Chapter 455 - 302: Ghost Squad Unsheathed! This Air Combat is Hacked

East Sea Fortress City. High Command Communications Center.

An officer with a major’s insignia on his shoulder paced back and forth in the room, clearly agitated.

His name was Zhang Qi, and he was General Li Tiecheng’s direct aide.

"What’s the status? Still no contact?"

He stopped pacing and stared at the technician in front of the screen, whose brow was beaded with sweat.

The technician adjusted his headset, his fingers flying across the light screen as he pulled up a cascading stream of data.

He shook his head, his expression grim.

"It’s no use, Major. All frequencies directed at Dragon’s Fang Port—from encrypted military channels to civilian Spiritual Energy Communications—have gone completely dark. There’s no response whatsoever."

Zhang Qi’s brow furrowed into a tight knot.

"What about the spatial disturbance readings?

Could that damn place, Dragon Abyss, be merging ahead of schedule and causing a spatial storm?"

This was one of the worst-case scenarios. If a High Tier Secret Realm were to merge with reality prematurely,

the resulting spatial ripples would cause all nearby technology to fail and could even tear weaker Martial Artists to shreds.

"I’ve already checked."

The technician pulled up another chart.

"You see? For the past twelve hours, the spatial stability index around Dragon Abyss has remained within the safe threshold.

The rate of fusion is holding steady at 0.03 percent per day, with no signs of acceleration."

The data didn’t lie.

Zhang Qi stared at the curve, so flat it was almost lifeless. The doubt in his eyes hardened into cold fury.

"If this isn’t an act of God, it’s the work of man."

He spoke deliberately, each word sharp. "Someone is using high-powered jamming equipment to turn Dragon’s Fang Port into an information black hole!"

Without another moment of hesitation, he turned and opened a secure channel to Li Tiecheng.

"General, we’ve lost contact with Dragon’s Fang Port. I suspect... there’s another power at play!"

...

"At play? This is them taking a goddamn shit right on my doorstep!"

Inside the Garrison Army Headquarters, Li Tiecheng slammed his hand on the table, making his teacup rattle.

He ended the call, his normally resolute face now a mask of pure fury.

Dragon’s Fang Port wasn’t just an outpost against the Ocean Beast Tides; it was the staging ground for the imminent opening of the Dragon Abyss Secret Realm. Its strategic importance was immense.

And now, that staging ground had been compromised right under his nose. How could he possibly tolerate that?

After a moment’s thought, he dialed the direct, high-priority line to the Parliament Building.

An incident with the potential to spark a war between two Fortress Cities had to be reported to the Speaker beforehand.

"Mr. Speaker, it’s Li Tiecheng."

Ye Daoyuan’s calm, steady voice came through the communicator. "Report."

"Dragon’s Fang Port has been blacked out by an unknown power. I can’t reach any of my people.

I suspect it’s the work of those gearheads from Jiangbei City."

"What’s the probability?"

"Eighty percent."

Li Tiecheng said gravely, "To establish a total blockade of this scale at sea, only their Titan Fleet or the Sea Ghost Ships of the Children of the Mist have the capability.

But the latter are clandestine. They prefer infiltration and assassination, not grand-scale operations like this."

Ye Daoyuan was silent for a moment.

"Your mission is to regain control of Dragon’s Fang Port and ensure the safety of all personnel on the island."

His voice remained cool and rational. "If you confirm the aggressor is a Third Level Fortress City, you have full authority to open fire.

If it’s a Second Level Fortress City, prioritize negotiation and deterrence. Find a way to get our people out."

"As for a First Level Fortress City..."

Ye Daoyuan paused. "There’s only one in the entire Gaia Alliance: Kunlun Holy City. They wouldn’t stoop to such petty tactics."

"Understood."

"Go. Proceed with caution."

The connection cut. The killing intent in Li Tiecheng’s fierce eyes was so strong it was almost tangible.

The Speaker’s meaning was crystal clear: if it was Jiangbei City, there was no need to hold back. Hit them hard enough to kill.

The painful lesson from the Void Sea Demon incident, when an entire reconnaissance squadron was wiped out, was still fresh in his mind.

This time, he had no intention of sending an ordinary reconnaissance squad to its death.

If he was going to send someone, he’d send his sharpest blade.

And if he was going to fight, he’d hit them so hard their own mothers wouldn’t recognize them!

The first person who came to mind was a figure who, despite being ridiculously young, always seemed to work miracles.

Han Feng.

Without a second thought, Li Tiecheng dialed the number for Villa Nine at East Sea Martial Arts University.

After a few rings, a respectful and steady voice answered.

"Hello, this is Villa Nine. To whom am I speaking?"

"This is Li Tiecheng. I need to speak with Han Feng. It’s an urgent military matter!"

Li Tiecheng got straight to the point.

"Ah, General Li."

It was the villa’s butler, Old Liu, on the other end of the line. "My sincerest apologies, but Mr. Han is in seclusion for his training.

Before he entered seclusion, he gave specific instructions that he was not to be disturbed by anyone, unless the Dragon Abyss Secret Realm officially opens or the Fortress City is facing annihilation."

Li Tiecheng frowned.

He wanted to order Old Liu to get Han Feng immediately, but he bit back the words.

He knew that for a genius of Han Feng’s caliber, a deep session of secluded training could lead to a massive breakthrough.

If he were to interrupt it by force and cause some kind of irreversible damage, the loss would be far greater than that of a single Dragon’s Fang Port.

That kid was the prized asset of ’Project Torchbearer,’ the future hope of East Sea City.

"Fine. I understand."

Li Tiecheng suppressed his impatience. "Don’t disturb him.

Have him contact me the moment he emerges."

"Of course, General."

After ending the call, Li Tiecheng let out a heavy sigh.

He was disappointed, but not panicked.

Because that kid, Han Feng, had left him a parting gift.

A trump card capable of changing the entire course of the battle.

He pulled up another number and dialed.

"General! I was starting to think you’d forgotten about me!"

The call had barely connected when Zhao Tianlan’s voice burst through.