Everyone was still immersed in the thrilling battle and the heavy message brought by Xuan Mingzi. However, before they could catch their breath, a clear and urgent voice broke the solemn atmosphere.
"Master, urgent intelligence! I've discovered a major anomaly regarding Miss Su Qing's identity!"
It's Chu Yao!
Her virtual projection appeared beside Lin Yi, her expression more serious than ever before.
These words were like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, instantly creating huge waves!
All eyes immediately focused on Su Qing.
Su Qing's delicate body trembled, and her face instantly turned pale.
"Chu Yao, what did you say?" Lin Yi frowned, a sense of foreboding rising in his heart.
Chu Yao's tone was solemn: "Through in-depth analysis of the residual data from the 'Shadow Erosion Project' and reverse tracing of Miss Su Qing's past actions, I discovered... that she seems to have an intricate connection with the 'Ragnarok' Project! In fact, she carries some special mark related to the core of the project!"
"What?!"
Long Wu, the most hot-tempered of them all, was the first to explode. He sprang to his feet, his dragon aura, which had just subsided, surging again as he glared at Su Qing: "Su Qing! You...you fucking lied to us all along, didn't you? 'Ragnarok'? Isn't that something that bastard Night Owl came up with? You're in cahoots with him?!"
The other core team members, who were originally quite close to Su Qing, now had expressions of shock, suspicion, and wariness on their faces.
They instinctively took a half step back, distancing themselves from Su Qing.
Trust, at this moment, is teetering on the brink of collapse!
"No...no! I didn't!" Su Qing's eyes reddened with anxiety, her voice trembling with tears as she looked helplessly at Lin Yi. "Lin Yi, you have to believe me, I..."
She wanted to explain, but found herself overwhelmed with thoughts and didn't know where to begin.
That deep-seated imprint, that past she didn't want to revisit, left her speechless.
"Trust you? How can we trust you?" Even a usually taciturn shield warrior couldn't help but speak up, his tone filled with disappointment. "Su Qing, we've always considered you a partner who would share life and death with us!"
"That's right! The boss trusted you so much, and you actually..."
Accusations rose and fell, like sharp knives stabbing at Su Qing.
Su Qing's body trembled slightly, her face as pale as paper. She opened her mouth, but no sound came out, and she could only let her tears blur her vision.
Lin Yi was equally shocked by the chaotic scene before him.
Is Su Qing related to "Ragnarok"?
How is that possible!
He recalled every moment he spent with Su Qing, that kind, resilient, and occasionally a little absent-minded girl. Could she be a pawn planted by the enemy?
He didn't want to believe it, but Chu Yao's intelligence was always accurate.
"Shut up, all of you!"
Lin Yi suddenly roared, and an invisible pressure spread out.
Although he did not use the power of the [Time and Space Dominator], his long-standing position and the slaying of countless powerful enemies naturally cultivated a terrifying aura.
The noisy hall fell silent instantly.
Although Long Wu was still furious, he subconsciously obeyed Lin Yi's orders.
Lin Yi took a deep breath, turned his gaze to Su Qing, his eyes filled with a complex and unfathomable expression: "Su Qing, I'll give you a chance. Tell us what exactly happened." His voice was calm, yet carried an undeniable force.
He chose to believe Su Qing; at least, before the truth was fully revealed, he was willing to give her a chance to explain.
This demonstrates his responsibility as a leader and his trust in his former comrades-in-arms.
Su Qing sensed the complexity in Lin Yi's gaze, as well as the last vestige of trust, and it was as if she had grasped a lifeline.
She wiped away her tears forcefully, her voice still choked with emotion, but now tinged with determination: "I...I am indeed connected to the 'Ragnarok' project. At birth, I was chosen by a mysterious force and implanted with the 'Ragnarok Mark.' They...they want to train me to be one of the core executors of the project."
"What?!" The crowd erupted in uproar again, but due to Lin Yi's imposing presence, they did not react immediately.
Su Qing continued, "But I have never yielded! I have always been looking for an opportunity to break free from control. Meeting you all and joining the 'Time Legion' has been the luckiest thing in my life. I swear, I have never intended to harm you. On the contrary, I have always been looking for an opportunity to dismantle that evil plan from within and help everyone..."
Her voice was sincere and sorrowful, filled with accusations against the injustice of fate and a longing for freedom.
However, such a weak explanation seems somewhat powerless in the face of irrefutable facts.
The doubts on the team members' faces had not completely dissipated, and the atmosphere remained so heavy it was almost palpable.
Once trust is broken, it is very difficult to mend it easily.
Just then, Xuanmingzi's figure appeared silently at the other end of the hall again. It was as if he had always been there, only choosing to show himself now.
"The test of humanity is often more difficult than an invasion from another dimension." Xuan Mingzi said calmly, his gaze sweeping over everyone before finally landing on Lin Yi. "Lin Yi, it seems your team has encountered some minor troubles."
Lin Yi looked at Xuan Mingzi and said in a deep voice, "What advice do you have for me, senior?"
Xuan Mingzi's lips curled into an inscrutable smile: "I wouldn't call it guidance. However, I have a new clue that might help you temporarily forget your current troubles."
He paused, then dropped a bombshell: "The seal on the 'Forgotten City' has recently begun to loosen. Hidden there is the key to breaking through to the mythical level, and it may even... be related to the true origin of the 'Ragnarok' project."
Breaking through the mythical level!
These five words, like a thunderclap, exploded in everyone's ears!
Although Lin Yi's combat power far surpasses that of his peers thanks to the characteristics of his [Time and Space Dominator] profession, he is still at the peak of the Legendary realm.
If we can break through to the mythical level, that will be a qualitative leap!
Xuanmingzi continued, "Time is running out. The power of the other dimension is infiltrating at an accelerated pace, and the clues to the 'Forgotten City' will be fleeting. Whether you go or not is your decision."
After he finished speaking, his figure became blurry again, as if he might disappear at any moment.
Lin Yi's eyes sharpened instantly.
"The Forgotten City"! The key to breaking through to mythical status!
He knew that facing potentially even more terrifying enemies in the future, improving his strength was the only way out.
Su Qing's situation is certainly thorny, but compared to the safety of the entire planet and the need to uncover the truth of the world, he must make a choice.
Lin Yi took a deep breath, his gaze sweeping over everyone, and his voice was resolute: "Get ready, we're setting off immediately, destination—the Forgotten City!"
He didn't mention Su Qing again, nor did he try to forcefully reconcile the team members' emotions.
He knew that some cracks would take time to heal, and more importantly, they would require going through new trials together.
Upon hearing this, the team members reacted in various ways.
The yearning for the "Forgotten City" and the desire for power temporarily overshadowed the internal conflicts.
But everyone knew in their hearts that Su Qing's identity was like a thorn that could not be removed, deeply embedded in the heart of the team.
The team finally set off.
However, the atmosphere on the way to the "Forgotten City" was terrifyingly oppressive.
Everyone fell silent; the laughter and chatter of the past had vanished, replaced by a suffocating oppression.
Beneath the calm surface, undercurrents surge and churn.
Lin Yi walked at the front, his back still upright, but he could clearly feel the invisible barrier and suspicion behind him.
This path of exploration into the unknown was shrouded in a heavy shadow from the very beginning.
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