Chapter 114: The Unstoppable Transcendent Xi Nian
On the Moon.
With a deafening shockwave, a figure was hurled across the barren surface, skimming the ground before smashing into the distance and kicking up a storm of dust and debris for miles.
Nearby, an astronaut stood frozen in terror, the only living witness to this battle of gods.
Superman, Kal-El, his oxygen running dangerously low, felt his mind growing hazy. He shook his head hard, trying to stay conscious. When he looked up again, the transcendent Xi Nian had already vanished from sight.
Then—a sharp instinctive warning rang at the back of his skull. The bio-field around his body, which had always served as his ultimate defense, shattered under overwhelming force.
Superman turned midair, and there he saw the silver-haired young man behind him. At the same moment, a golden lasso streaked out like a living dragon, crackling with arcs of white lightning. The rope coiled rapidly around him, binding his arms and legs tight in several swift loops.
The shining divine artifact glowed with golden brilliance and lightning, its physical strength now fused with the toughness of a Kryptonian bio-field. The lasso, already unbreakable, had become something beyond indestructible.
This time, it was over.
A crushing defeat.
And yet—for reasons he couldn't explain—Kal-El felt an odd sense of relief.
Xi Nian extended his hand. Between his fingers, he held the other end of the lasso. With a gentle motion, he tapped Superman's brow.
No words were spoken.
Through the Lasso of Truth, Xi Nian transmitted everything he knew: Superman's identity, the battle with Doomsday, his death, and what had changed in the world since.
At first, Superman's eyes flickered with confusion and blankness. Then, clarity returned. The last missing piece of his mind fell into place.
When it was done, Xi Nian didn't drag Superman back to Earth bound like a prisoner. Instead, he loosened the lasso out of respect. It floated back behind him, reforming into a golden halo.
With Xi Nian's immense godlike power sustaining it, the artifact itself seemed awakened, more alive and potent than ever.
Xi Nian gestured toward Earth. Superman nodded quietly, and for the first time, no longer raised his fists.
The two, as if forged into camaraderie through combat, shared a silent understanding.
And so, before the terrified astronaut could faint from shock, Superman and Xi Nian flew together, leaving behind a Moon scarred with fresh craters and ravines.
Earth. Metropolis. Stryker's Island.
At the Superman Memorial Plaza, Xi Nian descended like a blazing sun, his radiance polluting the air with sheer brilliance. At his side was Superman, now restored to his senses.
Lois Lane, the reporter with the ring on her finger, rushed forward and threw herself into Clark's arms. Superman smiled, wrapping her in his embrace.
Xi Nian touched down lightly, exchanging brief, knowing glances with Wonder Woman and Supergirl. Nothing needed to be said.
"Tell me. What's the situation now?" Xi Nian's voice was calm, steady, yet carried a weight of divinity.
He had no intention of wasting the time while his transcendent state still burned brightly. It was time to settle every threat once and for all.
Diana understood immediately. "Not good," she answered quickly. "The three Mother Boxes… have been taken by Steppenwolf of Apokolips."
"Steppenwolf…" Xi Nian's eyes flashed with arcs of lightning, as if declaring the doom of that name. "Where is he?"
"We don't know," Wonder Woman shook her head grimly. "After we used the last box to bring Superman back, Steppenwolf stole them and escaped. By now, he's likely retreated to his alien base hidden somewhere on Earth."
"I might be able to track it," Cyborg landed nearby. "Before my father died, he superheated the third Mother Box and marked it. If I run a scan, we can locate their stronghold. But it'll take some time."
Batman stepped forward, cradling the Cat. "We can run the analysis in my Batcave."
"So, we're heading there first?" Flash asked curiously.
At that moment, the entire Justice League—Superman included—turned their eyes to the mysterious young man who stood at their center.
Batman may have founded the League, but right now, no one doubted who truly led them. The youth who had fought less than ten minutes had already won their full conviction.
"No need. Just give me a moment," Xi Nian said. Without another word, he shot into the sky.
His speed ripped through the air so fast the sonic booms came with delay.
In the next breath, Xi Nian stood in near-Earth orbit. He looked down upon the breathtaking blue sphere below.
Backlit by the sun, clad in his black Kryptonian battle suit, Xi Nian spread his arms. White light spilled from his body, streaming outward like spider silk, like threads of lightning.
He became a second sun.
Tens of thousands of radiant strands spread across the sky, scattering and splitting endlessly as they fell toward Earth.
From another perspective, it was as though Xi Nian had woven an invisible web, descending over the planet.
…
Day or night, across the globe, people looked up and saw it: streaks of white light arcing through the heavens like meteors.
…
At S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters, Nick Fury and Maria Hill watched from the top floor as a stream of light descended into their very building, dissolving into the air as gentle white glow.
…
At Xi Nian's home, young Wanda wandered the balcony alone, her face sad. She looked up, and as if in answer, a stream of light descended into her small hand.
"So warm," she whispered, her doll-like face breaking into a bright smile.
…
In Washington, at the high school.
Felicia Hardy, finishing work, walked the hall and was surprised to find a lone girl still in her seat—blonde Gwen Stacy, gazing out the window as if waiting.
Before Felicia could enter, a stream of white light drifted through the glass. Gwen instinctively reached out, and the glow settled into her hand.
…
In a New York manor.
A group of gangsters flinched as their green-haired boss, Lorna, tilted her head skyward, emerald eyes reflecting the falling lights.
One descended close, scattering like sparks around her. She cursed under her breath: "So much for calling me the brightest North Star in the night sky. Turns out you're the sun. Figures. Men's words are always lies."
The gangsters shivered, unsure who had angered their sharp-tongued leader this time.
…
Kamar-Taj, Himalayas.
"Supreme Sorcerer!" Mordo gasped as a white stream of light pierced their wards and slipped inside.
"Leave it be," came the calm reply. The Ancient One stood beside him, hands clasped behind her back.
…
In orbit, Xi Nian's divine glow began to dim. Even with his black Kryptonian battle suit helping absorb sunlight, the feat had consumed an ocean of energy.
But it was worth it.
His mind now brimmed with streams of information from across the Earth. Even a fraction of this would have crushed a normal human brain, but Xi Nian's enhanced mind parsed it cleanly.
Sifting through the flood, he quickly pinpointed a suspicious location that matched the Apokolips base. He had hoped to also locate the missing Peter, but finding one person was far harder than detecting the alien fortress.
With a deep breath, Xi Nian descended, returning to the plaza where the League waited.
Though it had seemed long, only twenty seconds had passed since he first took off.
"The base is here." Xi Nian raised his hand, conjuring a glowing 3D image of Earth with a marked coordinate.
The League gasped. "Pozharnov!" Diana, Batman, Flash, and Cyborg all said at once.
Aquaman shrugged, ignorant of the name.
Diana explained, "It's a ghost town near Moscow. A nuclear accident thirty years ago forced its abandonment. Even the military won't go there."
"The radiation there could probably make you grow an extra arm on your neck," Flash muttered.
Cyborg nodded. "Exactly why it's perfect. Apokoliptian tech could feed off the nuclear energy, while hiding easily from human detection. By now, they've likely drained it all."
"Then we don't wait. Prepare to move. We'll plan on the way," Batman growled, as his Batwing descended from above.
Flash spread his hands. "Uh, you guys realize the big guy's already gone, right?"
The League turned. Sure enough, Xi Nian had vanished.
And so had Supergirl. And Superman.
Steppenwolf was in danger.
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