"..."

Zhang Haiyuan had been full of confidence, but after listening to Wang Jian's account, he too felt a pang of doubt. He swallowed hard before asking, "So, what are you trying to say?"

"I mean, of course, we should take this as seriously as possible—treat it like it's the end of the world. But this matter isn't up to me." Wang Jian pointed upwards and then shrugged, his meaning self-evident.

"Get a team over here first," Wang Jian said. "Once your people are in place, I have some things to brief them on. If we just leave this to ordinary people, I'm afraid they won't take it seriously enough."

Wang Jian knew that many things were simply beyond his control. He was only one man; it was impossible for him to manage the entire situation alone. All he could do was try to make everyone take this matter as seriously as possible. Beyond that, he could only do his best and leave the rest to fate.

"Right! You must have people start researching weapons to use against those monsters. Otherwise, I don't think our current technology can stop them." Wang Jian urged him repeatedly, nagging like a concerned mother.

Zhang Haiyuan didn't say much. Seeing how anxious Wang Jian was, he simply patted him on the shoulder before stepping aside to make his report.

"Dad!" Zhang Haiyuan exclaimed the moment the line connected to Zhang Cheng.

There was a moment of surprise on the other end before a voice asked, "What happened?"

Zhang Cheng knew his son well. He would never address him so informally during a mission, nor would he call at this hour unless it was a family emergency. He instinctively assumed something must have happened at home.

"Wang Jian is out, but he brought a lot of bad news and one piece of good news," Zhang Haiyuan said, glancing at Wang Jian.

Zhang Cheng, who was just about to head into a meeting, waved off his secretary. "Weren't there supposed to be only twelve buildings inside?" he asked.

"It's not that simple," Zhang Haiyuan replied. "Liang Bo and the others didn't stay long enough, and as ordinary people, they didn't really explore. Wang Jian saw our ancestor's memories and now understands what those buildings and the Stone Gate really are."

"That Stone Gate in the sky isn't from Earth; it's from another world. When it opens, it leads to a new world filled with monsters that want to devour souls, and there's no end to them. Even their severed parts can survive on their own..."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Cheng first glanced at his phone screen to confirm it was indeed Zhang Haiyuan speaking, then asked, "So you're telling me there's a horde of aliens planning to invade Earth?"

Zhang Haiyuan paused for a thought. "Aliens" would certainly be an easier concept for the higher-ups to accept than something like Yang Souls. "Yes," he confirmed.

Zhang Cheng asked a crucial question, "Did you see them with your own eyes?"

"No," Zhang Haiyuan said, anticipating the question. "But Wang Jian is extremely anxious. He doesn't seem like the type to bluff. He also asked us to post a team here to guard the gate, just in case anything happens."

Zhang Cheng sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose, feeling utterly exhausted. "Then what's the good news?"

"Wang Jian found a method in our ancestor's memories to popularize Cultivation!" Zhang Haiyuan said excitedly. "Not everyone may be able to cultivate a Yang Soul, but everyone can cultivate qi."

"You're certain?" Zhang Cheng asked, standing up abruptly.

"Yes, I'm certain."

"Alright! I'll dispatch a Wolf Fang unit first. Have Wang Jian teach that group. As for the rest... I can only say that not everyone is going to believe this."

"...Understood."

After hanging up, Zhang Haiyuan wasn't surprised by his father's decision. Without proof, a story like this was hard to believe.

He relayed the higher-ups' decision to Wang Jian.

"Not bad," Wang Jian said with a smile. "Getting a unit with the caliber of Wolf Fang is more than I could have asked for. But I need to head back for now. Call me when they arrive. And don't rush inside before they get here. Staying in there too long can cause problems."

"Don't worry, I won't let anyone touch anything," Zhang Haiyuan affirmed. "Liang Bo and the others got scared after what they saw and left early. The only ones left are our military personnel, so you don't have to worry about discipline."

"Then I'm off."

After speaking, Wang Jian immediately began to warm up. His twisting and turning motions left Zhang Haiyuan completely baffled.

"Aren't you leaving?"

"Yep, on my way now."

Wang Jian laughed. His cultivation level was on a whole new plane, allowing him to attempt methods previously only found in books. He hadn't told Zhang Haiyuan precisely because he wanted to see his reaction.

With a single leap, Wang Jian shot straight up toward the sky. He burst through the hole in the ceiling above and showed no signs of stopping. What was even more astounding was that when his ascent slowed, he didn't fall. He simply floated in mid-air.

"Zhang Haiyuan, I'm off!" he shouted with a hearty laugh, then sped away in the chosen direction. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

"HOLY SHIT!"

"HOLY SHIT!!"

"HOLY SHIT, HOLY SHIT, HOLY SHIT!!!"

Everyone present instinctively shouted a series of perfectly synchronized curses. Someone even rubbed their eyes. "Holy shit, did someone just fly away?"

"Was that Superman?"

That person got a slap on the back of the head. "Superman, my ass! That was a freaking Immortal!"

"Wasn't that Doctor Wang?"

"Yes, yes, that's Doctor Wang from the village! I know him."

"Doctor Wang flew away?"

Zhang Haiyuan was the most silent of them all, his gaze fixed on the hole above. His heart surged with a wave of emotions, from surprise to disbelief, and finally, to boiling excitement. He remembered Wang Jian saying that they could cultivate now, too. That means I can also fly in the future!

The dream of flight is an almost irresistible temptation for mankind, and even more so for a man like him. Then Zhang Haiyuan realized something crucial. If what Wang Jian said about Cultivation is true, then his warning about the doomsday must also be true.

He sighed to himself. It's just one crisis after another. I can only hope we have enough time.

Wang Jian had no intention of hiding the fact that he could fly. He flew straight, but because of his immense speed and being distracted by a phone call, he accidentally flew a full circle over the city before finally finding his way back home.

He was on the phone to inform his master. If anyone in the current era could be the first to reach the Yang Soul Realm, it would undoubtedly be his master.

After landing, he called both Peng Qing and Peng Pingan, and also summoned Chairman Kang to return. He even made sure to notify the entire Cai family.

The first to arrive at the Wang family's home was Xu Changqing. He was already in the city, accompanied by Old Chen. This was also part of Wang Jian's plan. He believed having a former leader present would lend his words more authority, making it easier to persuade others later.