The Imperial Japanese Navy's reprisal came with startling speed, completely contrary to the two or three days of buffer time they had anticipated. The sudden appearance of this small fleet plunged the entire city of Shanghai back into panic. Of course, the citizens of Shanghai had no idea that this small naval contingent was originally moving toward the Pacific and only diverted mid-route to blockade the city due to the sudden turn of events in Shanghai—hence their astonishing speed. There was joy for some and deep worry for others. As chaos was about to engulf Shanghai, Chu Xuan and his companion brought the high-ranking officials of the city to the port district. Not a soul was visible there now. This busiest port area in Shanghai had been rendered eerily silent by the presence of just a few Japanese escort ships. However, these ships had not opened fire. Firstly, the international concessions lay too close to the port area; shelling it would have incurred disastrous consequences. Secondly, Japan already considered Shanghai its territory, and until the enemy was clearly identified, this small fleet’s orders were strictly to blockade the city, not to utterly demolish the port district over a few enemies. Otherwise, even if they recaptured Shanghai, immense manpower and resources would be needed for repairs.

Chu Xuan and Wang Xia paid little mind to such concerns. Wang Xia, at least, considered the welfare of the people of Shanghai and tempered his actions, but Chu Xuan was someone who genuinely did not care about these matters.

What did it matter to him if Japan fought America, or if it was the Kuomintang versus the Communists, or who lived or died? Chu Xuan would always execute plans solely for the maximum benefit of the Central Continent Team.

At least, that was who Chu Xuan was before he truly broke through to unlock the fourth stage of the Gene Lock.

Once Chu Xuan, Wang Xia, and the high-ranking officials arrived at the docks, Wang Xia secretly contacted Chu Xuan using a silver metallic chip, his voice low. "I have wrapped the three miniature nuclear missiles in my demonic energy; they are invisible to the naked eye... But do we really need to use the Dominator of Bombs demonic power to amplify the yield of these missiles, Chu Xuan? I fear the power will be too great; it might completely destroy the port."

Chu Xuan silently observed the small warships in the distance. He replied mentally, "It no longer matters... or rather, this is the second step of the plan..." Wang Xia paused, startled, and quickly sent a mental message back to Chu Xuan. "What do you mean? Why is destroying this port your second step?" Chu Xuan smiled without speaking, instead turning to the Shanghai officials. "This is the basic situation. The Japanese Navy intends to blockade the port of Shanghai. From the current outlook, it’s impossible for you to surrender and hand over the city, as their warships will not approach the city. And until a large army occupies Shanghai, you cannot even escape... My requirement is simple: assist me in finding the Buddha statue, or this world will be destroyed... Look closely. This is just a minuscule fragment of that statue, and the power of this tiny piece exceeds your wildest imagination!" As he finished, Chu Xuan drew a pebble from his spatial pouch, and the stone immediately began to float gently.

Wang Xia gasped, nearly shouting aloud, but his reflexes were swift, and he immediately stifled the sound, urgently contacting Chu Xuan via the silver chip. "You... you really chipped a piece off that Buddha's head? If we lose even this tiny piece, won't we all be finished? How could you..." "It's something else," Chu Xuan’s consciousness replied. "It's a new material, leftover fragments from manufacturing the high-speed Green Goblin Skateboard. It's a new material that can overcome gravity, though it is difficult to produce and has significant flaws..." Chu Xuan explained briefly before tossing the stone to Wang Xia, adding, "Use this Buddha statue material to annihilate those Japanese warships..." Wang Xia caught the stone; it felt decidedly cold to the touch. Although it looked like rock externally, it was undeniably metallic inside. Thus, Wang Xia said no more, simply nodding before mounting the Green Goblin Skateboard and taking flight.

The expressions of the Shanghai officials all flickered; every eye was riveted on the Green Goblin Skateboard beneath Wang Xia’s feet. Since the skateboard was powered by internal energy, there were no flames or airflow disturbances, only brief flashes of light when it hovered. This shimmering, coupled with the board’s sleek, luminous outer shell, made it look nothing like a mechanical creation. Its flat, board-like form also gave it a shape reminiscent of a long sword. Indeed, among the officials, the Chinese members almost murmured words like "flying sword," while the foreigners stared dumbfounded as Wang Xia ascended, their faces gradually assuming an expression laced with fanaticism and greed.

It wasn't just the foreigners displaying such looks; many of the Chinese present showed a mix of fervent yearning. Ever since the Central Continent Team had stirred up trouble on the Bund that day, these powerful tycoons of Shanghai had received comprehensive details of the entire incident, with extensive descriptions of the group's capabilities, especially mentioning that one member had used a legendary item called a "flying sword" to take to the air. Seeing is believing. These shrewd business magnates, triad bosses, and foreign liaisons—who would never believe mere rumors—showed a level of fanaticism greater than anyone else when they witnessed this legendary object with their own eyes.

Immortals! The (carefree immortals) of Chinese mythology, said to live as long as heaven and earth, never perishing! To think that such legendary beings actually existed! Even if it were only a one-in-ten-thousand chance, or even if they could only beg for an elixir of immortality—for mortals, this held an immense attraction. No matter how rich, powerful, or influential one was, after a century, they would turn to dust. To live for a few hundred years more, or even forever—such a temptation could drive the entire world mad. Therefore, it was better when they hadn't seen it; but once they were convinced that Chu Xuan and his companion were true Immortals, all sorts of desires erupted from the depths of their hearts.

Putting aside those thoughts for a moment, Wang Xia soared into the air, flying directly toward the few small escort ships positioned far out on the horizon. These ships were not closely clustered; they maintained standard maritime escort formation, capable of keeping their lines and counter-attacking swiftly even when subjected to sudden assault, demonstrating the Japanese Navy's surprisingly high standard of training. Otherwise, they could never have achieved the initial victories in the subsequent naval battles following the attack on Pearl Harbor. If minor skirmishes could sometimes be attributed to chance, then in large-scale military events like proper campaigns, the concept of accident simply did not exist.

Wang Xia, however, had no patience for such reflections. The closer he got to the Japanese warships, the fiercer the rage burning within him became. Yes, he was a textbook hothead. Even knowing this world was merely a horror film setting created by the "Main God," the sight of the Japanese military swaggering on Chinese soil ignited an endless fury within him. The greatest disgrace for a soldier is not losing a battle, but watching what they are sworn to protect being trampled upon by the enemy. Therefore, even if Chu Xuan hadn't demanded Wang Xia increase his demonic power output, as soon as he engaged the Japanese forces, he would naturally have done so. At this moment, he had no spare rationality left to consider whether the port might be affected.

The Green Goblin Skateboard was incredibly fast, and in flight, it generated minimal sound. Wang Xia arrived above the small fleet in the blink of an eye. He then channeled all his demonic energy into one surge. The three miniature nuclear missiles, wrapped in his demonic aura, slowly drifted downward. Simultaneously, Wang Xia controlled his energy to spawn several biological flying bombs, which descended alongside the missiles—these biological bombs were the key to enhancing the explosive yield.

Having done this, Wang Xia immediately steered the Green Goblin Skateboard back toward the port. Only then did shouts erupt from the escort ships. From Wang Xia's approach to his departure, barely a few dozen seconds had elapsed. As Wang Xia flew clear of the fleet, three points of light suddenly burst forth between the escort ships. These three points flashed violently, causing several high-ranking officials watching intently from the port to clutch their eyes and cry out in agony. The others were forced to avert their gaze. On the harbor sea, three immense, churning mushroom clouds rose directly into the sky. In an instant, the several escort ships were vaporized and shattered. The resulting massive waves began to sweep toward the port, crashing in tandem with the shockwave of the explosions.

The first to be struck were numerous small vessels and several large seafaring ships, which were overturned by the colossal waves. Even more ships collided with one another or were swept along with the surge and explosion toward the port itself. Amidst the deafening roar, countless ship debris mingled with the forty-meter-high tidal wave, smashing nearly every structure on the pier before finally bearing down on the outer plaza where Chu Xuan and the others stood. Far out on the distant sea, enormous mushroom clouds still churned hundreds of meters high. Those Japanese Navy escort ships had vanished without a trace.