Volume 4: Super-Tier Awakening & The Ancient Capital Calamity
Chapter 334
Unmasking the Traitor: The Imposter Councilor
Early the next morning, pale sunlight filtered through the dense fog and gray smoke rising from the battlefield outside the Ancient Capital’s borders, carrying not a shred of warmth. Inside the grand conference hall of the Ancient Capital’s City Council, an atmosphere of suffocating tension hung heavy—so oppressive that it felt as though a single spark could detonate the entire room. Outside the thick, soundproof glass windows, the magical artillery of the military district roared in relentless waves, their concussive shocks vibrating the crystal chandeliers suspended from the ceiling and showering down a fine, glittering dust into the space below.
Today’s emergency meeting was attended by all the Councilors of the Ancient Capital, the deans of prestigious magical universities, and the command staff of the North Gate Military District. Every single one of them wore a grim expression, their eye sockets dark and hollow from pulling all-nighter after all-nighter to direct defense operations against the relentless tide of demonic beasts and dark forces.
Across the long, oval table made of solid black oak, strategic maps were cluttered with red ink markings, and casualty reports piled mountain-high. Amidst this crushing pressure, Councilor Pang Li—a figure with a pompous, pot-bellied exterior who was always shouting about the city’s budget and the welfare of its citizens—slowly stood up. He adjusted his tie, his face radiating an expression of deep patriotism and concern, while his eyes darted around with crafty cunning, perfectly masked beneath a flawless veneer of anxiety.
“Respected colleagues, honorable generals, and esteemed deans! The current situation in our Ancient Capital has reached code red. The consumption of magic stones, ammunition, and defensive resources is utterly astronomical. The proposal to open the Tier-One strategic magic stone vault to reinforce the military district’s city-wide defensive barrier... as the official in charge of finance, I must voice my vehement opposition!”
Pang Li’s voice echoed with sharp, steel-forged conviction and external persuasiveness, drawing the gazes of the majority of officials present in the room. He spread his hands, paced back and forth a few steps, and continued to pour forth a torrent of logic:
“We must practice frugality! That strategic magic stone vault is the foundation of our long-term defense, our ultimate survival card for the next half-year if this war drags on. If we foolishly deplete it today just because of this sudden burst of attacks, what will we use tomorrow when a larger-scale demonic tide floods in? Or do you wish for this city to collapse from financial bankruptcy before we even cross blades with the monsters?”
No sooner had he finished speaking than several cowardly councilors who were obsessed with budget numbers nodded in agreement. Whispers and murmurs began to ripple across the conference hall. The dean of the Elemental Magic Academy furrowed his brow, slamming his hand onto the table in fierce rebuttal:
“Pang Li! That sounds mighty fine coming from you! Just how badly cracked are the barriers at the southern wall right now? Have you even gone out to inspect them firsthand? If we don’t open the strategic magic stone vault today, three more city-assault waves from those dark-attribute beasts will shatter the barrier completely! What good will hoarded manpower and resources do when hundreds of thousands of civilians down there are buried in a sea of blood?”
“Dean, you speak in extremes! I am looking at this from the macro perspective of the Ancient Capital!” Pang Li chuckled coldly, a flash of covert triumph gleaming in his eyes as he saw many officials wavering at his words. “I don’t manage momentary sentiments; I manage the long-term survival of this city!”
Just as the officials were engaged in a fierce debate, with the hawks and doves glaring murderously at each other, and the tension reaching its breaking point...
Boom!
The heavy, magic-alloy double doors of the conference hall were suddenly blasted open by an invisible wave of pressure! The earth-shattering sound startled everyone in the room, causing them to leap to their feet in unison and snap their heads toward the entrance.
Amidst the hazy smoke and the cold light spilling in from the corridor, three figures slowly stepped inside. Leading them was Lin Feng. Draped in the pitch-black combat cloak trimmed with silver belonging to the Special Operations Commander, his gaze was as sharp as a razor blade, his stride steady and unyielding. Every single step carried an invisible crushing pressure that made the surrounding air thicken, weighing heavily upon the heart of everyone present. Following closely behind him was Tang Yue, her phoenix eyes icy and sharp, holding a fire sword that reflected a blinding glare, flanked by an elite squad of military guards with their weapons primed. Their fingers rested lightly on the triggers, radiating a murderous aura that pierced the heavens.
This sudden and authoritative entrance plunged the conference hall into a deathly silence. Not a single person dared to breathe heavily. The very individuals who had been loudly arguing moments before now swallowed hard, staring blankly as Lin Feng strode with majestic authority directly toward the central long table.
Pang Li, standing near the head of the table, instantly froze. An unnamed sense of dread surged up his spine, causing him to instinctively take half a step backward while his lips parted soundlessly.
Lin Feng halted just three meters away from Pang Li. Ignoring everyone else, his eyes locked onto the councilor’s increasingly pale face like twin beams of sword light. Without a single word of redundant warning, Lin Feng flicked his right hand, heavily slamming a thick dossier along with a captured dark communication magic mirror onto the table.
Thud!
The sharp impact rang out crisply. The dossier popped open, revealing confidential documents, copies of illegal financial transactions, records of massive magic stone transfers siphoned from the Ancient Capital’s reserves to the outside world, and—most damning of all—securely sealed magic audio recordings.
Pang Li stared blankly down at the dossier, his pupils contracting to pinpricks as his entire body began to tremble violently like dry leaves in a winter gale.
Lin Feng’s voice rang out cold, deep, and resonant, striking like a sledgehammer against the mind of every single person in the room:
“Councilor Pang Li, you spoke of saving magic stones, or did you intend to preserve all those strategic resources to offer up to your masters in the Black Vatican out there?!”
The words dropped like an atomic bomb detonating inside the conference hall. All the officials, deans, and generals present drew in a sharp breath, crying out in horror:
“What?! The Black Vatican?!”
“Councilor Pang Li is a member of the Vatican?! This... how could this possibly happen?!”
Facing the condemnation and terrified stares of his colleagues, Pang Li’s expression shifted instantly. All the blood drained from his face, leaving his skin as pale as a corpse’s while cold sweat poured profusely down his forehead. He stammered, raising a trembling finger to point straight at Lin Feng, shouting denials in a desperate bid to cover up his utter panic:
“You... you are spouting filth! Slander! A blatant, shameless frame-up! I am a Councilor properly appointed by the federal government, having devoted years of service to this Ancient Capital! What gives a wet-behind-the-ears general like you the right to frame and slander me?! Look at him, esteemed colleagues! He abuses his power and authority, trying to persecute loyal officials just to seize military control!”
The louder Pang Li shouted, the more desperately he attempted to use feigned outrage to flip the narrative, hoping other councilors would side with him to condemn Lin Feng. Sure enough, a few councilors with deep-rooted interest ties to Pang Li furrowed their brows and spoke up in his defense:
“Commander Lin Feng, no matter how great your authority may be, pinning the charge of colluding with the Black Vatican on a high-ranking Councilor requires ironclad proof. With just a few unverified sheets of paper...”
“Ironclad proof? Just how much proof do you need to be satisfied?” Lin Feng cut the man off with a dangerous, chilling smile. He didn’t even deign to glance at the councilor who had spoken, keeping his absolute focus locked entirely on Pang Li.
“Did you really think that disguising yourself with a fraudulent magic skin and masking your Dark spiritual energy with top-grade potions could pull the wool over my eyes? Pang Li, today your true face as a lapdog under the Red Cardinal cannot escape, no matter where you run!”
“I won’t listen to your nonsense anymore! You bastard!” Pang Li snapped, driven mad by humiliation as he realized that playing the innocent victim no longer worked now that the surrounding gazes had shifted from suspicion to disgust and vigilance. He gnashed his teeth, a fierce murderous aura suddenly erupting from his body.
But Lin Feng was a fraction of a second faster. He gave the traitor no opportunity to twitch or chant counter-spells. Raising both hands, he abruptly forged hand seals, and an invisible yet mighty torrent of Chaos energy surged forth.
“Chaos Starlight: Chaos Illumination!”
Boom!
The space within the conference hall seemed to tear apart into tens of thousands of fragments. A stream of pure silver light, sparkling like a condensed galaxy, erupted from the crown of Lin Feng’s head, sweeping across the room with lightning speed. That silver light completely bypassed all physical defenses, shining directly into the deepest realms of Pang Li’s spirit and flesh.
Under the terrifying might of the Chaos Illumination, the deceptive magic skin on Pang Li’s face emitted cracking sounds before dissolving like soap bubbles. His once plump, benevolent features distorted entirely, exposing a gaunt, haggard visage with bloodshot, vicious eyes and a twisted, sinister grin.
Without stopping, the silver light continued downward, sweeping across his neck and the back of his neck. His high-end dress shirt ripped apart under the spatial pressure, fully exposing a deeply chilling tattoo: the image of a blood-red spider lily glowing dazzlingly, entwined with dark chains—the exclusive and supreme emblem of the Twelve Holy Envoys of the Black Vatican!
The entire conference hall fell deathly silent. Those who had just been defending Pang Li now lost every drop of color from their faces, their jaws dropping speechlessly as their legs went limp and they slumped back into their chairs. That tattoo was the most damning, undeniable proof, slapping hard across the face of anyone who dared defend this traitor!
“You... you beast! He really is a member of the Black Vatican!” An elderly dean trembled all over with fury, slamming his hand heavily down onto the table and roaring.
“Surround him! Do not let this traitor escape!” the military district commander bellowed. The guards raised their weapons in unison, the pitch-black gun barrels locking straight onto Pang Li’s head.
Facing desperate circumstances, with his mask completely torn away and no way out, Pang Li did not kneel and beg like ordinary cowards. Instead, he threw his head back and burst into wild, maniacal laughter, his voice hoarse, vicious, and spine-chilling:
“Hahahaha! Splendid! Marvelous, Commander Lin Feng! Did you think you’d won just because you exposed me? Do you think this Ancient Capital can still be saved? Those demons outside are merely the vanguard; the doom of this wretched city arrived a long time ago!”
Pang Li’s face twisted grotesquely, his bloodshot eyes bulging as he glared at Lin Feng with boundless hatred. In a flash—while everyone remained on guard against his frantic laughter—his right hand, hidden deep within his chest pocket, suddenly whipped out a round object glowing with an intensely dazzling red light.
It was a high-grade Magic Venomous Grenade—a destructive forbidden artifact imbued with the corrosive energy of thousands of resentful souls, powerful enough to flatten the entire council building in a single instant!
“Die together with me! Let all of you be buried with the grand cause of the Dark Holy Master!” Pang Li roared like a cornered beast, his thumb slamming down hard on the activation trigger atop the grenade!
Tick... tick... tick...!
The countdown echoed cold and urgent, choking the hearts of every single Ancient Capital elite present in the conference hall!