The windows in the lobby were thick, more like the glass curtain walls used in the building's decoration, and were single-sided light blue glass. Clearly, this glass was also made of a special material, guaranteeing at least its durability. In fact, all the buildings in the entire manor were made of special materials to prevent damage to public facilities caused by superhumans losing control of their powers. However, even so, this measure was better than nothing; nothing could truly stop the powerful destructive force of superhumans.
The young man was about to sit down on the sofa to rest for a while, but after glancing at the light screen, his face immediately turned angry. He waved his hand to put away the light screen and was about to turn around and walk towards the double purple solid wood door.
With a loud bang, the door, secured by stainless steel hooks as thick as fingers, was violently slammed open from the outside. The nails on the hooks flew off under the force, and the two doors crashed violently against the walls on either side of the hall. Two figures rushed in from the outside, but instead of standing, they rolled in. Clearly, the door being slammed open was also the work of these two.
These two were Fang Yu and Yun Hai, but at this moment they seemed to be in great pain. Their facial muscles were contorted as they rolled and crawled on the ground, constantly emitting unbearable groans. It was as if they were being controlled by some special means, and they couldn't even use any of their special abilities.
The young man stopped abruptly, not even glancing at Fang Yu and Yun Hai, who were lying on the ground in pain. His eyes flashed with unbridled anger and intensity as he stared intently at the girl in the same purple uniform as him who was walking towards him.
The girl was about twenty-one or twenty-two years old. She was extremely tall, like a model, and stood there gracefully. Even though she was only wearing the same style of women's flat leather shoes, she could still look the young man in the eye.
Her long, flowing, jet-black hair was unadorned and simply tied in a playful ponytail at the back of her head. The tight-fitting purple outfit accentuated her exquisite figure perfectly, leaving only one word in mind: perfect. Especially striking were her straight, shapely thighs, which, when naturally brought together, formed no gap whatsoever, appearing as if naturally formed. Her slender, flawless waist and full, alluring breasts added a touch of captivating charm to the young woman. She resembled a beautiful, realistic silhouette from a painting, creating an unparalleled visual impact.
On her exquisitely beautiful, snow-white face, a pair of eyes as white as snow reflecting the morning sun not only exude a heroic spirit but also radiate rationality and wisdom. Her deep, unfathomable eyes seem to have seen many hardships and can reach the depths of one's heart. Her long eyelashes reveal a woman's gentleness in every glance. The beauty of both femininity and masculinity is almost harmoniously and perfectly embodied in her, condensing into a unique and extremely attractive temperament that captivates at first sight.
Chapter 164 Vortex
"Ye Feng, who gave you the authority to use Skynet's permissions to launch an A-level attacker attack?" The girl disregarded Ye Feng's fiery gaze, her phoenix eyes flashing with cold lightning. Although her clear and melodious voice, like a phoenix song, was flat and devoid of any emotion, anyone could sense the volcanic rage erupting beneath the ice and snow.
The young man, Ye Feng, crossed his arms and said coldly, "Xia Lan, we're colleagues of equal rank. Don't talk to me like that. Who do you think you are? An instructor? And you restrained Fang Yu and Yun Hai right in front of me, but do you think I care? I'd like to ask you another question: I used my SkyNet privileges to launch an A-level attacker attack with the instructor's permission. Who gave you the authority to simultaneously cancel the Heavenly Thunder privileges? And who gave you that authority?" By the last sentence, Ye Feng couldn't help but grit his teeth.
Xia Lan smiled, revealing her pearly white teeth, a smile as beautiful as a hundred flowers blooming in spring. But behind that captivating smile was an icy tone: "I just did a routine check of the Skynet records. They violated Articles 27 and 17 of the Superpower User Code, and also broke the 'Must-Be-Respected' clause of the Superpower User Code. Putting those aside, the most important thing is that they lied about an A-level attacker attacking, deceiving their superior into activating Skynet access to launch an attack. For these crimes alone, I can imprison them. As their direct superior, don't you bear any responsibility at all? Moreover, the instructor only allowed you to use Skynet access to familiarize yourself with the exercise, not to launch an attack! Of course, I have the right to revoke your Thunderous Lightning access."
Ye Feng pursed his lips, looking at Xia Lan, his eyes involuntarily narrowing. This woman was always like this, meticulous in her actions. Even if she wanted to find fault with him, she would gather all the evidence before coming to him. She never fought unprepared, her actions were methodical and logically sound, almost flawless. She not only suppressed him in strength but also outmaneuvered him in cunning. Thinking of this, Ye Feng's resentment and anger burned fiercely once more.
His gaze then swept over Fang Yu and Yun Hai, who were now only groaning. He sighed with slight regret. He didn't know what had gotten into these two, that they had actually lied about an A-level attacker attack. It seemed that they had no choice but to abandon them. It was a pity that his team was already down by one member, and now he was down two more. The disparity in strength between him and the first team would be even greater in the future.
“Any ability user at headquarters is qualified to sound the alarm for an A-level attacker intrusion. It’s not a matter of deceiving superiors. Besides, they know very well the consequences of falsely reporting an alarm. I just happened to be conducting a Skynet exercise. Should I just stand by and watch the intruders launch an attack? As for Fang Yu and Yun Hai’s violation of the rules, they just returned and I’m not aware of it yet. As long as you can provide evidence, I naturally have nothing to say and will deal with it according to the rules,” Ye Feng said slowly.
A hint of anger flashed across Xia Lan's face: "Nonsense! Skynet is so important, everyone knows that initiating an attack requires a reporting procedure. Even for a drill attack, the instructor's permission is required. Besides, you didn't use Skynet's full-view function to check in detail beforehand. You just sent down lightning based on a random Class A alarm. What if innocent people were killed?"
"How could anyone else be coming and going from the Superpower Headquarters? Everyone needs to be identified to pass through here." Ye Feng said dismissively. "Besides, the rules also say that we can be flexible in case of an emergency. And no one was hurt, so what right do you have to question me? I have already adjusted the power of the Heavenly Lightning. Even if someone does appear in this area, they will not be in mortal danger. At most, they will be seriously injured, so there will be no situation where someone is killed."
Xia Lan remained silent, but had to admit that Ye Feng's words made sense. In urgent situations, one should act expediently and not follow cumbersome reporting procedures. This was also one of the rules of conduct. Therefore, it was not wrong for Ye Feng to decisively launch an attack when he suddenly received an A-level intrusion alarm during the Skynet exercise.
However, Xia Lan felt uneasy. Before canceling the Heavenly Thunder's authority, she only had time to check the routine records of the SkyNet. The SkyNet showed that Fang Yu and Yun Hai had lied about calling the police. Moreover, Xia Lan followed the clues and found that the barrier automatically recorded the two people's violations of the rules.
Due to the urgency of the situation, she rushed to Ye Feng for questioning without thoroughly checking if anyone was in the Skynet attack zone. Furthermore, she hadn't yet clarified Fang Yu and Yun Hai's motives for falsely reporting an A-level intrusion alert. This is the highest level of alert; although everyone has the right to report an incident, the consequences of falsely reporting one are extremely serious, something these two couldn't possibly be unaware of. It can only be said that Xia Lan hadn't yet grasped the underlying reasons.
Moreover, Xia Zhen had informed her a few days earlier that she was recommending a superhuman for an apprenticeship. Her tone suggested she valued this person highly, which even made Xia Lan curious. Xia Zhen's talent was undeniable; she became a formal superhuman in just two years, her growth rate second only to Xia Lan's. Xia Lan had always paid close attention to her cousin, who was two years younger than her. Someone who could command such attention must be extraordinary.
But even now, Xia Zhen was nowhere to be seen. Even with her usual composure, Xia Lan couldn't help but show signs of anxiety. Her biggest fear was that Xia Zhen might unknowingly wander into the area targeted by the heavenly lightning; that would be the most terrifying thing. Xia Lan dared not think further. Her slender hands involuntarily intertwined. She no longer had the will to argue with Ye Feng and turned to go out and contact Xia Zhen.
A heavy and powerful atmosphere suddenly filled the hall. Xia Lan, who was about to turn around, and Ye Feng, who was indifferent, both froze and immediately stood up straight, shouting in unison, "Instructor!"
A gentle breeze swept by, and a tall, imposing figure appeared before the two. He was a middle-aged man, probably in his forties, dressed in the same black uniform as them, except for a dark gold crape myrtle embroidered on each shoulder to distinguish him. His square face, weathered by time, was sharp and stern, and his eyes shone like two lighthouses; even in daylight, looking directly into them felt like being blinded by sunlight.
"Ye Feng, Xia Lan, what just happened? I noticed someone first sounded the A-level attacker intrusion alarm, then you immediately activated the Heavenly Thunder attack, and then Xia Lan revoked the authorization. Please give me an explanation immediately." As soon as the instructor appeared, he looked at the two of them sternly and questioned them. His voice was deep and powerful, and contained the sense of authority that only a superior could possess.
Seeing Xia Lan lower her head and remain silent, Ye Feng had no choice but to say, "Instructor, this is what happened..." Although his face remained calm, he couldn't help but become much more reserved in front of the instructor, and he recounted the whole story. Finally, he couldn't help but say, "Instructor, although I didn't follow the reporting procedure, it was an emergency, and besides, no one was found in the area attacked by the lightning afterwards..."
The instructor listened to him silently, his face growing increasingly dark. Finally, unable to contain himself any longer, he clenched his fists, and with a crack, the heavy solid wood coffee table split in two. "Nonsense! I've only given you access to the Skynet system for a few days, and this mess has already occurred! What kind of haste makes you act like this?! If the intruders were truly that strong, do you think you'd still have a chance to launch a lightning attack, or that such an enemy would be afraid of Skynet's attacks? Ridiculous! And afterward, did you even check if anyone was in the lightning attack area? Let me tell you, Ye Feng, someone has already been swept into the core by Skynet's vortex! You've made a grave mistake, sigh!" With that, the instructor stomped his foot, causing the entire building to tremble.
Like a bolt from the blue, Ye Feng and Xia Lan were stunned almost simultaneously. Xia Lan's face turned deathly pale, and she asked in a trembling voice, "Instructor, who was the person who was swept into the core of the vortex?" At this point, her heart almost stopped beating. If Xia Zhen was swept into the vortex, then it was almost certain that she would die.
Ye Feng's face also turned pale, and he asked incredulously, "Instructor Fang, I only launched a Heavenly Thunder attack, how could a vortex appear in the Heavenly Net? This is impossible!"
"It's my fault too, sigh." Instructor Fang said heavily, "I forgot to tell you, because you've only recently mastered Skynet, to avoid any mistakes, Instructor Lu Xizhen and I specifically entered certain restrictions into Skynet. If you make a mistake, Skynet will automatically enter its operating program to prevent losses due to errors. I just didn't expect someone to suddenly sound an A-level alarm, and then you suddenly launched an attack. If I hadn't stopped you in time in the third layer of the barrier, Skynet probably would have automatically entered attack mode and destroyed the entire Superpower Headquarters."
"As for who was caught in the vortex, it's still unclear." Instructor Fang looked up and said, "Fortunately, I shut down the Skynet's automatic attack in time, so that person should be out of danger. However, rescuing him will be a bit tricky."
Whew! Xia Lan and Ye Feng breathed a sigh of relief almost simultaneously. As long as no one was in mortal danger, there would always be a way.
"Weren't these two the ones who falsely reported the Level A alarm?" Instructor Fang pointed at Fang Yu and Yun Hai, who were still restrained on the ground. "Ye Feng, these are your group members. I hope you can handle this personally. Moreover, you yourself cannot escape responsibility. After this matter is resolved, you should know what to do."
"Yes, Instructor Fang." Ye Feng's heart sank.
Just as Instructor Fang was about to say something more, his gaze suddenly sharpened, fixed on the living room door. Ye Feng and Xia Lan couldn't help but look over as well, and a swiftly moving young woman rushed in through the doorway—it was Xia Zhen.
"Xia Zhen!" Xia Lan was both surprised and delighted. She excitedly stepped forward and wanted to hug her cousin.
"Sister! The group said you're here." Xia Zhen didn't have time to talk to Xia Lan, she just said anxiously, "Quickly save Ling Yun, he's been swept away by the vortex."
Chapter 165 Resonance
The instant he was sucked into the vortex, Ling Yun shut down his mental energy field and even released all defenses, including his instinctive blocking. At this moment, apart from his superhuman physique, he was no different from an ordinary person. Even his mind went blank, entering a state of emptiness and clarity similar to meditation within Yu Xiujie's barrier.
The Eye of Illusion saw through the illusion; the vortex didn't appear out of thin air. On the contrary, an unparalleled pulse of dark blue energy appeared at the tail of the vortex, supporting its ever-increasing suction force. This proved that the vortex was another attack method of the barrier. Moreover, after only one glance at the energy pulse, Ling Yun was prepared to give up, because even if he were ten times stronger, he would be torn to shreds in an instant by the extremely abundant energy pulse.
Within the inner walls of the vortex, countless pale blue, microscopic, pulsed electrons are active, invisible to the naked eye and only visible through the "eye of illusion." These pulsed electrons appear as mere illusory specks of light, possessing penetrability to all objects, and when an object reacts, the pulsed electrons respond with even greater intensity.
The most direct way to deal with it is that the suction force of the eddy will become stronger, like an invisible python tightly binding the object in the eddy until it collapses and disintegrates. Therefore, the best way is to do nothing and drift with it like a piece of wood, which can minimize the damage from the suction force.
Ordinary people, including those with supernatural abilities, inevitably struggle in panic when sucked into the vortex, which only accelerates the suicide process. It's like someone sinking into a swamp; struggling desperately only makes them sink deeper and faster. Supernatural beings, due to their immense power, are even more eager to escape. If they activate their mental energy field, the vortex's power will increase. Unless the supernatural being's power is strong enough to withstand the entire barrier, they will only struggle under the intense pressure for a short while before being annihilated.
Even without moving, the natural reactions of the body's muscles and nerves will accelerate the response of the pulsed electrons. No reaction can escape the detection of even the smallest electron; even the faintest breath will stimulate the pulsed electrons to accelerate. Unless it is a completely inanimate object. Therefore, Ling Yun immediately chose to enter a state of emptiness and clarity. Only in this state does his body lack any life characteristics, becoming almost indistinguishable from wood, at least keeping his reaction level below the detection range of the pulsed electrons. This is how he was fortunate enough to survive the ordeal.
Deep within his consciousness, a buzzing sound came from an infinitesimally small source. The replication ability, as if awakened by something, began to activate automatically, continuously transmitting data of vortexes and electronic pulses back to Ling Yun's brain. Although Ling Yun was unaware of everything at this moment, his brain was like a bottomless abyss, passively receiving all the data. After the data was combined, it was quietly and neatly arranged in a regular order, without wasting any space.
The vortex quickly disappeared into the void, carrying Ling Yun's body into a world filled with ghostly blue energy pulses. This was the interior of the barrier. Strictly speaking, the interior of the barrier did not exist in the real world. Any barrier created by any superhuman was essentially a virtual world parallel to the real world. Although no one could clearly explain the principles of the barrier in modern language, and superhumans knew how it worked but not why, the virtual world did exist. However, the real world could exist for a very long time, while the barrier could only exist with the support of superhuman abilities or energy. Once the energy disappeared, the virtual world would cease to exist.
This looks very much like a three-dimensional virtual world created by a computer, existing in another world in a digital way, but without electricity, the three-dimensional virtual world would cease to exist.
Soon, Ling Yun's body began to accelerate with the energy pulses, as if it were going through an infinitely rotating spiral, circling around and around. His body was like a pulsed electron magnified countless times, being accelerated by abundant energy every second. Soon, the speed reached an unimaginable level: the speed of light.
On a microscopic level, Ling Yun's body had completely disintegrated. Every cell that made up his body had been broken down into the most basic particles in the universe, because only by becoming particles could he adapt to the maximum constant speed of light. Only the extremely fine, spiderweb-like energy flows connecting each particle prevented it from dispersing. Every moment, unparalleled energy pulses surged into the countless particles, transforming into a constant energy flow connecting them.
Ling Yun's body decomposes at a rate of millions of times per second, and then recombines under the pull of energy flow. This actually means that Ling Yun has died countless times and been reborn, which can be described as an unprecedented miracle. However, because the time that happens is too short and Ling Yun is always in a state of clarity, he can never experience what it feels like to be reborn.