Laser Cannon. A weapon that only existed in science fiction movies had manifested in the world today, exposing Americaâs long-hidden secret.
At this very moment, aboard the Hercules Skyship, the last member of the Miraculous Squadâthe super hacker known as Phantomâcould no longer concern himself with such things.
Jack had been shot in the head. Super Green was killed in battle. Sonic Wave Woman had died tragically. Half of the Miraculous Squad was annihilated. Even Americaâs premier hero, Silver Ultraâundefeated, unmatched, and able to withstand the Rod of Zeusâwas dead.
Phantom didnât dare to imagine what horrors would befall America if the Cultivator below were allowed to leave alive. So, he fired the cannon. He fired, even if it meant exposing a secret America had hidden for many years. He fired, even if the blast would likely kill Frost Lady as well.
He was afraid. If the Cultivator didnât die, he wouldnât have the courage to live on.
The temperature of the Laser Cannon surpassed that of a nuclear bomb. The terrifying heat scorched everything as the air burst and the seawater boiled and vaporized. It was like the wrath of heaven and earth, capable of destroying everything.
Itâs worth it.
In the water, Frost Lady looked up at the white light in the sky and suddenly felt at ease.
With Silver Ultra dead, her life had no meaning. To die now, taking such a powerful Eastern Cultivator with her, meant her death would not be in vain. The East is truly a land blessed by the gods. First, there was the Divine Continentâs Divine Sword Saint Shen Lang, then Lin Mu, Lin Wudi, and now, another mysterious and formidable Cultivator... Wait a minute! Lin Wudi?
Frost Ladyâs eyes widened in disbelief as she stared at the figure above the sea. This time, she finally recognized him.
"No! Heâs Lin Wudi! Heâs Lin Mu, Lin Wudi!"
The figure in the sky overlapped with the one she had seen in the satellite surveillance just days beforeâthe one who had fought Shen Lang in a decisive battle atop the Great Wall. It turned out that the Eastern Cultivator they were trying to capture was none other than the contemporary legend, the worldâs number one, Lin Mu, Lin Wudi.
In that moment, Frost Ladyâs heart felt as cold as her codename.
Could the Laser Cannon kill Lin Wudi?
Her heartbeat quickened.
Beneath the beam of the Laser Cannon, Lin Muâs lips curled into a smile. "I was just worried about lacking a Heaven-Earth Mysterious Fire to refine the Nine Tripod Fragments. Youâve done me a great favor."
Lin Mu flung the Nine Tripod Fragments he had obtained from the Blood Sea into the air. He rapidly formed several hand seals and pointed fiercely at the fragments. "Refine!"
The Nine Tripod Fragments transformed into a streak of light, rocketing up to collide with the laser beam descending from the sky.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The laser, like a massive sword, plunged from the sky, aiming straight for the sea. The Nine Tripod Fragments, like fiery meteors, shot toward the heavens.
One hundred meters. Fifty meters. Ten meters!
The impact was soundless.
The Nine Tripod Fragments suddenly burst into light, and a colossal cauldron materialized out of thin air. The laser struck the mysterious cauldron directly. All of its energy was devoured. The miles-long laser beam, as if being drawn into a black hole, was absorbed bit by bit by the cauldronâs phantom.
CRACK.
The Nine Tripod Fragments emitted a faint sound as they slowly began to merge. One piece, two pieces. When the beam was completely absorbed by the phantom, the fragments fused with a final crack, forming an incomplete tripod leg that flew back into Lin Muâs hand.
Feeling the surging power contained within the tripod leg, a slight smile appeared on Lin Muâs face. Without this laser, he might have had to wait until after reaching Foundation Establishment to even attempt to fuse the Nine Tripod Fragments. Now, he had saved himself months of time.
Itâs gone? The Laser Cannon that could destroy an island and annihilate a small country just vanished like that?
Aboard the Hercules Skyship, Phantom stared coldly at the screen, unable to snap out of his daze. A moment later, he felt a chill rush from the soles of his feet to the crown of his head.
"Not good! Turn around! Evacuateâ"
Before he could finish, a dazzling light flared to life outside the skyship. A towering sword, so immense it blotted out the sky and outshone the sun, cleaved down toward them.
"Noâ"
Phantom let out a miserable scream as everything before him was consumed by white light. Metal, glass, alloys, tables, chairs, air, and human bodiesâeverything turned to nothingness beneath the giant sword.
In the sky, the massive skyship exploded inch by inch, becoming the most brilliant fireworks. Thirty years of American achievement, a high-tech skyship nearly a century ahead of the world, vanished into smoke.
Beneath the sea, Frost Lady gazed at the scene, completely lost in a daze.
It was over. Everything was over. The Miraculous Squad was finished. The Hercules Skyship was finished. And perhaps, America was finished, too.
Frost Lady was so disoriented she even forgot to counterattack. With a wave of Lin Muâs hand, she flew involuntarily before him and Qin Luoli.
Only then did she get her first clear look at the woman they had intended to use as bait to capture a Cultivator. She was surprisingly pure, her eyes devoid of any impurity. At this moment, she showed no killing intent toward her enemy, only a hint of curiosity.
"Is your ability freezing things? You can freeze seawater and fire, but can you freeze laser beams? What about the sun? Can you freeze the sun?" Qin Luoli asked. This was her first encounter with an Ability User, and even though Frost Lady was an enemy, she couldnât suppress her curiosity.
Lin Mu shook his head helplessly but didnât stop his wife.
"I..." Frost Lady didnât know how to respond to this woman who seemed as pure as a saintess.
Her only thought now was that the Miraculous Squad had truly fallen, to have attempted to use such a woman as bait.
"Iâll give you a chance to live," Lin Mu said. "Take me to your headquarters, and Iâll spare you."
Frost Lady immediately lowered her head and said coldly, "You might as well kill me. Iâd rather die than betray my companions."
Lin Mu smiled. "Of course, I can find the Miraculous Squadâs headquarters even without you. I just donât know how many people will die while I make my way there."
Frost Lady shuddered. If Lin Mu were to truly wander the streets of America, the American government would not sit idly by. When that time came... she dared not imagine the catastrophic scene of a heavenly god like Lin Wudi unleashing a massacre in America.
"Iâll take you," Frost Lady relented.
Qin Luoli smiled. "Donât be scared. My husband isnât someone who kills indiscriminately. He was just trying to frighten you. As long as your people donât attack first, he wonât easily kill anyone."
Frost Lady let out two weak hums in response.
Wouldnât easily kill? Heh. Lady, you have no idea what kind of man youâve married.
"Lin Wudi, I canât fly, so we..." Frost Lady trailed off, feeling helpless. With the Hercules Skyship destroyed, she had no means of flight, which was rather awkward.
Lin Mu tossed out a collar. As if it had a mind of its own, the collar snapped onto Frost Ladyâs neck with a CLICK. Empowered by the collar, she found she could fly freely, as easily as if she had grown a fifth limb.
So this is Lin Wudi? Truly a god-like figure.
"Thank you, Lin Wudi." Frost Lady clasped her hands in the salute of an Eastern Martial Artist, though the gesture was somewhat awkward and out of place.
Lin Mu gave a silent nod, and the trio flew through the air toward the American border.
"Honey, youâre so wicked," Qin Luoli whispered, leaning close to Lin Muâs ear. "That collar is used by Cultivators to control spirit beasts, isnât it? And you actually put it on a person."