Chapter 383: The Divine Stone

"Perhaps, Your Excellency Hades, you should see something," said the Great Brahma King, signaling to the powerful Molo to bring over a projection device from the corner. This was standard equipment in the base, though it was unclear what they intended to show.

Yang Chen had a foreboding feeling. A few seconds later, the projection device was activated, casting the image onto the silvery metal wall behind the high platform.

With just one glance, Yang Chen's face turned frighteningly grim.

The scene on the screen was none other than the exterior of the villa at Longjing Park. It was late at night, and all the lights in the villa were out. On the lawn outside, two bloodstained warriors dressed in Muslim attire were trampling on the corpses of two white men.

Yang Chen recognized them immediately. They were members of the Sea Eagle team responsible for protecting Lin Ruoxi and the others!

The message was clear: the Sandstorm organization had found his home and knew who was inside. Having already killed the Sea Eagle team members responsible for protection, killing the four women inside the villa would be an easy task.

Although Huilin had some strength, she was no match for Master Yunmiao. She could handle one of Sandstorm's immortal warriors, but two would be a death sentence.

At this moment, all the members of the Yanhuang Iron Brigade and the other Sea Eagle team members were engaged in tough battles or already dead, leaving no one to protect Lin Ruoxi and the others in the villa.

Yang Chen finally understood the Great Brahma King's true trump card: they had teamed up with Sandstorm to control the lives of his family members and force him to hand over the divine stone.

Although the Yaqi Society had used similar tactics before, this situation was fundamentally different. Back then, he had a chance to kill the three major ninjas, so they were afraid. But this time, unless he could teleport instantly to the villa, Lin Ruoxi and the others would be taken hostage regardless of whether he handed over the divine stone. He had no bargaining chips at all!

Without giving the divine stone, the women at home would surely die. Giving the divine stone, they might still be taken hostage!

This ruthless move seemed simple yet was extremely difficult to execute.

First, someone had clearly gathered all his information thoroughly. Second, they had enough manpower to hold off the Yanhuang Iron Brigade and knew the Sea Eagle team's deployment inside out. Most terrifyingly, they had just arrived in Zhonghai and already knew the exact locations of all the Dragon Group and Eight Divisions members. Yang Chen would never believe there wasn't an insider.

He found himself in the middle of a massive conspiracy, feeling a heavy pressure on his chest.

Almost simultaneously, sensing they had gained the upper hand, Shiva and the Shura woman returned to the high platform beside the Brahma King, just like Heitian, reporting to Brahma. They had no intention of continuing the fight with Yu Ji and the others.

Brahma's real combat losses were limited to Agni and Varuna, whom Yang Chen had defeated. The remaining dozen key figures were unharmed.

"Your Excellency Hades, I hope you think this through. We came all the way to Zhonghai in Yanxia to confront you face to face, naturally prepared for everything. Even if you refuse to hand over the divine stone today and decide to fight to the death with us, it's within our expectations. However, the divine stone is just an inanimate object, of little use to you. Why not hand it over to us, and we will release your wife," said the Great Brahma King with a cold smile.

Yang Chen took a deep breath and smiled, "My wife? What about the others?"

The Great Brahma King laughed, "Your mother, we will temporarily 'protect' her. When we feel it's safe to return her to you, we will naturally send her back to Yanxia safely."

Yang Chen's heart sank. There was indeed a traitor among them! Apart from Lin Ruoxi, there were others in the villa, a fact only known to a few close to him. Those two Sandstorm warriors hadn't entered the villa yet knew there were others inside, which meant someone had informed Brahma.

Moreover, Yang Chen had only recently reunited with his mother, Guo Xuehua, yet Brahma's men knew she lived in the villa and used her as leverage. This indicated a premeditated plan.

Yang Chen couldn't immediately figure out who the informant was, who had allowed the Yanhuang Iron Brigade and the Sea Eagle team to be completely controlled. However, given the current situation, if he didn't hand over the divine stone, there would only be one outcome: mutual destruction.

The thought of Lin Ruoxi and Guo Xuehua being slaughtered by those two Sandstorm mercenaries made Yang Chen's heart ache violently. Despite his raging anger, he felt utterly helpless and deeply pained.

"Yang Chen, don't be soft-hearted. Even if you hand over the divine stone, they will still take Ruoxi and the others. At that point, you will have nothing!" Master Yunmiao, seeing Yang Chen's hesitation, struggled and immediately urged, "The divine stone is crucial. If these monsters get it and manage to cultivate a new god, Yanxia will suffer greatly, and the world order will change drastically!"

"Yes, young friend Yang, the master and the general are husband and wife. Since she can tearfully sever her emotional ties for the greater good and sacrifice her husband, you must also think about the well-being of the world," Yu Ji couldn't help but urge urgently. He had heard of the divine stone's power, and Yang Chen before him was said to have used it to slay a god—this was no joke.

Cai Ning looked at Yang Chen with a conflicted expression. She hoped Yang Chen wouldn't let Lin Ruoxi, Huilin, and the others die because, as a woman, she felt it was too cruel for a man to treat his women like this. But she also understood that if the divine stone fell into Brahma's hands, the consequences would be disastrous.

Yang Chen didn't ponder for long. After a moment of silent contemplation, he looked up and said, "Let me tell you where the divine stone is. You can command those two to retrieve it, okay?"

"Yang Chen!" "Young friend Yang!"

Yu Ji and Master Yunmiao were shocked, while Cai Ning's gaze turned complex and bewildered.

The Great Brahma King laughed heartily. Shiva, Heitian, and the others also displayed victorious arrogance, looking down at Yang Chen and the others. The Great Brahma King signaled Heitian with a glance, who immediately understood and said to Yang Chen, "Your Excellency Hades, you are indeed straightforward. Just tell me, and I will use secret methods to command those two to find it."

Yang Chen ignored the terrified expressions of Yu Ji and the others beside him and calmly said, "The divine stone is in the underground garage of the villa. Have them go to the garage first, then head north..."

As Yang Chen described, Heitian pointed a finger at his brow, seemingly using some kind of mental power method to remotely command the two Sandstorm warriors.

One warrior held the recording device while the other searched.

The place Yang Chen indicated was the very spot where he had hidden the black box after moving into the villa at Longjing Park. In a concealed corner, a loose brick on the wall could be removed to reveal the black box inside.

During the previous hostage situation involving Lin Ruoxi and Wang Ma, Yang Chen had taken a fake divine stone from that black box.

When the two warriors, under Heitian's direction, retrieved the black box, the Great Brahma King and the others couldn't hide their ecstatic expressions, though they tried not to overreact. Their dream was within reach.

Master Yunmiao and Yu Ji looked bitterly at Yang Chen, powerless to stop him from revealing the hiding place.

At this moment, Heitian commanded the two warriors to open the box.

In the projection, when the Sandstorm warrior opened the black box, it was empty—nothing resembling a stone was inside.

The Great Brahma King's face stiffened, both greatly disappointed and speaking in a sinister tone, "Your Excellency Hades, your joke has gone too far. Don't think we really wouldn't dare to kill your family."

Yang Chen sneered, "Are you pigs?"

"What?!" The powerful Molo roared in anger, "How dare you insult us?!"

Yang Chen laughed heartily, "If you're not pigs, then what are you? Has any of you ever seen the divine stone? Do any of you know what it looks like?"

"What do you mean?" The Great Brahma King seemed to have an inkling of realization.

Yang Chen pursed his lips and said, "The black box in that person's hand—the box itself is the divine stone!"