His Spiritual Power had been blocked. He wondered how this was possible when he had clearly already bound it with his blood!
A look of madness overtook He Anhe's face. Surging with an unknown strength, he actually lunged forward and desperately hugged his Bronze Tripod. However, the familiar sensation of their bloodline connection was rapidly fading, and traces of lightning began to crackle across the tripod's surface.
"No!" He Anhe finally realized what was happening and let out a heart-wrenching shriek. "This is impossible!"
"Don't you know that saying the word 'impossible' means you can't possibly be the main character?" Shen Yun finally couldn't help but mock him. He beckoned with his hand, and the Bronze Tripod automatically flew over, hovering right in front of him. "When it comes down to it, who gave you the courage to confront a Golden Core Cultivator on your own initiative? This tripod? Well, now it's mine."
COUGH!
Finally unable to accept this reality, He Anhe violently spat out a mouthful of blood. But just as he was about to faint, another bolt of lightning struck. Searing pain ravaged his entire body. He couldn't even achieve the simple bliss of passing out.
"Kill me, kill me..." He Anhe could only wail miserably. He questioned why he was being forced to endure such an unbearable, undeserved blow.
"Master, this man's inheritance is inside, in the form of an independent stone stele." Little Nine paused in silence for a moment, her voice as soft and gentle as ever. "He... isn't of much use anymore."
"Mhm." Shen Yun glanced at the delirious He Anhe. "Then... just kill him."
High up in the sky, a terrifying light brewed. And then—BOOM! A twisting bolt of lightning, as thick as a water barrel, crashed down with a deafening roar.
In an instant, He Anhe was reduced to charred ash. He was utterly destroyed in body and soul. This Cultivator, who should have had a bright and promising future, met his end just like that.
Shen Yun stood where he was, bathed in the fearful and reverent gazes of the people around him. A slight ripple of emotion stirred in his heart. This was the country, the world, that he would be living in from now on.
By the time Zhong Huiyun hurried over with her personnel, Shen Yun had already released the thousand-plus missing people.
Coincidentally, they were already at a hospital. The victims were all receiving treatment. Most had merely fainted and lost weight from prolonged starvation, but they were otherwise unharmed. However, his sister was thoroughly heartbroken. The blow of being betrayed by her best friend was far more painful than the shock of being kidnapped again. Shen Yun could only gently comfort her.
"Master Shen, this was a dereliction of our duty!" Zhong Huiyun apologized to Shen Yun solemnly. "On behalf of the Spiritual Power Special Service Bureau, I promise you that such a thing will absolutely never happen again!"
No one cared about the deceased He Anhe. They only cared whether Shen Yun would be dissatisfied with them because his family member was nearly harmed. After all, Shen Yun had fully proven his overwhelming strength during this incident.
"Mhm, I understand." Shen Yun simply nodded, having no intention of getting angry over this.
The night was growing darker, but the hospital was bustling with noise and activity. People were constantly being carried inside. Even among the soldiers standing before Shen Yun, many had sustained injuries. Yet despite their wounds, they still ordered the military medics to prioritize treating the civilians first.
Compared to a self-righteous Cultivator like He Anhe, this group of people—who steadfastly adhered to their duties even after becoming Cultivators, using their own backs to bear the hardships of the era for the people—appeared all the more admirable and worthy of respect.
"Thankfully... you are still here to protect the people." Shen Yun gently patted his sister's shoulder as she leaned into his embrace. Looking at the scene before him, which wasn't much different from disaster relief efforts in his previous world, he ultimately couldn't help but express his gratitude with deep admiration.
He meant it from the bottom of his heart. If not for these people, if this country's order had completely collapsed like in some foreign regions, he might not have found his sister in one piece by the time he crossed over.
Hearing his words, everyone present—including Zhong Huiyun—couldn't help but straighten their postures. However, their hearts were filled with shame. They were soldiers; this was their duty. Yet, in the end, they could only rely on this civilian powerhouse standing before them to protect and save the people. If not for Shen Yun, the number of civilian casualties could have easily multiplied by ten times or more.
After finally managing to calm his sister down, Shen Yun and Zhong Huiyun went to a secure room. He directly handed over the stone stele from inside the tripod, along with some Gu insect eggs, to her.
"This will be useful to the country," Shen Yun said. "However, the tripod is useful to me."
The contents of the stone stele had long been recorded by Little Nine, and Shen Yun had no intention of cultivating Gu insects anyway. But the tripod contained its own internal space, making it a rare Storage Treasure.
"That is fine, it is your spoil of war to begin with." Zhong Huiyun glanced at the stone stele, her eyes lighting up slightly. "Even for this stele, we will compensate you with items of equivalent value. Master Shen can certainly look forward to it."
The abilities He Anhe had displayed during this incident were indeed incredibly tempting to them. Leaving everything else aside, just the ability to rapidly advance to the Divine Thought Stage was enough to drive countless national factions utterly mad with greed.
Having this was more than enough. Right now, not only could they not just take things from Shen Yun, but it was also in their best interest to give him good things in return. After all, a relationship built on mutual benefit was the tightest bond of all. This was also why they hadn't said anything to Shen Yun about the greater good of the nation or similar rhetoric up until now. Everyone had their own standard for such things in their hearts. Saying too much would only provoke resentment and needlessly fray their relationship.
Shen Yun pondered for a moment and roughly guessed what she meant. She was likely referring to items related to the Otherworld, much like that Array. However, he had a different request in mind.
"Actually," Shen Yun's expression suddenly turned a bit bashful, "I'd like one of our country's most advanced tanks as a collectible. I've always quite liked things like that..."
"Huh?" Zhong Huiyun let out a sound of surprise, clearly not expecting Shen Yun to make such a request. But seeing his slightly embarrassed expression, dawn broke in her mind. No matter how powerful he was, he was still just a twenty-four-year-old young man.
"Not a problem," Zhong Huiyun agreed without a moment's hesitation. "If Master Shen likes these things, you are welcome to visit the military bases anytime. You have no idea how many young men in our ranks treat you as their idol now."
A single tank really wasn't a big deal, as long as he didn't give it to anyone else. With a mere wave of his hand, Shen Yun's own destructive power was already greater than an artillery strike anyway.
The atmosphere while processing the spoils of war was completely harmonious. However, just as Shen He bid farewell to his sister and father and prepared to return to Sea City, Zhong Huiyun suddenly sought him out again.
"Master Shen, the Director of our Spiritual Power Special Service Bureau hopes to meet with you," Zhong Huiyun cautioned carefully. "It might be related to matters concerning that particular area."
Shen Yun's heart skipped a beat. He wondered what other aspect it could possibly be. Was it because his performance this time had been too impressive? They had originally agreed to discuss matters concerning the Otherworld at the Cultivator tournament a month later, yet they were already looking for him now. Or could it be that something had happened?