A flash of silver light appeared on his leg; his telekinesis had stopped the spread of the wound, then peeled away the rotting muscle corroded by the high temperature, preventing the wound from worsening. In the blink of an eye, the Major General had treated the wound, and the pain had disappeared. However, he didn't possess Ling Yun's abnormal self-healing ability, so he would have to wait a little longer to fully recover. But the wound could no longer pose any obstacle to the Major General.
However, what the Major General didn't know was that the instant the crimson ray pierced his thigh, a trace amount of unidentified organisms, invisible to the naked eye, had entered his bloodstream through the wound. Under a microscope magnified tens of thousands of times, these substances would resemble tiny, ferocious six-legged insects. They possessed two ant-like, pointed antennae on their heads, constantly emitting even smaller fluorescent lights. These lights flashed and disappeared, allowing Ling Yun to establish an instantaneous telepathic connection, so that Ling Yun could know what Oswit was doing at any time.
Ling Yun watched Oswit in mid-air with an impassive expression, his face blank, but inwardly he was greatly astonished. As expected of a major general-level expert, he had managed to dodge an attack launched at such close range, taking advantage of Oswit's momentary lapse in attention. The crimson ray had struck him, but it seemed to have little effect; the major general only showed a slight pain on his face, which quickly vanished as if nothing had happened.
A faint, cold smile appeared on Ling Yun's face. He casually reached behind his back, his fingertips moving rapidly in a few gestures, forming a miniature three-dimensional light pattern in his hand, which vanished in a flash. The last few bolts of lightning in the air, as if drawn by some invisible force, suddenly converged. After a blinding golden light flashed, the bolts merged into a massive, tree-shaped bolt of lightning, which slammed down upon the major general in mid-air.
Everyone was stunned again. The strangeness of this heavenly lightning had far exceeded the bottom line that everyone could bear. Not only could it automatically recognize and attack people, but it could also merge with them, just like an intelligent life form. Many people shook their heads or rubbed their eyes, afraid that what they were seeing was an illusion.
Ling Yun stood there calmly. The heavenly lightning was emitted by him from the core space, and it already contained the information of attack before it was emitted, so it was naturally under his command. Or rather, the real killing move was actually prepared for this strongest person, the major general of the Heavenly Eye Society. Since he had already killed several lieutenants of the Heavenly Eye Society and completely offended the most terrifying organization in the world, Ling Yun did not care about adding another general.
At this point, only a small fraction of the officers from the Heavenly Eye Society remained. The survivors were all powerful individuals of lieutenant colonel rank or higher. Most of their black uniforms were in disarray, or burned to shreds by flames, hanging like tattered sacks, barely enough to cover their bodies. Several severely injured men bore large, charred scars—marks left by massive bolts of lightning that had grazed them; a slight deviation in size would have resulted in piercing chests and disembowelments.
Although they were in a sorry state, the fact that they were able to survive such a dense barrage of lightning was enough to demonstrate their formidable strength. At least most of the superhumans at the Superpower Headquarters would have died in the face of such a lightning strike.
For a moment, the square was silent. The superhumans from the Superhuman Headquarters stood in one group, a few surviving officers from the Sky Eye Society stood in another group, and separated by a few officers from the Sky Eye Society, stood the lonely Ling Yun.
Even Ling Yun turned his gaze to the sky. All eyes were fixed on Oswit. Under the falling night sky, golden lightning struck directly at the strongest figure present.
The major general's face turned deathly pale in an instant, the relief he had just felt after treating his radiation wound vanishing without a trace. He was wondering why a powerful figure like Ling Yun had given him time to jump and dodge; it was almost a miracle. But now Oswit understood: the real trap was in the sky. Was the final, largest, and strongest bolt of lightning meant for him? If he had time, he would have loved to land back on the ground, grab Ling Yun by the chest, and roar, "I don't even know you! Why are you trying to kill me? What gives you the right?"
There was no time to think further. The lightning had even turned half of his face completely golden. In desperation, Oswit roared, and his body suddenly grew larger, expanding from nearly two meters tall to over ten meters in an instant. A pair of completely black, three-meter-long wings burst forth from his back. To the almost stunned gazes of the crowd, Oswit transformed into six pairs of bluish-black arms. The six giant, steel-like hands transformed into a bright sphere, which slammed into the brightest center of the lightning.
Zhou Mulong slowly took a step back, a hint of fear flashing in his eyes, and uttered a few words with difficulty: "Ultimate Demonization".
With a deafening crack, a colossal golden bolt of lightning flashed by, instantly emitting a brilliance brighter than the sun, illuminating the outer perimeter of the sky net within a radius of several hundred meters. The sphere of light that Oswit was holding suddenly expanded, instantly becoming the size of a hot air balloon tens of meters in diameter, before bursting apart with a deafening roar.
The powerful airflow swept away all obstacles above the ground. Everyone involuntarily closed their eyes and covered their faces with their arms. After the explosion, there was not only a shock wave that scattered in all directions, but also a blindingly bright light.
Ling Yun took a step back, his mental energy field forming a solid barrier in front of him. Since acquiring the Hand of God, he had subtly modified several segments of his eye's genes, allowing him to see not only in complete darkness but also without fear of any dazzling light. Of course, the panoramic view also had this function, but when the light reached a certain intensity, the panoramic view would also experience a blinding white light that made it impossible to see clearly, while his current naked eye could completely ignore any light.
After receiving the lightning, the monster that Oswit had transformed into, now completely monstrous, coldly surveyed the crowd in the blinding light. It then stared at Ling Yun for a long time before suddenly swooping down from the sky. Its six arms grabbed the six surviving officers and shot into the air. With a sudden sound, its massive body had become an almost invisible black dot.
With a hiss, the hole in the barrier that Oswit had shattered with his body slowly began to merge again. As long as there was an energy supply, the barrier would exist forever and would automatically repair itself no matter how many times it was breached.
Ling Yun silently looked into the distance where Oswit had disappeared. When the Major General transformed into a giant monster, the data fed back from the copying ability told him that the Major General's power had increased by at least five times in that instant, which was why he was able to block the giant lightning bolt formed by the fusion of several bolts of lightning.
Ling Yun couldn't help but touch the middle of his eyebrow. He remembered the third eye he had obtained from the humanoid creature in the fifth simulation. It also had the effect of greatly increasing strength in a short period of time. However, Ling Yun had not used the third eye yet. Now, it seemed that after his body was crystallized by energy, the third eye had also undergone a subtle change. However, this change was extremely subtle. If Ling Yun's perception was not extraordinary, he would not have been able to detect it at all.
This transformation should be Oswit's last resort to save his life. Moreover, Ling Yun could sense that although the demonic transformation could greatly increase his power, it would definitely bring backlash or other adverse consequences. There is no such thing as a free lunch. It is possible that Oswit will lose all his power and become an ordinary person. But no matter what, it is still much better than being struck by lightning and turned into charred remains.
Moreover, even though everyone was blinded by the intense light, Ling Yun saw several deep red jets of blood spurting from Oswit's body after the lightning. These were wounds cut into the monster by the aftershocks of the lightning, but the blood was instantly vaporized into smoke by the high temperature of the lightning. The power of the lightning was not so easily blocked. Oswit's hasty abduction of several officers and departure from the superpower headquarters already explained everything; otherwise, he could have used the short period of enhanced power to go on a killing spree.
Chapter 185 An Awkward Scene
Night fell and all was quiet again, as if nothing had ever happened. In less than a day, everyone had experienced a series of ups and downs, as if they had just had a terrible nightmare. Even the emotionally stable people with superpowers couldn't help but feel a sense of disbelief. Only then did everyone's eyes fall on the ordinary boy in front of them.
It seems that it was this young man's sudden appearance that attracted the strange and powerful lightning strike, which then drove away Oswit and his group, thwarting the Sky Eye Society's plot to launch a surprise attack. Clearly, the Sky Eye Society suffered a net loss this time. They could have used this golden opportunity to seize the Superpower Headquarters in one fell swoop, but Ling Yun's unexpected appearance resulted in six of the Sky Eye Society's twelve powerful members being permanently killed on the Superpower Headquarters' grounds. Oswit, who led the team, was also severely injured, returning empty-handed.
Ling Yun looked somewhat awkwardly at the unanimous gazes of everyone. Even after experiencing so much, the young man still seemed unaccustomed to facing the spotlight with composure. His gaze was searching for the beautiful eyes that had never left him for a moment.
"Ling Yun!" Xia Zhen quickly stepped forward from the crowd. Seeing Ling Yun safe and sound, she was overjoyed, but she quickly regained her composure and emotions. How could she dare to reveal her girlish thoughts and feelings in front of so many people? "Come and greet Instructor Zhou... uh, right, where did Instructor Fang go? Have you seen him?"
Everyone exchanged bewildered glances, then realized that they hadn't seen Fang Taiping for quite some time. Their previous experiences had been so complex and exciting that they hadn't noticed, but now, thinking back, it seemed that Instructor Fang had vanished after the boy appeared.
Ling Yun's expression immediately turned strange. When he replaced Fang Taiping in Oswit's hands, he was worried about being discovered by Oswit, so he didn't properly dispose of Instructor Fang. Besides, Fang Taiping was already unconscious at the time, and he just casually tossed him aside...
A deep, rough voice rang out from the bushes at the far end of the square: "Hey, how did I get here? What happened just now? Huh? You're all alright... Where's Oswit? Did the head instructor and the others come back? Haha, I knew it, Tang and the others would arrive in time." As the voice came, everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw Fang Taiping swaying as he stood up from the bushes. His dark, square face was full of confusion, but then he seemed to understand something and his expression suddenly changed.
Everyone was speechless for a moment. This instructor was indeed quite oblivious. If the head instructor was coming back, why hadn't he been allowed to see him yet?
Zhou Mulong stepped forward, coughed twice, and said, "Old Fang, are you alright? Tang Tou and the others didn't come back. It was Brother Ling Yun who suddenly appeared and saved us." He pointed at Ling Yun as he spoke.
Fang Taiping's laughter abruptly stopped, and he looked at Ling Yun with a look of astonishment: "This young man is Ling Yun? Weren't you trapped in the core space?"
Xia Zhen looked at Fang Taiping with a smile. Ever since Ling Yun appeared, she had been in a great mood. Seeing that the usually serious Instructor Fang also had a surprised expression, she couldn't help but feel very close to him. She said in a sweet voice, "Instructor Fang, Ling Yun has already escaped. He's the one who saved you from that Oswit guy."
Fang Taiping kept scratching his head, his mind a bit confused. He felt something was off; for a moment, he seemed to have countless questions for Ling Yun, but he couldn't think of a single one. He stared at Ling Yun with his big eyes for a long time before finally managing to stammer, "Ling Yun... young man, you must be Xia Zhen's boyfriend."
Ling Yun was smiling as he awaited Fang Taiping's questions, while simultaneously racking his brains to craft a plausible lie about everything that had happened in the core space. After all, he possessed the core key to the entire barrier, and even though it was his first time entering the Superpower Headquarters, Ling Yun knew that such a secret was of paramount importance and couldn't be revealed lightly. Otherwise, it would cause a huge uproar.
He had a very good impression of Fang Taiping. When he went from the core space to the outer perimeter, Ling Yun had already heard and seen everything. Fang Taiping's iron-blooded heroism and unyielding personality made Ling Yun feel very good about him. Moreover, this would be his boss's boss, so he naturally had to be more respectful and polite.
However, Ling Yun was completely taken aback by Fang Taiping's question and was immediately dumbfounded, his smile freezing on his face. He stared at Fang Taiping with wide eyes, as if he were looking at an alien.
Xia Zhen was also dumbfounded along with Ling Yun. The young girl never dreamed that Instructor Fang Taiping would ask Ling Yun in public if he was her boyfriend. A blush immediately rose on her face, and her heart started pounding. She pouted her cute little mouth, secretly watching how Ling Yun would react, and said reproachfully, "Instructor Fang, you're an uncle, how can you ask me such a question?"
Fang Taiping scratched his head, puzzled. He thought to himself, "This is strange. I asked Ling Yun, not you. Why do you seem reluctant?"
Zhou Mulong stared at the three of them, utterly bewildered as to how this bizarre situation had come about. The expressions on the faces of the other ability users behind him were even more varied, as if things had taken a strange... strange... strange turn of events.
Xia Lan gently covered her mouth, smiling as she looked at Ling Yun. This was the first time she had carefully observed this ordinary boy. He was so ordinary; from every angle, he was so commonplace, and he even seemed a bit dim-witted, always silent, unable to even address the instructor properly. He completely lacked the passionate, heroic air of a young man ready to conquer the world. Xia Lan wondered silently what Xia Zhen liked about him. However, seeing the boy's somewhat simple-minded appearance, she found him rather endearing and not at all off-putting.
She pushed through the crowd and walked up to the group of people who were staring at each other, unsure of what to do. She gently looked at Ling Yun and said, "You must be Brother Ling Yun. Hello, I am Xia Lan, Xia Zhen's older sister. Thank you for saving us all. You may not know everyone here yet. Please greet the two instructors first. Instructors Fang Taiping and Zhou Mulong worked very hard these past two days and nights to rescue you from the core space."
Her words first relieved the three people from their awkward situation, then subtly expressed her gratitude to Ling Yun, and also introduced them to each other. Finally, she gently pointed out that Fang and Zhou had saved Ling Yun, skillfully diverting the topic of whether Xia Zhen was Ling Yun's girlfriend to the most crucial point. The timing and angle of her words were perfectly executed.
Ling Yun's heart skipped a beat. He glanced at Xia Lan, thinking that he had often heard Xia Zhen mention her older sister with great pride. Meeting her today, he saw that she was indeed shrewd and capable, living up to her reputation. So he politely nodded to Xia Lan and Fang Zhou respectively: "Hello, Sister Lan. I've often heard Xia Zhen mention you. Meeting you today, I can say that you are even more impressive than I've heard. Also, thank you both instructors for your help; otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to get out so quickly." His words, addressed separately to Xia Lan and Fang Zhou, were perfectly appropriate.
When Xia Zhen heard him call Xia Lan "Sister Lan," she was overjoyed. Smiling silently, she thought to herself, "He calls my sister Sister Lan too, does that mean he cares about me..."
In fact, Xia Zhen was having wild thoughts. Ling Yun always treated her as a friend. Although he was two years younger than Xia Zhen, he always called her by her first name and never treated her as an older sister. However, since Xia Lan was Xia Zhen's cousin, it would be impolite for Ling Yun to call her by her first name again. Besides, Xia Lan was four years older than him and naturally deserved the title of older sister.
Xia Lan was slightly surprised. Raising a brow, she realized that the boy before her, seemingly dull, honest, and unusually unassuming, was actually just an outward expression of his indifference to everything and the fact that few things could truly move him. He didn't flaunt himself, but a naturally charming and serene aura emanated from his brow, drawing people in unconsciously.
Although Xia Lan is focused on her own strength and career, she is confident in her natural beauty and is still stunning even without makeup. Xia Zhen, although beautiful like an elf, is obviously a bit more naive compared to her cousin. She is pure but lacks a bit of a woman's elegance and charm.
No matter how powerful an ability user is, they would inevitably be surprised or amazed upon seeing him. However, this young man showed no surprise whatsoever. From his clear eyes, it was clear that he treated her the same as everyone else, without giving her any extra attention. This caused Xia Lan's proud heart to flutter slightly. For a moment, her eyes became unfocused, making it even more difficult for her to see through Ling Yun's true nature.