My Ares Son-in-Law

At this moment, the gate that symbolized the supreme authority of the Black Phoenix Organization looked as if it had undergone a terrifying and fierce battle, as if it had been torn apart by the incomparably sharp claws of an ancient behemoth.

On the door panel, there were terrifying scratches several inches deep, crisscrossing each other, which were shocking to the eye, as if they were the hideous claw marks left by a demon.

The edges of the scratches were jagged, as if they had been frantically cut by countless sharp blades, each one telling a story of the ferocity and intensity of the battle.

The center of the door panel was struck by an immense, irresistible force.

The once smooth metal surface was smashed and deeply dented, twisted and deformed beyond recognition, like a piece of waste paper that had been wantonly crumpled.

The metal edges were rolled and torn, like ripped cloth, revealing a hideous fracture that gleamed coldly in the dim light, sending chills down one's spine.

The gate was ajar, and a faint light shone through a narrow crack into the room inside. The light seemed particularly eerie in the darkness, as if it were a call from hell, enticing people to uncover the secrets hidden within.

Zhou Hongyan stood in front of the gate, her hands trembling slightly as her fingertips slowly touched the cold, rough, dented steel door panel.

The biting coldness instantly spread from her fingertips to her entire body, as if an invisible electric current was passing through her body, causing her to shiver involuntarily.

Her heart suddenly raced, and a nameless tension and fear welled up inside her, but she still suppressed her unease and gently pushed open the half-closed gate.

As the gate slowly opened, the once luxurious headquarters and council hall of the Black Phoenix Organization was now a scene of utter devastation.

A huge mahogany table, once the place where the organization's top leaders discussed important matters and issued orders, is now broken in two. One half lies horizontally on the ground, and the other half leans against the wall, as if it had been easily broken by an invisible giant hand.

The precious Persian carpet, its soft texture and exquisite patterns once showcasing the organization's luxury and prestige, is now completely soaked in blood, turning into a dark red swamp that exudes a nauseating stench.

The tiger painting hanging on the wall, which was originally lifelike, is now mostly stained red with splattered blood, as if it were a wounded beast struggling painfully in a pool of blood.

The image became blurry and distorted, losing its former majesty and domineering presence.

In the very center of the council chamber, Situ Cang lay slumped beside the tiger-skin chair that symbolized the head of the household.

This once powerful and ruthless figure, who could command the winds and rains in the underground world of the ancient city and make the whole world tremble with a stomp of his foot, now resembled a trapped beast with its claws and fangs removed, lying on its back with its eyes wide open and its pupils dilated to the extreme.

His eyes were frozen in an indescribable expression, a mixture of extreme horror, fear, and disbelief, as if, in the last moments of his life, he had seen a terrifying scene from the abyss that overturned all his understanding.

A smooth, mirror-like cut ran down his neck.

The cut was so clean it was chilling, as if it had been sliced ​​through in an instant by an incredibly sharp divine weapon, without the slightest hesitation.

His blood had long since drained away, pooling beneath him into a huge, dark brown mark, a terrifying symbol that told of his death and the destruction of the Black Phoenix organization.

"What exactly are you..., monster?"

Zhou Hongyan muttered to herself as she looked at the empty, deathly silent council hall, now filled only with the stench of blood.

An invisible, chilling sense of being watched pressed in from all directions without warning, as if countless eyes from the underworld were peering through layers of corpses and thick darkness, locking onto her.

That gaze, filled with a pure, inhuman indifference, instantly soaked her back in cold sweat, and her heart pounded so hard it felt like it would burst out of her chest.

She turned around suddenly!
Behind him lay only a scene of devastation, corpses, and deathly silence.

There were no living creatures.

But the chilling feeling of being targeted by a venomous snake wouldn't go away. She stood frozen for an unknown amount of time until the anxious voices of her teammates came through the walkie-talkie, snapping Zhou Hongyan back to reality; her fingertips were icy cold.

She almost trembled as she pulled her phone from the pocket of her tactical vest.

The faint signal bars on the screen became the only link connecting the real world to reality.

She pressed down on a string of encrypted numbers, her fingers rapidly tapping on the screen, each key seemingly carrying her urgency and unease.

As the last number was pressed, a note quickly appeared on the screen:
The Palace of Yama, the Emperor of Heaven.

The brief busy tone felt like a long, agonizing ordeal, exceptionally clear in the silent space, each sound like a tap on her taut nerves.

Finally, the call connected, and a deep, slightly languid male voice came through, sounding somewhat nonchalant, as if he had just been awakened from a dream:
"Little Zhou?"

Disturbing my peaceful sleep so late, what little ripples have appeared in that shallow pond in the ancient city this time?

Zhou Hongyan took a deep breath, holding it in her chest for a long time, as if trying to swallow all the fear and tension in her heart.

She tried to suppress the tremor in her voice and make her tone sound calmer, but the words that came out were hoarse and heavy, without her even realizing it:
"Brother Tian, ​​it's not a little wave."

The ancient city... it seems the dragon is about to rise.

The languidness on the other end of the phone vanished instantly, as if blown away by a cold wind.

In a safe house somewhere in the capital, Huang Tian, ​​who had been lounging lazily in his chair, instinctively sat up straight, like an alert cheetah instantly entering battle mode.

His sharp gaze, like a sword, swept across the complex tactical map before him. The dense markings and lines on the map seemed to conceal unknown dangers.

His brow furrowed deeply, and his voice became low and serious:
"Dragon Raises Its Head?"

What do you mean?
What happened on your end?
Is it safe?

A barrage of questions came out of his mouth like a machine gun, showing his high level of vigilance and concern for Zhou Hongyan's safety.

"Safe...for now."

Zhou Hongyan's voice was so dry it sounded like it had been sanded, and every word seemed to be squeezed out from between her teeth.

Her gaze swept over the horrific scene around her, the blood and horror causing her body to tremble slightly.

"But the scene... I can't describe it."

I'll send you something.

After saying that, she decisively hung up the phone and held it up with trembling hands.

Her finger paused on the screen for a moment, she took a deep breath as if to bolster her courage, and then slowly moved the camera, sweeping across this place that resembled a bloody inferno.

After confirming that the video recording was correct, she clicked the send button with trembling fingers.

As the words "Video sent successfully" appeared on the screen, she seemed to have exhausted all her strength. She collapsed against the wall behind her, panting heavily, awaiting Huang Tian's response. (End of Chapter)