The spell's range covers the entire territory of China? Hand it over to the state.

"The place we're going to is three thousand meters underground."

Qin Shuangyue's voice sounded somewhat distorted amidst the deafening roar of the rotors, but it did not prevent Su Yun from clearly hearing the outrageous number.

Three thousand meters? That depth is like shoving a person into the earth's crust.

Instead of landing on the wide helipad as Su Yun had expected, the helicopter hovered directly above a seemingly abandoned factory in western Beijing. With a low, mechanical grinding sound from the ground, the massive cooling tower in the center of the factory cracked open like flower petals.

The dark abyss resembled the gaping maw of a giant beast.

"Hold on tight."

Before Qin Shuangyue could finish speaking, the pilot drastically lowered the lever, and the massive heavy helicopter, like an iron weight, plunged headlong into the bottomless abyss with a feeling of weightlessness that made one's stomach churn.

Su Yun gripped the handrail tightly, watching the ring of lights flashing past the window, with only one thought in his mind: Do all the pilots in the national team drive helicopters like roller coasters?

The sudden stop after a three-minute rapid descent caused Su Yun to experience some tinnitus due to the resulting overload.

As the view outside the cabin door came to a standstill, the vista opened up dramatically.

This is not some dark and damp air-raid shelter, but a brightly lit underground megacity. A multi-kilometer-wide alloy dome supports this independent world, where countless technicians in white coats and fully armed soldiers move about like worker ants. The sounds of precision instruments and the hum of giant cooling fans blend together to create a unique industrial symphony.

This is "Kunlun".

The true brain of the Dragon Xia Kingdom, this land's last and most solid trump card.

The rotors were still spinning when Qin Shuangyue unbuckled her seatbelt, opened the hatch, and leaped out. The wind whipped her short hair, but she simply said, "Mr. Su, we've arrived!"

Su Yun naturally didn't have her skills, so he only jumped off the helicopter after it came to a complete stop.

The moment his feet touched the ground, he was stunned by the futuristic metal corridor before him. The visual impact of the magnificent scene made him truly realize that he was now at the heart of the state apparatus. However, before he could take a closer look, Qin Shuangyue led him quickly toward the heavy entrance at the end of the corridor, which resembled a bank vault door.

Along the way, whether it was the staff officer carrying documents or the guards with guns, they all stopped and saluted when they saw Qin Shuangyue, and then their eyes inevitably fell on the young man behind her.

Who is this young man who can be personally escorted by the captain of "Dragon Scale" and even directly enter the core area of ​​"Kunlun"?

"arrive."

Qin Shuangyue stopped at the identification area in front of the door, and a red laser scanned her retina.

"Identity confirmed: Major General Qin Shuangyue. Authority: High. Accompanying person: Su Yun, Authority: Special."

As the synthesized electronic voice faded, the heavy alloy doors slid silently open to both sides.

A wave of heat, a mixture of strong tobacco smell and anxious emotions, hit me.

Behind the door is a tiered combat command center.

On a massive holographic screen in the very center, large enough to cover an entire wall, countless dazzling data points and red dots scrolled. Dozens of high-ranking officers, their shoulders bearing the stars of generals, sat around a circular conference table. Some were shouting into their phones, some were arguing fiercely with their staff, and others were staring intently at battle reports in their hands, their knuckles white from the effort.

The whole room felt like a pressure cooker about to boil, so tense it was suffocating.

However, as Su Yun stepped through the door, the boiling water in the pot suddenly fell silent.

All the arguing, shouting, and discussion came to an abrupt halt in an instant. Dozens of battle-hardened eyes turned to the young man in school uniform standing at the door.

That kind of pressure is enough to make an ordinary person's legs go weak on the spot.

Su Yun simply adjusted his glasses, remaining calm and composed.

Just then, an elderly man sitting at the head of the circular conference table moved.

He was wearing a Zhongshan suit, his temples were gray, and his figure was slender yet as strong as a pine tree. Under everyone's gaze, this old man, codenamed "Long Yi," slowly stood up.

At this, the dozens of generals who were sitting down suddenly stood up in unison, as if springs had been installed under their buttocks.

Ignoring the reactions of the others, Long Yi walked around the conference table, strode up to Su Yun, and extended a large, calloused hand:

"Comrade Su Yun, thank you for your hard work."

The old man's voice wasn't loud, but it had a calming, reassuring quality.

Su Yun was slightly taken aback, then reached out and grasped it. The hand was dry, warm, and extremely strong.

"Greetings, Commander," Su Yun replied.

If this scene were to get out, it would probably leave politicians outside speechless. Who is Long Yi? Even if a high-ranking figure from another country were to visit, he wouldn't necessarily stand up to greet them.

But now, he showed equal respect to a twenty-year-old.

Many people looked thoughtful. Even Qin Shuangyue, who had been silently following behind Su Yun, looked surprised.

"Let's skip the pleasantries; time waits for no one."

Long Yi released his grip, turned around, and pointed to the large screen behind him, saying, "The country is in trouble, big trouble. We need your help."

There was no probing, no "we need to investigate further," and no annoying bureaucratic jargon.

Straight to the point, getting straight to the point.

Even Su Yun felt like he was bathed in a spring breeze.

"Please speak," Su Yun said, walking to the conference table.

Long waved his hand, and the technicians immediately switched the image on the big screen.

The interface, which had been displaying a national map, quickly shrank and finally locked onto a narrow strip of land on the southwestern border of the Longxia Kingdom. This was the famous "Fallen Phoenix Slope" defense zone, a rugged terrain that was easy to attack but difficult to defend.

At this moment, according to the real-time images transmitted back by high-altitude satellites, the area has become a scene of carnage.

"This footage was taken ten minutes ago."

A middle-aged general in camouflage training uniform with a hideous scar on his left cheek spoke up, his voice filled with barely suppressed anger, "These beasts, they've all gone mad."

In the footage, under the light of searchlights, the once lush green forest is covered by a black torrent.

That wasn't water, it was a horde of beasts.

Millions of strange beasts, like swarms of black ants, densely packed every inch of land. They were tireless and fearless of death, their sole purpose being to breach the crumbling defensive line ahead.

If it were just a matter of sheer numbers, the heavy firepower of the Dragon Xia Kingdom would be enough to teach them a lesson.

But the problem is...

The camera suddenly zoomed in.

A giant wolf, three meters long and shrouded in azure energy, darted through the gaps in the artillery barrage like a ghost. A heavy grenade, powerful enough to flatten half a football field, exploded five meters away from it, the blast wave sending boulders flying. Yet, the wolf, using the recoil from the blast, deftly folded its body in mid-air, landing unharmed, and continued its charge.

Behind it were thousands upon thousands of equally agile creatures.

Their silhouettes moved so fast they left afterimages on the screen.

"Wind Demon Wolves, Shadow Leopards, and these long-legged lizards we haven't even named yet..." The scarred general slammed his fist on the table. "These beasts average over 200 kilometers per hour! Especially the Wind Demon Wolves, some individuals can even reach subsonic speeds!"

"The fire control radar can't lock on at all! By the time the shells are fired, they're already hundreds of meters away! The close-in weapon system can stop them, but even with the barrels glowing red-hot, it can't keep up with their relentless pace!"

The general pointed to a teetering line of fire at the edge of the screen, his eyes reddening: "That's the Seventh Army's position. Just now, the First Battalion's position was breached by these incredibly fast beasts. To plug the gap, three hundred brothers... strapped with grenades, charged forward."

The conference room was deathly silent.

The blurry bursts of light from the explosions on the screen were the young soldiers' final act of defiance.

"What will happen if we can't hold on?" Su Yun asked.

"If we can't hold it, this black tide will rush into the plains within three hours."

Long Yi said in a deep voice, "Behind us is Kunming, with twenty million civilians. At this distance, no strategic missile can be used."

"We have no shortage of firepower."

He turned around, his eyes fixed on Su Yun, burning with a flame called "entrustment." "What we lack is time. We lack the means to stop these beasts who run faster than the wind."

"The previous 'Auspicious Purple Qi from the East' event showed us your reach. Since you can extend your skills nationwide, then—"

Long Yi paused, his tone becoming extremely solemn, even carrying a hint of pleading—an emotion he rarely displayed.

"Comrade Su Yun, on behalf of the 300,000 soldiers on the front lines, I make this request to you."

"Could we place a speed reduction totem in this location?"

"I don't need to freeze them in place, just slow them down... even if it's only by 10%, our heavy artillery can send them back home!"

All eyes were once again focused on Su Yun.

Anticipation, trepidation, doubt, and hope.

The generals present remained silent. They didn't know if this young man truly possessed such ability, but even with only a one percent chance, they were willing to believe him for the sake of the people.

Su Yun did not answer immediately, his consciousness sinking into the system panel.

A deceleration totem?

It is indeed in the shaman's skill tree.

It is an F-rank skill – [Mud Totem].

[Skill: Mud Totem (LV1)]

Quality: F (Common Product)

[Effect: Creates a swamp with a radius of 5 meters at the designated location. Enemies in the swamp have their movement speed reduced by 15% and feel their shoes become sticky.]

[Note: Besides making Grandma Wang next door slip and fall flat on her face in the rain, what else can this thing do? Oh right, maybe you can use it to play with mud.]

This is the original skill.

Garbage, useless.

The problem is that Su Yun now has an unreasonable talent—[territory is territory].

What kind of chemical reaction will occur when an F-level skill meets a concept-level talent?

Su Yun didn't know. Because he hadn't tried the mutated effect of this skill yet. The previous "Gentle Breeze Totem" had become "Purple Qi Coming from the East," and if this "Mud Swamp Totem" were thrown down, who knows what kind of commotion it would cause.

"Comrade Su Yun?" Seeing Su Yun's silence, the scarred general became somewhat impatient. "If this doesn't work, we have Plan B. At worst, I'll personally lead the team to take over..."

"etc."

Su Yun suddenly spoke, interrupting the general.

He raised his head, meeting Long Yi's intense gaze, and slowly said:

"I have the slowing totem. But, Commander, I must warn you first." Su Yun scratched his head, his tone somewhat hesitant, "Because of my talent... this skill might be a mutated version. If I release it, the commotion might be a bit loud."

Upon hearing this, Long Yi paused for a moment, then burst into laughter.

"Big? How big?" Long Yi waved his hand sharply, his leader's charisma on full display. "As long as you can protect the people behind you, as long as you can reduce the number of my soldiers who die, you can turn that land upside down and level those mountains—"

"I'll cover for you!"

"Want authorization? I'll give you authorization! Want resources? The entire nation will provide them!"

Long Yi slapped him hard on the shoulders with both hands: "Go for it! If anything happens, I'll take responsibility!"

Since things have come to this point...

If Su Yun were to refuse again, it would seem too pretentious.

But just as he was about to agree...