Chapter 39: Doomsday Fireworks, the Tyrant's Countdown
Vought Tower. Top-floor office.
Lu Jie hung up the provocative call and tossed the encrypted phone onto the desk.
Annie stood by, still holding the hot towel. Seeing Lu Jie's gloomy face, she didn't even dare to breathe loudly.
"Is there trouble again?" Annie asked in a low voice.
Lu Jie stood up, grabbed the black tactical trench coat from the back of the chair, and put it on.
"Just a minor episode." Lu Jie straightened his collar.
Annie stepped forward and took the initiative to button his trench coat. Her fingers touched Lu Jie's hard chest, her movements very gentle.
"Do you need my help?" Annie looked up at him.
"Stay here and be good." Lu Jie pinched her chin, pressing his thumb against her lips. "The game outside is too rough; it will soil your clothes."
Annie's cheeks flushed slightly. She nodded obediently.
Lu Jie turned and walked out the door. A true tyrant does not allow anyone to provoke him.
At the elevator, Neuman was already waiting. She held a tablet in her hand, her expression grim.
"Have you tracked the signal source?" Lu Jie stepped into the elevator.
Neuman quickly followed. "The signal went through thirty encrypted relays. It was finally traced to the underground pipe network in downtown Manhattan."
"What is the military doing?" Lu Jie watched the changing floor numbers.
"The chemical defense unit has already cordoned off the entire block. They detected an extremely high concentration of compound v reaction underground," Neuman reported quickly. "The military suspects it's a dirty bomb."
"Tell them to get lost." Lu Jie's tone was flat.
"But the military..." Neuman hesitated slightly.
"On Vought territory, it's not up to that bunch of uniformed losers to interfere." Lu Jie walked out of the elevator and headed straight for the underground garage.
Downtown Manhattan. Times Square.
This place had been completely locked down by the military. Armored vehicles blocked every intersection. Heavily armed soldiers had set up long police lines.
A black sports car smashed directly through the roadblock, stopping steadily in front of the police line.
Lu Jie pushed open the car door. His leather shoes stepped onto the asphalt. His black trench coat fluttered in the night wind.
A commander with the rank of colonel brought his men to surround him.
"Stop! This is a military-controlled zone!" The colonel raised his pistol, aiming at Lu Jie. "Vought personnel, back off immediately!"
Lu Jie didn't even glance at him, continuing to walk forward.
"I'm warning you for the last time!" the colonel roared. The soldiers pulled their gun bolts simultaneously.
Lu Jie raised his right hand, his five fingers slightly spread.
Gravity Control pressed down.
The colonel and the dozens of soldiers around him were forced to their knees. Their knees smashed dozens of craters into the hard road surface. The sound of cracking bones rang out in unison.
Firearms scattered all over the ground. No one could lift their heads.
"When I'm speaking, you'd better listen while kneeling." Lu Jie walked up to the colonel, looking down at him from above.
The colonel was sweating profusely from the pain, struggling even to breathe.
"Take your men and get out of this street. Disappear within ten seconds." Lu Jie released a bit of the gravity.
The colonel didn't dare utter another word, scrambling to lead his men away from the scene.
Lu Jie walked to the sewer manhole cover in the center of Times Square and stomped on it directly.
The heavy cast-iron manhole cover, along with the surrounding concrete, collapsed, revealing a bottomless hole.
Lu Jie leaped down.
The underground pipe space was large. It had been converted into a temporary control room.
In the center sat a huge metal device. Four transparent glass tanks were filled with green liquid that was churning wildly.
Above the device, a red countdown was ticking. Three minutes remained.
On the wall directly in front, a huge screen was hung.
The screen lit up. Edgar's expressionless face appeared on the display. He pushed up the gold-rimmed glasses on the bridge of his nose.
"Lu Jie. You are very punctual." Edgar's voice echoed in the underground space.
"Is that all your last words amount to?" Lu Jie said, hands in his pockets, looking at the screen.
Edgar twitched the corner of his mouth. "You are too arrogant. Do you think you can rule everything through force?"
"Otherwise, rely on that mouth of yours?" Lu Jie retorted.
"This is a highly concentrated compound v dirty bomb," Edgar pointed to the device. "The blast radius can cover all of Manhattan. It is mixed with a gene-collapse virus."
Edgar paused for a moment. "No matter how strong you are, can you block nuclear-level genetic contamination? All the super-humans in New York will die."
"You're using this piece of junk to threaten me?" Lu Jielaughed, a cold laugh.
"Two minutes left. In these two minutes, I want you to hand over absolute control of Vought. And cripple your own abilities in front of the whole world." Edgar laid out his conditions.
He felt he had already won. A dirty bomb of this caliber would detonate prematurely if the casing was damaged. It was impossible to dismantle.
"Idiot." Lu Jie spat out the word.
The countdown had a minute and a half left.
Lu Jie took his right hand out of his pocket and aimed it at the huge device.
Micro-Annihilation activated.
The metal casing of the device began to turn to sand, falling away as a pile of fine iron powder.
Edgar's expression changed on the screen. "You're crazy! If the casing is damaged, it will detonate immediately!"
"Shut up. Watch how I crush your final arrogance." Lu Jie's tone had no fluctuation at all.
The green liquid lost the restraint of the casing and was exposed to the air. Violent energy began to expand rapidly. A blinding light illuminated the entire underground pipe network.
It was about to explode.
Black flames ignited in Lu Jie's palm. Hellfire Black Flame.
The black flames, like a giant python, lunged directly at the expanding ball of green energy, instantly wrapping it completely.
There was no deafening explosion. There was no soaring flash of fire.
The dirty bomb energy, sufficient to destroy all of Manhattan, dissipated bit by bit under the consumption of the Hellfire Black Flame.
Not even a wisp of excess smoke emerged.
In just over ten seconds, the liquid in the four tanks was burned clean, along with those so-called advanced viruses. They vanished into nothingness.
The underground pipes returned to darkness.
Edgar on the screen looked ashen. He braced his hands on the table, his breathing even stopping.
"This... this is absolutely impossible!" Edgar's voice trembled. His gold-rimmed glasses slid to the tip of his nose. "That is the highest-level genetic weapon of The Consortium!"
"In the face of absolute violence, your schemes are not worth a damn." Lu Jie brushed the dust off his cuffs.
"What kind of monster are you!" Edgar had completely broken down. The intelligence he was so proud of had been crushed into pieces in front of Lu Jie.
Lu Jie looked at the screen. "Washington D.C., Underground Air Defense Shelter, Sector B."
Edgar looked up abruptly, his eyes full of terror.
"Did you think you were hiding well?" Lu Jie laughed. "Wash your neck and wait. I'm coming personally to take your life."
"Cut the signal! Cut it quickly!" Edgar's exasperated roar came from the screen.
The screen went black.
Lu Jie turned and leaped out of the underground pipes, returning to the surface.
Neuman had already driven the car to the side of the hole. She opened the car door to welcome Lu Jie.
"Master. Has the crisis been resolved?" Neuman asked.
"Just a pile of junk." Lu Jie sat in the car, tugging at his tight tie. "Arrange a private jet. We're going to Washington."
"Should we notify Congress to cooperate?" Neuman sat in the driver's seat.
"No need. I'm going to kill a few rats." Lu Jie leaned back against the seat, closing his eyes to rest. "I'll be back once I'm done."
Chapter 40: The Bunker of Despair, Crushing the Last Vestiges of Arrogance
Washington, outskirts. Area B of the underground anti-aircraft bunker, fifty meters deep. It was built during the Cold War. It can withstand a ten-megaton nuclear strike.
Edgar was pacing back and forth in the control room. His leather shoes clicked against the metal floor, creating a chaotic sound. He had completely lost his usual composure.
"Arrange a helicopter immediately. Right now. I want to leave the United States." Edgar turned his head and ordered the man in the suit standing to the side.
The man in the suit was a special envoy sent by The Consortium. He looked at Edgar coldly.
"The Consortium's helicopter is on the roof. But if you leave now, it's equivalent to abandoning all of Vought's assets." The man in the suit was very dissatisfied. "The Consortiumwon't feed a useless person for nothing."
"Money can be earned again if it's gone. If your life is gone, then everything is gone!" Edgar roared. "You have no idea what that Lu Jie is!"
"No matter how strong he is, he is still flesh and blood." The man in the suit patted the pistol at his waist. "This is fifty meters underground. Can he tunnel through the earth?"
As soon as he finished speaking, a dull, thunderous sound came from the ceiling above. The entire underground bunker shook violently.
The lights in the control room flickered a few times. Dust fell in flurries. "What's going on!" Edgar looked up in terror.
A second thunderous sound. The dozens of meters of reinforced concrete, capable of withstanding a nuclear bomb, cracked open, forming a huge fissure. The sound of steel bars being forcibly snapped made one's scalp tingle.
A foot wearing a black leather shoe stomped straight through the final layer of the alloy ceiling. Lu Jie jumped down from the hole and landed steadily on the conference table in the center of the control room.
The long table made of special alloy collapsed instantly under his weight. As the dust settled, Lu Jie, wearing a black tactical trench coat, didn't even have a single hair out of place. He scanned the control room.
"Leaving? Did I agree to that?" Lu Jie looked at Edgar, who had retreated to the corner of the wall.
The man in the suit reacted extremely quickly. He pulled out the pistol at his waist and fired three shots at Lu Jie. The gun was loaded with depleted uranium armor-piercing rounds specially made by The Consortium, capable of piercing even tank armor.
Lu Jie didn't even blink. Half a meter in front of him, the bullets hit an invisible wall and stopped in mid-air, then fell to the ground with a crisp sound.
The man in the suit was stunned. "A lackey of The Consortium?" Lu Jie walked down from the debris and looked at the man in the suit.
"If you dare to touch me, The Consortium behind me will make it impossible for you to move an inch on this land..." Before the man in the suit could finish his threat, Lu Jieraised his hand in the air and clenched his fingers. Gravity Control acted directly on the man's neck.
With a crisp snap, the man's neck broke instantly. His head hung down at an eerie angle, and he fell to the ground like a broken sack, dying on the spot.
"I hate it when people threaten me." Lu Jie stepped over the corpse on the ground and walked toward Edgar. Edgarhad nowhere left to retreat, his back pressed tightly against the cold metal wall.
With trembling hands, he pulled a black remote control from his pocket. "Don't come any closer! I've implanted a genetic poison gas bomb inside my body! As long as I press the button, this gas will spread through the air and infect you!"
"Press it." Lu Jie stopped and crossed his arms over his chest. "Let's see if it can make a bang."
Edgar gritted his teeth and pressed the red button hard. One second. Two seconds. No reaction. Edgar frantically pressed it several more times, but still, nothing happened.
"That pathetic bit of genetic technology of yours isn't even fit to carry my shoes in front of me." Lu Jie walked over, grabbed Edgar by the neck, and lifted him up.
Edgar's feet dangled in the air as he struggled desperately, his face turning beet red. Activating his Gene Dominance ability, Lu Jie's consciousness directly invaded Edgar's body, forcibly disrupting his genetic sequence and severing all motor nerves connected to his limbs.
"Ah!" Edgar let out a shrill scream. He discovered in terror that, except for his head, all parts below his neck had lost sensation. He couldn't even move a single finger. He had completely become a cripple.
"Killing you would be too easy on you." Lu Jie threw Edgaronto the ground like garbage.
Edgar lay there limp like a puddle of mud, his eyes full of despair. The power, wealth, and trump cards he had painstakingly built up his entire life had all been ground into dust today.
Lu Jie took out his phone and dialed Butcher's number. The call connected after two rings.
"Washington, outskirts, Area B anti-aircraft bunker." Lu Jiesaid in a flat tone. "Edgar is here. A gift for you. If you come late, there will only be a corpse left."
After speaking, Lu Jie hung up the phone and jumped out of the bunker through the hole in the ceiling.
Half a day later, at Vought Tower. Lu Jie sat in the leather swivel chair in the CEO's office, looking at the bustling night view of New York outside the window.
The office door was pushed open. Maeve walked in carrying a cup of freshly ground coffee. She had changed into a tighter black uniform today, her slender legs showing no excess fat, and her whole demeanor exuded the charm of a mature woman.
"Master, Edgar has been taken away by people from The Boys." Maeve placed the coffee gently on the table. "The Consortium is also scared out of their wits. Several old men sent secret telegrams overnight, expressing their willingness to unconditionally cooperate with all of Vought's actions."
"They have no choice." Lu Jie picked up the coffee and took a sip. It tasted good. Maeve walked behind Lu Jie, stretched out her fair fingers, and gently massaged his shoulders.
The pressure was just right. She knew very well now how to please this temperamental tyrant. "The list for the new The Seven still needs your personal decision." Maeve leaned down and spoke into Lu Jie's ear.
The view down the collar of her uniform was fully exposed, accompanied by a faint scent of perfume. Lu Jie put down the coffee cup, grabbed Maeve's wrist with a backhand, and with a slight tug, pulled her directly into his arms.
Maeve took the opportunity to straddle his lap, hooking her arms around his neck, her breathing becoming a bit rapid. "What's the rush? I haven't had enough fun yet." Lu Jiepinched her pointed chin, forcing her to look up.
Maeve's eyes held three parts fear and seven parts ingratiation. She leaned in voluntarily, wanting to kiss Lu Jie's lips.
Just then, Neuman pushed the door open and walked in without even knocking. Seeing this scene on the sofa, Neuman quickly lowered her head, not daring to look at it any longer.
"Master, urgent top-secret intelligence has come from Russia." Neuman spoke quickly. Lu Jie released Maeve and pushed her to the side.
Maeve quickly stood up, tidied her slightly disheveled uniform, and obediently retreated to the side. "Speak." Lu Jie leaned back into his chair.
"We discovered an ancient ruin deep within the Siberian ice fields. Detectors show that there is an extremely high concentration of compound v source reaction inside." Neuman stepped forward and handed over a few high-definition photos.
Lu Jie took the photos. In the photos, there was a huge black pyramid building, buried deep beneath the thick ice. The surface of the building was covered with eerie patterns, emitting a dark red glow.
A glint of excitement flashed in the depths of Lu Jie's eyes. He had long grown tired of those artificial, trash toys like Edgar. This was the true ruin of a god. The ultimate nourishment for advancement had finally appeared.
Chapter 41: Beneath the Ice Sheet, Ancient God's Tomb
Vought Tower. CEO's office.
Lu Jie leaned back against the leather chair. His fingertips held a few high-definition photographs.
On the photos was a black pyramid buried deep beneath the ice sheet.
Annie was wearing a loose white shirt. She knelt obediently by Lu Jie's side, pounding his legs for him.
"Annie. Look up." Lu Jie spoke.
Annie obediently lifted her head, her eyes filled with a mix of awe and attachment.
"When I'm not around, don't run off. It's chaotic outside right now." Lu Jie pinched her chin.
"I won't go anywhere. I'll just wait for you here." Annie's voice was very soft.
"Good girl. Wait for me to come back. I'll bring you a new toy." Lu Jie lowered his head and bit her lip.
Annie's cheeks flushed slightly. She did not resist.
The office door was pushed open.
Maeve walked in, holding Lu Jie's black tactical trench coat.
Seeing Annie's state, a flash of jealousy crossed Maeve's eyes.
"Master. The private jet is ready." Maeve stepped forward.
"Prepare the plane. I'm going to Siberia in person." Lu Jietossed the photos onto the mahogany desk, pushed Annie aside, and stood up.
Neuman followed closely behind and walked in, looking down at the photos.
"Master. The Consortium has deployed heavy troops there. The energy scanner shows three superhuman energy sources. The level is extremely high, even exceeding Homelander." Neuman lowered her voice.
"The higher, the better. Just right to fill my stomach. I'm already tired of eating Edgar's meager stock." Lu Jieopened his arms.
Maeve took the opportunity to help him put on the trench coat and straightened the collar.
She was wearing an extremely tight deep-V uniform today. When she bent over, the view was unobstructed.
"Leave the company to you and Stormfront. If anyone dares to act out, kill them directly. No need to report." Lu Jie looked at Maeve.
"Go with peace of mind. I'll keep things clean at home. Not even a fly will be able to get in." Maeve leaned in half an inch, her breath sweet like an orchid, her fair fingers sliding across his chin.
"Don't play games. The genetic lock in your body is still there. I can give you power, and I can take it back at any time." Lu Jie gripped her wrist with great force.
"I will only be your obedient dog. I will never betray you." Maeve frowned in pain but dared not shrink back, her eyes glistening with tears.
Lu Jie let go and turned to walk toward the private elevator.
Siberia. Forty degrees below zero.
Snowstorms raged, and visibility was extremely low.
Lu Jie was not wearing cold-weather gear. His thin black trench coat snapped loudly in the gale.
Ahead was a massive ice valley.
The Consortium's armed camp was set up on the edge of the ice valley, with dozens of high-intensity searchlights scanning back and forth.
Two guards wearing white power armor blocked his path.
"Private restricted area! Back off! Otherwise, we will execute you on the spot!" The guards raised their heavy machine guns, aiming them at Lu Jie.
"I'm walking my own path. You're in my way." Lu Jie didn't stop. His leather shoes crunched on the snow.
"Fire!"
The barrels spat tongues of fire. Hundreds of armor-piercing rounds poured out.
The bullets hit half a meter in front of Lu Jie, all hovering in mid-air before falling.
Gravity Control.
Lu Jie closed his five fingers. The two sets of armor were instantly crushed flat.
Flesh and blood twisted with the metal. They didn't even have time to scream.
The sound of alarms blared throughout the camp, and red lights flashed.
Dozens of fully armed soldiers rushed out, holding high-energy weapons designed for superhumans.
"Intruder! Kill him!" the commander shouted.
Lu Jie couldn't be bothered to talk nonsense. Micro-Annihilation.
A whole row of soldiers, along with the firearms in their hands, were all reduced to fine iron powder and blood mist.
A large patch of the snowfield was stained red.
Three people walked out from the depths of the camp.
One woman and two men.
One was covered in flames, with the surrounding ice and snow melting rapidly.
One had skin with the luster of liquid metal, and his arms had turned into sharp blades.
One was floating in mid-air, surrounded by a powerful psychic field.
"Vought's new boss? The Consortium told us to wait for you here." The flaming man spoke, his tone arrogant.
"Waiting to collect my corpse?" Lu Jie stopped walking and looked at them.
"Don't get too cocky. We are the perfect adopters of the first-generation compound v. Even Homelander is just a little brother in front of us." The metal man squeezed his fists, making a harsh grinding sound.
"You bunch of little brothers, are you also mass-produced by The Consortium? You look really cheap." Lu Jie sneered.
"Win against me, and the things in the ruins are yours. Lose, and you stay to breed. I like strong men." The woman floating in mid-air licked her lips.
Lu Jie scoffed.
"I'm not interested in fighting trash. Especially old trash."
He raised his right hand. Hellfire Black Flame.
The black flames ignited directly on the flaming man.
"What is this fire! How can my flames be burned away! Help!" the flaming man screamed.
The snow on the ground didn't even melt, but he was burned to ashes.
With a gust of wind, nothing was left.
The metal man retreated two steps, his expression changing drastically.
"What exactly did you do! Everyone, attack together!"
The metal man's arms turned into long blades, slashing directly at Lu Jie's face.
Lu Jie stepped forward. Void Flash Step.
He punched the metal man in the chest.
The power of the Immortal Kryptonian was fully unleashed. The metal chest collapsed instantly, and a burst of blood mist exploded from his back.
His internal organs shattered, and he died on the spot.
The woman floating in mid-air turned and ran, her speed extremely fast.
"Want to leave now? It's too late." Lu Jie grabbed at the air. Gravity Control.
The woman was forcibly pulled back to the ground and smashed heavily onto the ice, her bones breaking.
"Where is the entrance to the ruins?" Lu Jie stepped on her back.
"It's... one hundred meters beneath the ice... The Consortium dug a tunnel..." The woman spat out a mouthful of blood and begged repeatedly.
"Take me down. I'll leave your corpse intact." Lu Jie's tone was devoid of emotion.
"I'll take you! I'll take you!" The woman struggled to crawl up and walked forward, limping.
Lu Jie followed behind.
They walked to the drilling platform in the center of the camp. The tunnel was bottomless.
"It's right down there. The Consortium hollowed it out." The woman pointed to the tunnel.
"You can go die now." Lu Jie exerted force under his foot and kicked her neck, breaking it.
Too weak. Is this the extent of The Consortium's trump cards?
Lu Jie jumped into the pitch-black tunnel, free-falling.
One hundred meters. He landed.
Before him was a massive bronze door. Strange patterns were carved on the door, emitting a dark red light.
An old man stood in front of the door, wearing tattered robes.
"You've finally come." The old man spoke, his voice hoarse.
"You know me?" Lu Jie sized him up.
"I have guarded this place for three hundred years, waiting for someone who can push open this door." The old man lifted his head. There were no eyeballs in his sockets, only two balls of ghost fire.
"No need to wait anymore. I'm here. Open the door."
Lu Jie walked toward the bronze door.
"Behind the door is the abyss. Are you sure you want to go in? Once you go in, you won't be able to come out." The old man blocked his path.
"Get lost. A good dog doesn't block the way." Lu Jie waved his hand casually.
The old man's body turned into a ball of black mist, dissipating and then reforming.
"I am the will of the ruins. You cannot kill me. I am immortal." The old man laughed eerily.
"Is that so? There is nothing in this world that cannot be killed." Lu Jie activated the Deprivation Domain.
The old man's expression changed. The ghost fire flickered violently.
"The energy on you... How many people have you eaten! This doesn't follow the rules!"
"The rules are set by me. I've lost count. You can count as the next one." Lu Jie reached out and grabbed the old man's throat.
The old man's black mist couldn't reform within the domain. He was gripped tightly by the neck by Lu Jie.
"Let go! I'll let you in! I'll tell you all the secrets!" The old man struggled.
"No need. I'll see for myself." Lu Jie ignored him. Mind Furnace activated.
The old man's energy was forcibly stripped away, surging into Lu Jie's body along his arm.
[Obtained Ability Mutation: Spirit Capture.]
Lu Jie threw away the old man's shriveled husk.
He pressed both hands on the bronze door and pushed hard.
A heavy grinding sound rang out.
An extremely thick scent of blood rushed toward him.
This is the best nourishment for advancement.
Chapter 42: Primordial Origin, Unique Divinity
Behind the bronze door was a massive underground hall.
In the center was a blood pool, and the liquid within was dark gold.
This was the source of compound v—the remnant blood of primordial gods.
A beating heart hovered above the blood pool.
With every beat, it emitted an incredibly powerful energy fluctuation, causing even space to tremble.
Lu Jie approached the blood pool.
"This thing is far stronger than Edgar's dirty bomb."
A dark glint appeared in Lu Jie's eyes.
Just as he was about to reach out, slow and steady footsteps sounded behind him.
"I knew you would come here, Lu Jie."
Lu Jie turned around. A man in a black, high-end tailored suit walked in, his leather shoes spotless.
"Who are you?" Lu Jie looked at him.
"The Consortium's Chief Executive Officer. You can call me Adam." The man adjusted his tie.
"Here to die? Or here to beg for mercy?" Lu Jie raised an eyebrow.
"You are too confident. Do you think that because you defeated Edgar, you have won the entire world?" Adam stepped closer.
"I was the first to inject the primordial god blood. I have lived for five hundred years. I witnessed the founding of America. I created Vought International. Edgar was just a dog I raised." Adam took off his suit jacket and tossed it casually onto the ground.
"Five hundred years and still not dead; you're tough. But your time is up today," Lu Jie remarked.
"This ruin is my backyard. The blood pool at your feet is my source of power. What do you have to fight me with?" Adam raised his hand.
The dark golden liquid in the blood pool began to boil, transforming into a dozen streams that surged toward Lu Jie in unison.
Lu Jie activated Gravity Control, and the streams stopped in mid-air.
"You can control water, but can you control the god blood?" Adam sneered.
The streams pierced directly through the gravitational field and slammed heavily into Lu Jie.
Lu Jie took a step back, his black trench coat corroded with several holes.
"Interesting. As expected of an old monster who has lived for five hundred years; your methods are slightly better than those defective products." Lu Jie brushed the dust off his body.
The defense of Immortal Kryptonian withstood the corrosion; not even his skin was broken.
"Just how many genes have you fused! This is impossible!" Adam's expression changed, filled with disbelief.
"More than you can count. Your pathetic history is worthless in front of me." Lu Jie took a step, utilizing Void Flash Step, appearing directly in front of Adam, and threw a punch.
Adam raised his hand to block. As their powers collided, the underground hall shook violently, and gravel fell in showers.
Adam retreated three steps, his arm numb, his bones creaking.
Lu Jie stood where he was, unmoving.
"Is that all the strength you have? Did you spend those five hundred years living like a dog?" Lu Jie shook his wrist.
"Don't get cocky!" Dark golden scales emerged on Adam's body. He opened his mouth and spat out an extremely condensed high-energy beam, carrying an aura of destruction.
Lu Jie did not dodge; Heavens Judgment Lightning Domain.
The violent lightning and the beam collided, canceling each other out and exploding with blinding light.
Lu Jie didn't give him a chance to breathe; Micro-Annihilation.
The scales on Adam's body began to turn to sand, peeling off into powder.
"This is impossible! The defense of the god blood is invincible! I am a god!" Adam roared, his voice trembling.
"In my presence, there is no invincibility, and certainly no gods. If there is one, it is me." Lu Jie stepped forward, grabbed Adam by the neck, and lifted him into the air.
"You cannot kill me! The Consortium controls the global economy! If you kill me, the world will fall into chaos!" Adam struggled desperately, kicking his legs wildly.
"Let it be chaotic. What does that have to do with me? I only care about killing."
Lu Jie's fingertips pierced directly into Adam's carotid artery, Mind Furnace operating at full power.
The primordial god blood inside Adam was forcibly extracted.
"No! My power! My immortality! You devil!" Adam howled in despair.
The shrill screams echoed through the hall, making one's scalp tingle.
A few minutes later, Adam had completely turned into a dried corpse.
Lu Jie threw away the corpse and turned to look at the heart above the blood pool.
He leaped, jumped to the center of the blood pool, and reached out to grab the beating heart.
Extremely violent energy surged frantically into his body along his arm.
Lu Jie clenched his teeth, his bones cracking loudly.
This level of genetic restructuring was more than ten times more painful.
He endured it without making a sound, veins bulging on his forehead.
Dark golden light wrapped him into a cocoon.
The liquid in the blood pool dried up at a speed visible to the naked eye, all of it absorbed by him.
Half an hour later, the light dissipated, and Lu Jie landed on the dry bottom of the pool.
He opened his eyes, his pupils having turned completely dark gold.
[Obtained ultimate ability: Unique Divinity.]
Immune to all physical and energy attacks; can create and destroy matter out of thin air.
"This is true power. No weaknesses, no limits." Lu Jieclenched his fist, feeling the surging vitality within his body.
He looked up at the ceiling of the hall and activated Unique Divinity.
A hundred meters of ice and rock were directly erased.
Sunlight shone into the underground hall without obstruction.
Lu Jie ascended into the air, looking down at the vast ice field.
The encrypted phone in his pocket vibrated; it was Neumancalling.
"Speak," Lu Jie answered the call.
"Master, there's a major situation at Congress. We can't hold them off anymore." Neuman spoke rapidly, panting heavily.
"The Vice President has joined forces with the remaining superhumans and declared Vought a terrorist organization. They have assembled an army and are preparing to launch an all-out attack on Vought Tower."
"Who gave them the guts?" Lu Jie's tone was flat.
"It's a man called Sage. He cracked Vought's defense system. They also developed anti-superhuman weapons that can suppress our abilities." Neuman's voice trembled.
"Let them come. No matter how many weapons they have, they are just a pile of scrap metal."
"But Master, Maeve and Stormfront cannot block the army's heavy firepower. Starlight has also been targeted; they said they want to use Starlight as a sacrificial flag."
"Tell them, if they can't hold it, then die. Whoever dares to touch my things, I will make their whole family pay with their lives."
Lu Jie hung up the phone.
"The old era should end. The new world does not need that many living people."
Lu Jie flashed, disappearing deep into the clouds.
A bloody reshuffling sweeping the globe officially began.
Chapter 43: The Descent of Divine Punishment, Crushing Mortal Arrogance
New York. Vought Tower Plaza.
Armored vehicles lined up in an endless steel dragon.
A dozen armed helicopters circled in the sky.
Mounted under their bellies were the latest anti-superpower sonic generators.
Piercing, high-frequency sound waves blanketed the entire neighborhood.
Maeve knelt halfway on the steps, covering her ears.
Blood trickled down through her fingers.
"This sound... it can interrupt the recombination of the genetic chain."
Maeve gritted her teeth and looked up at the sky.
She felt the power within her being drained away.
Stormfront was faring even worse.
Under the suppression of the sound waves, her pride and joy, her lightning, couldn't even produce a spark.
Several soldiers wearing exoskeleton armor rushed forward and trapped her in a high-voltage electric net.
"Let me go! You bunch of lowly swine!"
Stormfront struggled frantically.
The high-voltage current scorched her body black.
Annie hid behind the bulletproof glass at the entrance, her face pale.
Watching the tragedy outside, her palms were slick with cold sweat.
"He will come back... He said he would come back."
Annie kept whispering to herself.
The only faith she had now was that man.
Inside a command vehicle on the perimeter of the plaza.
A man in a gray suit wearing black-rimmed glasses held a cup of coffee.
He was Sage.
The person recognized as having the highest IQ in the United States.
"The calculation results are perfect."
Sage took a sip of his coffee.
"The frequency of the anti-superpower sonic generators is perfectly set at the metabolic critical point of compound v."
"Mr. Vice President, you can prepare your victory speech."
Sage said into the communicator.
The Vice President's triumphant laughter came through the communicator.
"Well done. Drag that girl named Starlight out."
"I want to personally sever Lu Jie's wings in front of the whole world."
Sage pushed up his glasses.
"As you wish."
He picked up the walkie-talkie and gave the order.
"Team One, go in and make the arrest. If you meet resistance, execute them on the spot."
A team of fully armed soldiers leveled their guns and approached the entrance.
Maeve forced herself to stand up, trying to block the door.
"Get lost!"
The commanding officer smashed his gun butt into Maeve's face.
Maeve let out a muffled groan and fell to the ground.
With her genes suppressed, her strength was now inferior to that of an ordinary strong man.
The officer lifted his foot and stepped on Maeve's back.
"You superheroes, usually so high and mighty, aren't you just lying there like a dog now?"
The officer laughed loudly.
His soldiers followed suit with raucous laughter.
They raised their battering ram, preparing to smash the bulletproof glass.
Annie closed her eyes in despair.
Just then.
The sky went dark.
Midday in New York suddenly turned dark.
Everyone looked up at the sky.
The clouds were forcibly torn open by some terrifying force.
A beam of dark golden light plummeted from the horizon.
It slammed into the center of the plaza.
There was no sound at all.
But at that moment, all the anti-superpower sonic generators simultaneously went silent.
Their metal casings melted directly into puddles of molten iron.
The beam of light dissipated.
Lu Jie stood in the plaza, wearing a black tactical trench coat.
His dark golden eyes swept across the scene.
The temperature in the air dropped to freezing.
"I've only been gone for half a day."
Lu Jie's voice reached everyone's ears.
"And you already dare to touch my dogs?"
The officer stepping on Maeve felt his legs go weak.
He raised his rifle and fired a dozen shots at Lu Jie.
The bullets hit Lu Jie.
They didn't even leave a mark.
Lu Jie hadn't even used any abilities.
His Unique Divinity body had already surpassed the limits of physical laws.
"This is impossible! How could the sonic generators fail!"
Inside the command vehicle, Sage stood up.
Coffee spilled all over the floor.
"Fire! All units, fire immediately!"
Sage roared into the walkie-talkie.
The main guns of the armored vehicles turned their muzzles simultaneously.
The missiles on the helicopters also locked onto Lu Jie.
Lu Jie raised his right hand.
He hooked his index finger slightly.
"Noisy."
Unique Divinity Control.
A dozen armed helicopters were all grabbed by an invisible giant hand.
They were crushed into a ball of scrap metal in mid-air.
The pilots inside didn't even make a sound before they merged with the metal.
The ball of scrap metal smashed into the armored vehicle formation.
It created dozens of large craters.
Soil and steel fragments splattered everywhere.
The soldiers were terrified out of their minds.
This was simply not power that a human could possess.
"Monster! Run!"
Someone dropped their gun and turned to run.
Lu Jie sneered.
"Now that you're here, what's the rush?"
He snapped his fingers.
Micro-Annihilation.
The bodies of the fleeing soldiers turned directly into sand while they were running.
They turned into a pile of fine dust and scattered with the wind.
Not even a drop of blood was left behind.
The entire plaza was terrifyingly quiet.
Only the sound of the wind blowing through the ruins remained.
Maeve climbed up from the ground.
She looked at Lu Jie's back, her eyes full of fanatical awe.
This was the tyrant she followed.
An invincible god.
Lu Jie turned around and walked to the bulletproof glass.
The glass automatically dissolved.
He looked at Annie.
"Scared to tears?"
Lu Jie reached out and wiped the tears from the corner of Annie's eyes.
Annie threw herself into his arms and hugged his waist tightly.
"You came back... I knew you would come back."
Annie's voice trembled.
She buried her face in Lu Jie's broad chest, greedily breathing in his scent.
Lu Jie patted her back.
His fingers slid down her spine.
"Go wait over there. I'll clean up the trash first."
Lu Jie pushed Annie away.
He turned and walked towards the command vehicle.
Sage sat in the vehicle, his hands trembling.
He was frantically typing on the keyboard, trying to calculate Lu Jie's weaknesses.
"No data... everything is unknown..."
"Physical laws are completely ineffective on him."
"This is not scientific!"
Sage screamed in a breakdown.
The door of the command vehicle was forcibly torn open by a hand.
Lu Jie stood outside the vehicle.
Looking at the smart-aleck mortal inside.
"What are you calculating? How many seconds you have left to live?"
Lu Jie's tone was mocking.
Sage forced himself to remain calm.
Pushing up his sliding glasses.
"Lu Jie, you won. But I'm just an executor."
Sage tried to negotiate.
"The Vice President holds the nuclear codes. If you kill me, the United States will go down with you."
"Nuclear weapons?"
Lu Jie laughed.
A very cold laugh.
"Do you think that kind of junk is useful against me?"
Lu Jie reached out.
He grabbed Sage by the neck and dragged him out of the vehicle.
Like holding a little chick.
"Your brain, which you are so proud of, is just a pile of useless fat in my eyes."
Lu Jie tightened his fingers.
Sage's neck bones made an unbearable creaking sound.
"Wait! I can help you manage this country!"
Sage struggled desperately.
"I can optimize Vought's operations! I have value!"
"I don't need trash. And I definitely don't need self-righteous trash."
Lu Jie's eyes were cold.
Unique Divinity activated.
Sage's body began to undergo bizarre deformations.
His limbs began to degenerate.
His bones melted.
His skin turned into disgusting lumps of flesh.
A few seconds later.
The smartest brain in the US turned into a puddle of rotting flesh writhing on the ground.
Unable to even speak.
It could only make meaningless gurgling sounds.
The remaining soldiers around saw this scene and were scared out of their wits.
Their spirits completely collapsed.
Lu Jie picked up the walkie-talkie Sage had dropped on the ground.
He pressed the call button.
"Mr. Vice President."
Lu Jie's voice entered the communication channel.
In the underground bunker of the Presidential Palace, the Vice President was sweating profusely.
"Lu Jie... let's talk this out. We can negotiate."
The Vice President's voice trembled.
"Negotiate? Are you worthy?"
Lu Jie looked at the messy plaza.
"Wash your neck. I'll be there soon."
Lu Jie crushed the walkie-talkie.
He turned to look at Maeve and Stormfront.
"Clean this place up. I don't want to see a single intact corpse."
"Yes! Master!"
Maeve and Stormfront replied in unison.
Lu Jie's body slowly ascended.
Turning into a streak of dark golden light, he headed straight for Washington.
Today, he would make all those in power understand.
Who is the true master of this planet.
Annie stood in the ruins, looking up at the departing light.
She knew that this world would never be the same again.
And she, as an appendage of the god, would stand at the very pinnacle of power.
Maeve walked to Annie's side and snorted coldly.
"Stop looking, let's clean up the mess."
"He left the dirtiest work to us."
Sparks were still emitting from Stormfront's body.
She licked the blood from her lips.
"I like this dirty work."
Washington, D.C.
Air raid sirens blared throughout the city.
The Vice President paced back and forth in the underground bunker.
"Are the nuclear missiles ready! Aim them at New York!"
The Vice President roared at the Secretary of Defense.
"Sir, using nuclear weapons on our own soil will trigger an impeachment!"
The Secretary of Defense's face was pale.
"What does impeachment matter if we're dead! Launch! Launch immediately!"
The Vice President had completely lost his mind.
"Password verified. Target locked. Launch in ten seconds."
The operator at the console's hands were trembling.
Just then.
The alloy door of the bunker suddenly turned red.
The high heat caused the one-meter-thick alloy door to melt like an ice cube.
Lu Jie walked into the control room.
His leather shoes stepped on the molten metal, making a sizzling sound.
"I heard you wanted to send me fireworks?"
Lu Jie looked at the people in the room.
The Vice President was so scared he fell to the ground.
"Shoot! Kill him!"
Several Secret Service bodyguards drew their guns.
Before they could even pull the trigger.
Lu Jie waved his hand.
The bodyguards' bodies instantly exploded.
Turning into clouds of blood mist.
Lu Jie walked to the console.
He glanced at the nuclear missile launch countdown on the screen.
Three seconds left.
He reached out his finger and tapped the screen.
Unique Divinity activated.
Inside the nuclear missile launch silo thousands of miles away.
The nuclear missile, about to ignite, turned directly into rose petals dancing in the sky.
"This... how is this possible..."
The operator stared at the data fed back on the screen, completely stunned.
Lu Jie turned around and walked towards the Vice President.
"You've played your trump card. Now it's my turn."
Lu Jie looked down at him.
"What do you want to do? I am the Vice President of America!"
The Vice President cowered backward.
"From today on, America is gone."
Lu Jie grabbed him by the hair and lifted him up.
"There is only my empire."
Chapter 44: Global Broadcast, Coronation of the New God
Washington. Ruins of the headquarters.
The building that once symbolized the world's highest power was now just a pile of rubble.
Lu Jie sat on a leather sofa at the highest point of the ruins.
The Vice President lay at his feet like a dead dog.
Dozens of Vought International micro-drones surrounded them.
High-definition cameras were aimed at Lu Jie from every angle.
This was a global live broadcast.
Billions of people around the world were watching this scene on their screens.
Signals from major news channels had been forcibly hijacked.
The live stream chat was scrolling frantically.
"Who is this guy? Is he filming a movie?"
"The presidential palace has been bombed! This is real!"
"He's that mysterious new boss of Vought!"
Lu Jie leaned back on the sofa, resting his chin on one hand.
"Everyone. Good evening."
Lu Jie's voice traveled through the drones to every corner of the Earth.
"I know you are all terrified right now."
"Your militaries have become scrap metal. Your politicians have become spineless cowards."
Lu Jie kicked the Vice President on the ground.
The Vice President let out a shrill scream.
The sound of breaking ribs was transmitted through the microphone.
The live stream chat froze for a second, then erupted into an even crazier frenzy of messages.
"Oh my god! That is really the Vice President!"
"He's a lunatic!"
Lu Jie looked into the camera, his dark gold eyes filled with absolute coldness.
"You have always been blinded by lies."
"compound v. Superheroes. Vought International."
"They are all tools used by capital and politicians to extract value from you."
"They call themselves gods, lording over you."
"Now, I have slaughtered all these false gods."
Lu Jie raised his hand, a ball of black karmic fire burning in his palm, distorting the surrounding air.
"From today on, the old rules are void."
"I, Lu Jie, am the only rule."
The world was in an uproar. Countless people trembled before their screens. Some were angry, some terrified, and others fanatical.
"I know some of you are unconvinced." Lu Jie smiled. "That's fine. I specialize in curing all forms of defiance."
He stood up and walked to the Vice President.
"This Mr. Vice President wanted to raze New York to the ground with a nuclear bomb half an hour ago, just to hold onto his pathetic power."
Lu Jie stepped on the Vice President's back. "Tell me, does he deserve to die?"
People before their screens fell silent. Lu Jie didn't need their answer.
He applied pressure with his foot. The sound of shattering bones made one's scalp tingle. The Vice President's spine was snapped.
Lu Jie leaned down, grabbed the Vice President's hair, and in front of the whole world, tore his head off.
Blood splattered, staining the marble ruins of the presidential palace.
"This is the price of resisting me." Lu Jie threw the head onto the ground.
The drones clearly transmitted this bloody scene without any obstruction. It was the most primal, brutal deterrent.
The chat disappeared completely. Everyone was terrified.
"Vought International will take over all global security and defense." Lu Jie sat back on the sofa.
"All superhumans must register with me. Those who refuse, die."
"All state apparatuses must obey my orders. Those who refuse will have their nations erased."
No sooner had Lu Jie finished speaking than several intercontinental missiles took off from a military base in Europe, aimed directly at Washington.
This was the last counterattack of some remaining forces.
Lu Jie sat on the sofa, not moving an inch. He looked up at the sky.
"It seems there are always people who want to test if my blade is sharp."
Lu Jie snapped his fingers. Unique Divinity activated.
The intercontinental missiles that had just flown out of the atmosphere disintegrated directly in space, turning into cosmic dust.
Immediately after, the entire landmass where that European military base was located was forcibly stripped from the crust by some invisible force, slowly rose into mid-air, and then shattered directly.
The entire base, along with the people inside, turned into powder.
All of this was clearly captured by satellites and broadcast simultaneously to the global live stream.
The world went quiet. This power to change terrain had already surpassed the scope of human understanding. This was a true god.
"Who else wants to try?" Lu Jie looked into the camera.
No one answered. All heads of state and corporate giants bowed their noble heads at this moment.
New York. Vought Tower. Annie watched the giant screen on the wall. The Lu Jie on the screen was a demon god.
She knelt on the ground, her eyes filled with longing, obsession, and fanaticism.
"My god..." Annie whispered to herself.
Maeve stood behind her, breathing rapidly as she watched Lu Jie on the screen.
She knew very well that she would only ever be this man's dog for the rest of her life. But what of it? Being a god's dog was better than being a mortal's king.
Washington ruins. Lu Jie cut off the broadcast.
Neuman stepped off a landing helicopter and walked quickly to Lu Jie's side.
"Master. The heads of eighty-three major countries have already sent declarations of submission." Neuman bowed her head, her attitude extremely respectful.
"What about the rest?" Lu Jie asked.
"The rest are still waiting and seeing, or their communications are down."
"Wipe those who are still waiting and seeing off the map." Lu Jie's tone was extremely flat.
"Yes, Master." Neuman received the order. She did not dare to question Lu Jie's orders in the slightest now.
Lu Jie boarded the helicopter. The aircraft took off, flying toward New York.
In the cabin, Lu Jie leaned back in his seat, closing his eyes to rest.
The Unique Divinity within him was still constantly fusing and evolving. The power of the Primordial God Blood went far beyond this.
Returning to Vought Tower, in the CEO's office, Annie had been waiting for a long time.
She had changed into a transparent silk nightgown. Seeing Lu Jie walk in, she immediately went up to meet him.
"Master. You have worked hard." Annie crouched down to help Lu Jie take off his shoes.
Lu Jie pinched her chin and lifted her up. "Did you miss me while I was away?"
Lu Jie looked into her eyes.
"I did... I missed you every second." Annie's face flushed, her body pressed tightly against Lu Jie.
Lu Jie chuckled, picked her up directly, and threw her onto the large desk. Documents scattered all over the floor.
"Then I shall reward you well." Lu Jie pressed down on her.
Heart-pounding sounds soon came from the office.
Outside the door, Maeve listened to the movement inside, bit her red lips, straightened her clothes, and pushed the door open.
"Master. I want to as well..." Maeve walked to the desk, her eyes full of anticipation.
Lu Jie looked at her. "Since you're here, let's chat together."
Power. Strength. Women. Lu Jie now possessed everything. He had shattered the thrones of false gods and crowned himself with blood and bones.
Just as Lu Jie was enjoying the spoils of absolute power, the Mind Furnace within him suddenly trembled violently.
This was an unprecedented situation. Lu Jie opened his eyes, his dark gold pupils looking toward the sky.
He pushed Annie and Maeve away and walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, looking up at the endless night sky.
The perception of his Unique Divinity penetrated the atmosphere.
On the far side of the moon, three hundred thousand kilometers from Earth, some extremely ancient and immense genetic fluctuation was awakening.
That fluctuation was filled with intense hostility, even more potent than the Primordial God Blood.
"It seems," Lu Jie revealed a cruel smile, "there is a new dish on my menu."
The true divine war had only just begun.