After the three miniature nuclear missiles amplified their detonations, the entire Shanghai port was almost completely annihilated. This immense power actually stirred up tidal waves tens of meters high, instantly turning several small escort destroyers into ash before they could even fire a single shell. Along with them, Chu Xuan and the others, standing extremely close to the port, were caught directly within the sweep zone of these colossal waves.

The wave approached with terrifying speed. Chu Xuan had just managed to touch his flat-lens glasses with his finger when the tidal wave, mixed with ship wreckage, was only ten to twenty meters away from him and the group. Such a short distance meant nothing against the rapidly closing behemoth; in less than a second, they would be swallowed by the wreckage-laden surge, unable even to scream, their mouths wide in silent agony. Then, the wave crashed against Chu Xuan, who stood at the forefront. With a deafening clang, the wave slammed into a protective layer emanating an inexplicable glow—the sound being that of a piece of ship debris impacting the luminous barrier.

(It must hold! It must hold!) Chu Xuan had activated the hypnotic function built into his glasses, entering a state where he could perfectly utilize the $\lambda$drive skill. Following the command of his will, the belief-force $\lambda$drive activated once more, manifesting a protective layer born of sheer willpower between the group and the incoming debris-ridden tidal wave.

The resilience of this barrier was nothing short of a Perfect Shield; not only did the colossal wave batter against it, but the ship wreckage caught within also slammed into the barrier with full force.

Despite this, the protective layer did not even flicker or dim in the slightest. Anything that struck it—be it seawater, wreckage, stones, or steel rebar—was instantly pulverized upon contact, revealing that this barrier possessed not only terrifying defensive capability but also devastating offensive power upon impact.

The massive wave arrived quickly and departed just as fast, considering the group was positioned at the Qingtai Plaza, some distance away from the port itself.

Even with the entire port submerged, the impact on their location was limited, so after the initial few surges swept ashore, the water’s reach receded further and further away from the coast.

Only when the water had completely retreated beyond the confines of the port did the group see that the area was utterly unrecognizable—it was no longer a port, but a field of completely demolished ruins.

Beyond the devastated port, the mushroom cloud still churned and boiled over the sea surface, vast amounts of water vaporized into the air.

The distant ocean surface appeared hazy, and only the scorching sea breeze blowing constantly from that direction confirmed what they had witnessed. For a moment, everyone stared dumbly at the distance; their thoughts had completely stalled since the destruction of the Japanese Navy.

“This is the destructive power unleashed by one small fragment of the Buddha statue. The entire statue is set to explode in the same manner in six days, and the chain reaction caused by its full detonation will increase the destructive force tenfold. This is the arrival of the apocalypse…” Chu Xuan rubbed his eyes, which appeared incredibly resolute after being subjected to hypnosis.

He then turned back to address the rest of the group.

It was only then that Wang Xia managed to land his Green Goblin glider, having just controlled three miniature nuclear-seeking missiles and amplified their power using demonic energy. Wang Xia was on the verge of collapse, but his powerful physique allowed him to remain standing, though his current combat strength was barely above that of an ordinary person.

Chu Xuan subtly positioned himself in front of Wang Xia and continued addressing the others: “Tell me now about the choice I gave you earlier… Hand over the intelligence systems of the forces you control and help me find the Buddha statue, or I will eliminate you right here, or you can wait for the world to end in six days. What is your choice? Tell me.”

As Chu Xuan finished speaking, those present snapped back to reality. They exchanged strange glances. One of the triad bosses scratched his head and muttered, “Surely all this is some kind of illusion? Although it looks quite real… but to demand the entire operation of my Green Gang based on this alone is too much…” Before the man could finish, an inexplicable beam of light sliced horizontally across his head. His head flew upward more than two meters, and as it fell, a torrent of foul blood sprayed onto the few people nearby. These individuals stood stunned for several seconds before letting out terrified roars.

Chu Xuan looked at them with a flat expression: “This is not a request, nor is it a suggestion—it is an order. I don't know if you've ever heard the term 'overwhelming power,' but this is it. If you wish to live, cooperate with me. I will give you appropriate rewards upon completion. If you refuse, your lives, the factions you represent, and even your relatives will all vanish… I will ask one more time: Cooperate with me using the intelligence systems you possess. How about it?” The so-called overwhelming power refers to oppressing others using a superior position or advantage in power. Just as Chu Xuan always said, when “strength breaks through a certain threshold, it can truly override any situation; this is what is called overwhelming power!”

“…The basic situation is like this. If my deductions, derived from simulating Xiao Honglv’s thought process, are correct, this is the only way Chu Xuan can find the remaining parts of the Buddha statue. After all, we have very little time, only about six days. This era is not the information explosion era of the twenty-first century; communication and transportation are not that fast. To thoroughly investigate several major factions in six days, in addition to the Green Goblin gliders we possess for transportation, we absolutely need massive intelligence support. Otherwise, no matter how fast we fly, we won’t even know where the enemy is. This side quest is practically a suicide mission, isn’t it?”

Zheng Zha sat on a large rock, running his hands through his hair as he spoke to the few people before him.

It was already the second night since the mission began. A whole day had passed, but Zheng Zha and the others had received no message from Chu Xuan’s group, as if they had vanished into thin air. Gradually, Qi Tengyi and Liu Yu began to show signs of panic. However, after Zheng Zha unlocked the third stage of the Gene Lock and performed some reasoning, he managed to calm the two men down.

“Speaking of which,”

Liu Yu suddenly said with a smile, “‘The basic situation is like this.’ Isn’t that Brother Chu’s catchphrase? Why are you using it too? Heh heh, you couldn't possibly be simulating Brother Chu’s thought process, could you?”

Zheng Zha laughed helplessly, “I wish I could simulate his thought process, but unfortunately, even with my Gene Lock at the intermediate fourth stage, I absolutely cannot simulate even a shred of his thinking. This situation is too bizarre; I’ve never been able to figure out why… Perhaps his thought process has become post-human. Only a freak like him can use it; if we try to mimic it casually, we’ll probably turn into that three-zero man in the next second.”

“Three-zero man?” Liu Yu asked curiously.

“No expression, no speech, no emotion—that’s Chu Xuan’s three-zero state…” Zheng Zha chuckled.

After a few more laughs, Zheng Zha turned his attention to Imhotep, “Imhotep, have you decided whether you will return to the ‘Main God’ space with us? If you have made up your mind, then after this incident concludes, I will return to the ‘Main God’ space to exchange for those bracelets and bring both of you back with me.”

Apart from the members of the Central Continent team, only Imhotep and Anck-su-namun were present; Jonathan was nowhere to be seen, and they didn't know where he had gone. Upon hearing Zheng Zha, Imhotep immediately replied, “If we cannot find the elixir of immortality in this tomb, then Anck-su-namun and I will go to your ‘Main God’ space… But before that, I still need to ask: Is that space dangerous for Anck-su-namun?” Zheng Zha let out a breath, considering the question. “Danger equals reward; greater danger equals greater reward. You might be able to live for thousands of years, but Anck-su-namun, as an ordinary human, is subject to the cycle of birth, aging, sickness, and death. I can guarantee that there are elixirs in the ‘Main God’ space that allow people to live long lives, but the ‘Main God’ space is also extremely dangerous—dangerous not just for Anck-su-namun, but also for you and me… I won't hide it from you; even with my current strength, I could suddenly die in a random horror movie world. So think carefully: will you come with us to the ‘Main God’ space?”

Imhotep hesitated. He looked intently at the exquisitely beautiful Anck-su-namun sitting beside him, gazing silently at the woman for a long time. Only when Anck-su-namun showed an expression of yearning did he suddenly nod firmly, “Yes, if there is no elixir of eternal life in this tomb, I will go with you to the ‘Main God’ space… But I have one request: protect Anck-su-namun as much as possible. Until she becomes as strong as you, try your best to protect her, can you?” Zheng Zha nodded affirmatively, “Of course. Since you are joining the Central Continent team, we are partners who fight side-by-side. As long as you harbor no ill intentions, I will do my utmost to protect you… Welcome to the team.”

Imhotep smiled and was about to say something when a scream echoed from a distance—it was clearly Jonathan’s voice. Then, the group saw Jonathan running desperately out from behind the trees, shouting as he ran, “Run! The Yellow Turban Warriors have revived!”

Following closely behind him were indeed five gigantic Yellow Turban monsters. The size of these creatures… was a full size larger than the monsters they had seen in Shanghai. These monsters had grown even stronger.

Leaping towards them…

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