After a thousand years of cultivation, he returns at the pinnacle!

It was so...

No wonder these three people weren't in the capital before; they were preparing for something big.

For centuries, humanity has repeatedly challenged the insurmountable Temple of the Apostles, only to fail each time. But this time, with the three strongest forces joining forces, there may truly be a glimmer of hope.

"When do they plan to make their move?" Jiang Chen pressed.

Three days later.

Chu Tianxiong's voice was exceptionally clear in the quiet reception room. He stood up, walked to the holographic projection screen on the wall, and tapped it a few times. A three-dimensional topographic map of the Kunlun Mountains appeared on the screen, with snow-capped peaks covering the rugged ridges and clouds churning at the mountainside. The image zoomed in, passing through canyons and over icefalls, finally settling on a black building—the Thirteenth Apostle's Hall.

"This operation will now proceed in full swing."

He turned around and looked at Jiang Chen, who was sitting across the conference table. The young man held a teacup, his expression calm, his gaze fixed on the sharply defined building on the screen, showing no emotional fluctuation.

"At this moment, Ye Wuhen, Zhou Tianze, and Luo Qinghe have arrived near the Apostle Hall." Chu Tianxiong pointed to the black building in the picture that seemed to grow out of the rock. "They entered the heart of Kunlun three days ago and are now at their final rest point outside the Apostle Hall. According to the plan, at 8:00 AM Dragon Kingdom standard time three days from now, they will simultaneously step into the fifth floor of the Thirteenth Apostle Hall."

Jiang Chen put down his teacup and said calmly, "The fifth floor. The most people have ever been to before was the fourth floor."

"That's right." Chu Tianxiong nodded, walked back to the conference table, and pulled out a document from the thick file folder on the table. "In the past fifty years, thirty-seven people have challenged the Thirteenth Apostle's Hall. Twenty-three people died before reaching the third level, and eleven people passed through the third level and entered the fourth level. Only three people came out of the fourth level alive—but none of them entered the fifth level."

He opened the document, which contained a yellowed photocopy of a handwritten note. The paper was brittle, the edges were torn, and the handwriting was messy and hurried.

"These are the words a Rank Awakener sent back from the fourth level with his last bit of spiritual power fifty years ago. He was killed by the Apostle's projection less than three seconds after sending back these words." Chu Tianxiong pushed the copy in front of Jiang Chen. "The test of the Thirteenth Apostle's Hall is not a battle, but a test of your inner demons. It doesn't kill your body, it kills your will."

Jiang Chen picked up the photocopy, quickly scanned it, and then put it down. His expression remained unchanged, but Chu Tianxiong noticed that his fingers tapped lightly twice on the table—a gesture of deep thought.

"So this time, the three of them went into the fifth floor together," Jiang Chen said.

"Yes." Chu Tianxiong's voice was low, filled with suppressed excitement. "Three SSS-level Awakened Ones joining forces, the strongest combination in history. Ye Wuhen's sword, Zhou Tianze's lightning, and Luo Qinghe's ice—the three powers support each other. When one person can't withstand their inner demons, the other two can lend a helping hand. This is the first time in three hundred years of human awakening that there is truly hope of clearing the Apostle Hall."

He paused for a moment, then stared intently at Jiang Chen.

"Moreover, this operation will be broadcast live in its entirety."

Jiang Chen raised his eyes, a hint of surprise flashing in them.

"live streaming?"

"Live broadcast globally simultaneously." Chu Tianxiong walked to the wall and pressed the switch. A thumbnail of a global media cooperation agreement appeared on the opposite screen, densely listing the logos of dozens of internationally renowned media outlets. "It's not a pre-recorded broadcast, not post-editing, it's a live broadcast. From the moment they step into the fifth floor, viewers all over the world can see what's happening inside the Apostle's Hall."

He turned around, placed his hands on the table, and leaned forward slightly.

"The number of viewers is expected to exceed three billion. This is not only a major event for China, but also a major event for all mankind."

Jiang Chen leaned back in his chair, staring at the media logos on the screen, and remained silent for a moment.

"Why?" he asked. "You've never done a live stream before. Why are you going to make it public this time?"

Chu Tianxiong straightened up, walked to the window, and opened it. The afternoon breeze blew in, carrying the dry air unique to the capital, and stirred the documents on the table.

"Because this may be the first truly significant breakthrough in human history." His voice was deep and powerful, echoing in the quiet reception room. "For three hundred years, humanity has been at a disadvantage in the face of the Apostles. The Apostle Temple stands firm, the Apostles can descend at any time, and all we can do is defend, resist, and eke out a living. We have killed the vanguard of the Apostles and repelled the tides of Apostles, but we have never truly harmed the Apostles at their core."

He turned around and looked at Jiang Chen.

"But this time is different. Three SSS-class Awakened have joined forces, the strongest combination ever. If they can destroy the Thirteenth Apostle's Hall—even just clear it—it means the Apostles are not invincible. Humanity has the right to fight back."

His voice trembled slightly.

"That will be a historic breakthrough. Three hundred years of humiliation, fear, and powerlessness will be rewritten by this war. All of humanity will see that hope exists."

Jiang Chen didn't say anything, but simply picked up his teacup and took another sip.

Chu Tianxiong continued, "Furthermore, Ye Wuhen and the others themselves requested a live broadcast. Ye Wuhen's exact words were—'If we're going to die, let everyone watch how we die. If we're going to win, let everyone watch how we win.'"

He paused.

"If we succeed, all of humanity will witness it. If we fail, all of humanity will also witness it. We will witness the true power of the apostles, and we will witness the gap between humanity and the apostles. Perhaps that will awaken a greater sense of crisis in more people and inspire more awakened individuals to stand up."

The reception room remained quiet for a long time. The second hand of the old-fashioned wall clock ticked round and round, making a crisp clicking sound.

Jiang Chen put down his teacup and his gaze returned to the holographic projection of the Kunlun Mountains. In the image, the Thirteenth Apostle's Hall stood quietly deep in the canyon, its black walls standing out starkly against the backdrop of white snow, like an unhealable scar.

"Three days later," he said softly.

"Three days from now," Chu Tianxiong repeated, "8:00 AM Chinese time. Live broadcast worldwide."

Is it a live broadcast that could make human history, or one that will bring profound despair to countless people?

So far, no one knows, but Jiang Chen admires the courage of these predecessors.

It just so happens that the Thirteenth Apostle Hall is rumored to be home to one of the thirteen strongest apostles. Naturally, he will also watch this live broadcast to see what kind of existence these rumored strongest apostles are. However, the prerequisite is that Ye Wuhen and the other two can meet the Thirteenth Apostle, otherwise all of this is just empty talk.