarkable Ms. Su Qing."
"A long time ago, Ms. Su Qing was a liaison for Great Xia and conducted numerous operations overseas, mostly targeting individuals with extraordinary abilities. In her notes, later compiled, it was discovered that Ms. Su had been researching a virus that did not exist in our world at all."
Kim Go-wol paused, "She recorded it as N44 variant influenza toxin."
Aren't influenza toxins common?
"This variant toxin was reportedly extracted from her own body and had been under research since the time of the Xuanyuan family."
"After Ms. Su Qing was ambushed and died, the plan continued. Overseas organizations preserved the original strain of the toxin. Now, after development by Su Mingyue, it has been injected into Pangu's Hand."
Kim Won-seong interrupted his son, "For someone whose cultivation has already reached the divine realm, wouldn't any toxin be useless?"
Kim Go-wol shook his head profoundly, "They said that the toxin originated from another world, and the level of that world far surpasses ours. Anything from that world can ignore the laws of our world, and Hao Tian is no exception."
Everyone looked at each other, still half-believing, half-doubting.
Kim Go-wol stood up, "Father! This is no longer a matter of the safety of one family, one city, one nation, or one race, but the impending destruction of the entire world, and even the universe in which this star system resides."
At this moment, Jo Hyeon-in reopened the agent report from the astronomical organization.
Re-examining the report, he began to tremble all over.
The report was complex, but a concluding sentence read: "...Based on observations, the stars in the universe, those beautiful stars, are extinguishing one by one!"