Chapter 225: Storm
In Su City, there was a pervasive belief among various groups that the Sun family, with their astute understanding of Old Arts, had identified Wang Xuan as more dangerous than Chen Yongjie. They believed this was why the Sun family resorted to using a battleship without regard for the consequences. "The Sun family is ruthless and decisive. Once they deduce that someone poses a real threat, they strike swiftly and without hesitation," one person commented, reflecting on the Sun family's actions.
Many were stunned by the sudden deployment of a battleship by the Sun family, a move that would undoubtedly come with significant costs. "It's just like the old folks in the Sun family to act this way," another voice added, pointing to the family's history of quick and harsh decisions.
In Su City, the scene was bustling with people from different organizations who rushed to confirm Wang Xuan's fate. They all came to the same conclusion after deploying mechanical scanners: Wang Xuan did not survive.
Indeed, surveillance of the area had been thorough, and no evidence suggested Wang Xuan had managed to escape.
The news of Wang Xuan's death hit Clock Cheng particularly hard. "Old Wang dead?!" he thought in disbelief, unable to comprehend the news he had just received. Zhou Yun, currently on New Moon, also felt deeply unsettled by the turn of events, especially considering how satisfying the past few days had been for him.
In a brash move, Sun Yichen sent Zhou Yun a provocative voice message: "Zhou Yun, your friend Wang Xuan, who you thought was a transcendent, we accidentally crushed him. Life is so fragile; we must cherish it. Sorry about that, didn't expect transcendent beings to be so weak."
Shortly thereafter, rumors spread that someone high up in the Sun family had determined Wang Xuan to be a unique individual, potentially rivaling the geniuses of ancient times. This assessment stirred up various factions. Was this the reason for the Sun family's immediate and drastic action?
However, the Sun family soon refuted these claims, unwilling to give Wang Xuan such high acclaim. They dismissed the incident as an unfortunate accident, seemingly reluctant to acknowledge the full extent of Wang Xuan's capabilities.
In the Sun family's circle, calm voices understated the recent tumult, attributing the disastrous outcome to the impulsiveness of their younger members. "It was an accident," they said, seemingly indifferent to the demise of Wang Xuan. Observers and onlookers reacted with a mix of sighs and silence, reflecting on the stark reality that the era of glorified cultivators was long gone. Talent, no matter how extraordinary, seemed futile against such brutal ends.
"The collision of transcendence and technology? What a thought," mused Qin Hong of the Qin family in Pingyuan City, sipping his wine. "With black technology evolving constantly, even Earth Immortals aren't safe anymore. The latest generation of super battleships will redefine warfare. Everything has been predetermined."
That night in Su City was anything but peaceful. A beam from the sky struck down a building, creating a complex aftermath even the Sun family couldn't easily sweep under the rug. Various powerful families and institutions collectively pressured the Sun family, demanding substantial compensation.
As the massive battleships retreated from the skies of Su City, the tense atmosphere began to ease. The night sky was clear and beautiful, adorned with a crescent moon and stars that shone brightly.
Meanwhile, Wang Xuan was drifting along a grand river. Using his arm as a pillow, he lay on his back on the water's surface, gazing up at the starry sky, surrounded by the serene sounds of insects chirping and night birds calling from the riverbanks.
He was in a state of relaxation, cherishing the tranquility of the night, allowing himself to drift freely and gaze up at the universe's splendor. Just before the destructive beam had descended upon Su City, Wang Xuan had felt an intense headache and a premonition of imminent danger, prompting him to act swiftly.
He had torn through the floor of his room, escaping into the underground drainage system, and swiftly made his way to the river that flowed through Su City. Once submerged, he traveled along the riverbed until he was far from the city. Only then did he allow himself to relax, lying on the river's surface, watching the forests on the banks, contemplating the brilliance of the Milky Way, his mind peaceful and serene.
"I need to speed up," Wang Xuan mused, contemplating the journey to a location 150 miles downstream. Drifting leisurely wouldn't get him there anytime soon.
Diving into the deeper waters, he used his powerful mental domain to locate a massive fish, weighing hundreds of pounds, with a vibrant red hue akin to a giant carp. In a world rich in transcendent substances, this red carp might have transformed into something more mystical.
Seated on the back of the red carp, Wang Xuan employed his mental domain to compel the fish to swim rapidly downstream. That night, on the shimmering river, the hefty red carp glided gracefully, occasionally leaping from the water, then diving back in. Under the moon and stars, its crimson form was a spectacle of wonder.
Riding the carp was both time-efficient and effortless. Wang Xuan enjoyed the scenery along the banks, finding the journey to his hunting ground quite pleasant. The intelligent carp would dive underwater whenever they encountered cruise ships or freighters, skillfully avoiding detection.
With the incessant chirping of insects and the calls of night birds from the shores, the carp swiftly covered the 150 miles, aided by the river's current. Before disembarking, Wang Xuan infused the carp with some mystical factors and patted its head in gratitude, letting it swim away. The carp, however, lingered for a moment, gazing back at Wang Xuan before finally disappearing with a flick of its tail.
The area 150 miles outside Su City was a primordial mountainous region, its natural beauty well-preserved. Overall, the environment of the New World was commendable.
Wang Xuan searched the area with his formidable mental domain. From the captured thoughts of the Sun family's liaison, he had learned of an underground base they had constructed here. The super-wealthy Sun family, with their staggering power, had built multiple military bases for both self-defense and deterrence.
In the early years, they secretly developed this base, excavating towards the riverbank from the deep bedrock. Each time a massive cargo ship passed by, it would sink numerous supplies to the riverbed. Initially, this location was indeed a secret base, but with the advanced technology of the New World, it was only a matter of time before it was discovered.
The pattern was similar for most families: keeping these bases hidden from the public eye was enough. Each family was aware of the others' secret bases, yet no one openly acknowledged them. The core members of each family were, in fact, well aware of the precise locations of their rivals' bases.
This particular base held a unique secret, successfully concealed from other families. The Sun family, having obtained an animal skin map from the indigenous people, discovered this mountainous area. Their excavation revealed an unusual phenomenon deep underground: frozen soil and blood-red earth. Extracting mysterious components from this frozen soil, they found it contained strange energies.
The Sun family established various laboratories underground, intent on harnessing the potential of the red crystalline particles they extracted. These particles were somewhat terrifying; prolonged exposure could lead to genetic mutations, causing some to evolve beneficially while others met sudden, gruesome ends.
Thus, the Sun family placed immense value on this site, disguising it as a military base and pouring substantial funds into research in the frozen soil region. The person in charge was a direct descendant of the Sun family, ranking even higher than the late Sun Chengquan.
And so, Wang Xuan had come with two objectives: to eliminate a key member of the Sun family's direct lineage and to uncover the nature of these red crystals and their bizarre energies. More importantly, he intended to destroy the entire base.
According to his information, the base housed a medium-sized warship and eight smaller ones, worth over a hundred billion New World currency. Destroying them would undoubtedly cause the Sun family great distress, not to mention the highly valued subterranean frozen soil laboratories.
An hour later, Wang Xuan located the underground base amidst the vast mountains. Climbing a towering tree, he cautiously left a portion of his mental energy with his body, wary of any beasts or birds of prey that might approach while his consciousness was elsewhere.
His spirit ventured far, discovering not only the river entrance but also several others scattered throughout the mountainside. Delving underground, he immediately encountered the mid-sized warship. Its cold metallic sheen and massive hull exuded an oppressive aura.
Wang Xuan's composure faltered as he recognized the warship underground – the very one that had attacked him in Su City. It had originated from this base and returned here! His gaze turned icy. It seemed fate had brought them together, and he felt it would be a disservice not to detonate it tonight.
Delving deeper underground, the temperature dropped sharply. Eventually, Wang Xuan laid eyes on the frozen, blood-red soil. It resembled earth stained with blood.
The subterranean space was filled with laboratories teeming with frenzied researchers. Not only were the experimental subjects mutated, but some scientists exhibited bizarre alterations as well, like a specialist with two heads and four arms.
Even more grotesque were some experimental creatures – human-headed serpents with immense strength, capable of deforming thick iron doors with just a swish of their tails during strength tests.
Wang Xuan furrowed his brows, pondering if the red crystals were the 'Departed Stones' mentioned by Xu Fu, the Ferryman. Unlike the potent and hazardous radiation of the Departed Lands, Departed Stones were milder, found in some Transcendent worlds for cultivation purposes.
He couldn’t shake off a feeling of bloodthirst emanating from the frozen soil. Could it be tainted with the blood of ancient monsters? The indigenous ancestors were among the Celestial Immortals; this planet's past was undoubtedly complex.
Upon contacting the red crystal particles, Wang Xuan felt uneasy. There was a faint radiation and a sense of life decaying. He withdrew, no longer wishing to interact with them, and left the frozen soil area.
His search led him to the person in charge of the base – Sun Chenghai, a high-ranking figure in the Sun family. Without a word, Wang Xuan seized control of Sun Chenghai with his mental power. Opting not to kill him immediately, he intended to interrogate him by capturing his thoughts and emotions.
The alarm blared throughout the base, "Intruder alert! The base commander has been compromised. Self-destruct sequence initiated." Sun Chenghai's body, implanted with a chip, had automatically signaled the self-destruct as soon as it detected his irregular condition. Ruthlessly, without hesitation, he had triggered the fatal protocol.
Wang Xuan, though he had captured some of Sun Chenghai's mental emanations, was too late to tear out the internal chip. The command had already been sent. Realizing the gravity of the situation, Wang Xuan promptly snapped Sun Chenghai's neck – the second high-ranking direct member of the Sun family he had eliminated.
The defense of the base was formidable. Had it not been for Wang Xuan's spiritual intrusion, a silent entry would have been impossible. Yet, even this approach had its limitations. Unable to interrogate Sun Chenghai thoroughly, Wang Xuan now had to evacuate swiftly as the self-destruction of the base would endanger his physical body on the surface.
"Alert: Base commander confirmed deceased by hostile action. Laboratory and base self-destruction countdown initiated." The announcement echoed relentlessly.
The Sun family's ruthlessness was evident; they would leave nothing of their research for the invaders. Chaos erupted as some scrambled to initiate the warships for escape.
Wang Xuan sabotaged the central control system of the medium-sized warship and didn't spare the smaller crafts either, tearing through their control rooms as well. He then swiftly returned to his physical form, located miles away, and fled the scene.
Behind him, the mountainous terrain was rocked by a series of massive explosions. As he escaped, Wang Xuan spotted the red carp still lingering in the river. He beckoned it and mounted its back, speeding away like an arrow released from a bow.
Continuous explosions ultimately reached the warships. With a thunderous roar, a terrifying burst of light and fire erupted from the earth. The destruction was not confined to the underground; the vast mountain range above was obliterated, the entire sky illuminated as if by daylight.
Without a doubt, this was the onset of a storm, one that would rapidly ferment. The magnitude of the disturbance was so vast that even Su City sensed the anomaly immediately.
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