Chapter 162 Xia Zhen's Confession
Xia Zhen exclaimed in surprise, "What's going on? Has Skynet launched an attack on us?" He saw that the place where he had just stood had been struck by lightning and created a huge crater. The soil at the bottom of the crater had been melted into crystallized particles by the high temperature, and the asphalt within a few meters of the crater had turned into a boiling liquid, bubbling and emitting wisps of smoke that rose from the liquid asphalt and gave off an unpleasant smell.
Xia Zhen's body trembled uncontrollably. If Ling Yun had acted even a fraction later, the two of them would already be nothing but bones. The terrifying aspect of the Skynet's lightning attack was not just its physical attack, but the intense heat that could melt anything in an instant. Even a piece of hard steel could be liquefied by the 2,000-degree heat in 0.1 seconds, its power even comparable to a real natural lightning bolt.
Ling Yun frowned, about to ask Xia Zhen what was going on, when a sudden sense of danger rose in his heart again. He had no choice but to grab Xia Zhen and leap over her again in an instant. With a crack, another dazzling bolt of lightning roared down, striking the ground where the two had stood, creating another large crater.
"Where is it safer?" Ling Yun asked urgently, looking at the sky. The lightning struck without warning, and only emitted a terrifying thunderous sound when it was almost upon them, indicating that its speed far exceeded the speed of sound. If Ling Yun hadn't been using his Eye of Illusion, which gave him an intuitive sense of impending danger, he and Xia Zhen would likely have been reduced to wisps of smoke without even realizing it. He felt that such a terrifying lightning attack was beyond human capability to withstand.
A layer of gray clouds had suddenly covered the sky, completely blocking out the midday sun. The light could only refract through gaps in the clouds. It was as if dark clouds had suddenly gathered, and a storm was about to break. With the naked eye, one could clearly see flashes of lightning, like intricate tree branches, streaking through the clouds.
Although it closely resembled natural lightning, Lingyun's illusory eye could clearly see through the clouds to the clear sky above. This layer of hazy clouds was not a natural cloud layer, but a mist-like conductive substance forcibly gathered by the energy of the barrier, which could continuously generate lightning within it and then attack the ground.
Simply put, the attacks on the two individuals were artificially controlled, not naturally occurring.
Xia Zhen anxiously pointed to the satellite equipment on the roof of the small building: "Quick, hide under there. That's the energy transmitter that supports the barrier. It can convert solar energy and particle rays into energy for the barrier to operate. As long as we hide under the big pot, the Skynet won't attack its own power source. We're safe there."
"To throw a stone at a rat for fear of breaking the vase?" A Chinese idiom flashed through Ling Yun's mind. Silently, he grabbed Xia Zhen's waist and leaped into the air from a distance of nearly four hundred meters. This time, he held back all his strength. The two of them left countless afterimages in the air as they flashed by. Lightning bolts struck his afterimages like machine gun fire, but all of them missed.
Ling Yun stepped onto the roof of the nearest small building, turned around gently in mid-air, and hugged Xia Zhen tightly. With a crack, the last bolt of lightning grazed his back and struck the corner of the parapet on the roof, instantly shattering the less than 50-centimeter-high wall. Scattered brick and stone fragments fell from the roof.
With a sudden sound, even though they were less than a centimeter apart, the intense heat of the lightning ignited Ling Yun's clothes on his back, instantly turning them into a fireball that hissed behind him. Ling Yun straightened his back, and his mental energy field immediately extinguished the fireball. He was quite experienced in dealing with high temperatures, and his body had extremely strong defensive capabilities. This small fire, which lasted for a short time, was no problem for him. His skin was unharmed, but his outer clothes were charred, revealing several bowl-sized holes.
Xia Zhen buried her head deeply in Ling Yun's arms, her heart pounding wildly. This was the first time she had been so intimately close to Ling Yun. Inhaling the captivating masculine scent emanating from the young man, Xia Zhen became lost in a daze, even forgetting the terrifying lightning. It seemed that in Ling Yun's embrace, she could forget everything. If she could lie and rely on this broad, safe chest forever, wouldn't that be the happiest thing in her life? The young girl slightly raised her head, a thin mist clouding her beautiful, elfin eyes. Looking at Ling Yun's calm, still face, her heart was captivated.
Ling Yun, far from having the leisurely mood of Xia Zhen, eagerly darted under the energy emitter's cauldron, finally letting out a long sigh of relief. It had been incredibly close; they had narrowly escaped being struck by lightning. Judging by the lightning's power, even if they survived, they would likely be severely injured. He was alright, having already experienced a lightning strike once, so he had some immunity. But Xia Zhen's delicate skin couldn't withstand such an attack. Fortunately, the girl cooperated well, not causing Ling Yun any trouble due to her panic.
After setting Xia Zhen down, Ling Yun quickly looked outside again. Just as Xia Zhen had said, the gray clouds hadn't receded, but the lightning only lingered and swirled within them, emitting menacing thunderclaps, yet it didn't strike again. Seeing this, Ling Yun felt relieved, but his heart immediately filled with worry again: "The two of us can't hide under this cauldron forever, can we?"
"Xia Zhen, what exactly is this Skynet attack you mentioned? Why did it attack us?" Ling Yun asked without turning his head, staring blankly at Yun Yi, who was constantly gathering lightning. He hadn't had time to ask in detail earlier due to the urgency of the situation, but it seemed someone was controlling it? He hadn't expected that the seemingly calm headquarters of supernatural abilities was actually fraught with danger; they'd been encountering trouble ever since they entered the gate.
There was complete silence behind me.
"Xia Zhen, I'm asking you, why aren't you answering?" Ling Yun couldn't help but turn around and was immediately startled. He saw Xia Zhen staring straight at him, her fair face flushed, her adorable appearance showing excitement and a hint of agitation, as if she were lost in some pleasant reverie. This extraordinary expression added three parts charm and seven parts allure to the already stunning school beauty.
Ling Yun had never seen Xia Zhen like this before, and was immediately at a loss for what to do. He wondered if the lightning was too powerful and had frightened her into a daze. So he held up three fingers and waved them in front of Xia Zhen's eyes: "Xia Zhen, wake up, look, how many is this!"
Xia Zhen finally snapped out of her reverie. She had been so engrossed in her daydream of being held by Ling Yun that she hadn't even noticed him gently setting her down. Seeing Ling Yun's strange expression, she burst out laughing and slapped his hand away: "What are you doing? Do you think I've been struck by lightning and turned into an idiot?"
Ling Yun sighed, "I bet you'll turn into a little idiot if you don't get struck by lightning! I really admire your ability to be distracted at a time like this. You need to think of something quickly, what exactly happened?"
"Go away, you're the little fool, the biggest idiot in the world." Xia Zhen spat lightly, then her expression suddenly turned melancholy, and she sighed softly, "Yun, what do you think people would think of us if we had been struck by lightning just now?"
"Thought about us? Thought about us what?" Ling Yun was baffled by her strange change and couldn't help but reach out to touch her smooth forehead. "Are you alright, Xia Zhen? We weren't struck by lightning, we're still alive and well."
Xia Zhen didn't stop him, letting his warm hand stroke her forehead. Instead, she reached out her soft, boneless hand and grasped Ling Yun's hand in return: "I think the world will think we are a couple, cursed by the gods, and then we embraced and died together. That would be very touching and beautiful..."
Ling Yun was speechless for a moment, thinking to himself, "You've been reading too many romance novels. I'm so young, I don't want to die so soon. Although dying together with the school beauty does seem beautiful and touching, I'm not entirely willing to just die like this..."
He was about to speak when Xia Zhen's next words almost made his brain short-circuit: "Yun, do you like me?" The little girl raised her big, watery eyes and looked at the boy's face with hope, anticipating the answer she had long dreamed of.
"I..." Ling Yun stammered, his face flushed, looking at Xia Zhen as if he had been transported back to his high school days. He hadn't expected Xia Zhen to ask such a question in this situation, leaving Ling Yun feeling utterly confused. Even when facing the powerful Captain Steel, in a life-or-death choice, the boy had never felt so distressed.
In truth, Ling Yun knew perfectly well that although he and Xia Zhen were very close, even sharing everything, it was merely a friendship. Since gaining his supernatural abilities, Ling Yun had a very clear understanding of his emotions. He considered Xia Zhen as an older sister and a friend, but he didn't experience that deep longing or the strange feeling of mixed emotions that would well up in his heart when they were apart. Although he was only eighteen, Ling Yun wasn't a novice; he could naturally distinguish between liking and disliking.
But how could Ling Yun possibly refuse when faced with that beautiful, yearning, elfin face? Besides, when the most famous beauty of Jinghua University asked him so earnestly if he liked her, Ling Yun's little vanity couldn't help but swell up. Just as he was about to say "I like you," Gu Xiaorou's beautiful face involuntarily appeared in his mind, followed by the faces of Chen Jiaxuan, Yang Yuqi, Su Bingyan, Lin Naimei, and others. Ling Yun couldn't help but smile bitterly, realizing that he seemed to have quite a few people on his mind.
Xia Zhen bit her lip, wondering if she was pressuring him too much. But the girl was already getting impatient and was about to step forward to put more pressure on this introverted guy. Suddenly, Xia Zhen's eyes widened, revealing extreme fear in her gaze.
Ling Yun seemed to realize something was wrong. Just as he was about to turn around, Xia Zhen screamed, "No!" A swirling vortex made entirely of air instantly sucked the boy in and disappeared without a trace.
Chapter 163 The Girl in Purple
Golden sunlight shone down, and looking up from below, one could clearly see colorful, dreamlike bands of light. Before long, the clouds had dispersed, and the sky had returned to its clear, azure blue.
Xia Zhen collapsed to her knees on the rooftop platform, tears streaming uncontrollably from her beautiful eyes. Having frequented the Superpower Headquarters, she was acutely aware of the barrier's power. Once Ling Yun was sucked into the vortex, he would be transported to the headquarters' core by the barrier. He couldn't resist during this process, or he would face unexpected attacks. Once he reached the core, he would be completely trapped inside. Even the instructors specializing in controlling the barrier would find it difficult to release Ling Yun. Controlling the barrier was an extremely complex and specialized undertaking, not something that could be accomplished simply by pressing a few buttons. Often, only a few experienced instructors working together could control even a small portion of the barrier's functions.
Skynet is the name for the third layer of the barrier. The first and second layers only have defensive and auxiliary functions, lacking offensive capabilities. However, the third layer was designed with the worst-case scenario of an enemy breaching the Superpower Headquarters in mind, thus enhancing its offensive power. If a powerful enemy manages to break through the first and second layers, they will face a formidable counterattack from Skynet. However, Skynet is rarely used except in special circumstances. In the decades since its construction, it has been activated only a handful of times. Ling Yun's first entry into the Superpower Headquarters coincided with Skynet's activation—a stroke of incredible luck, like winning the lottery on his first try.
Beneath the Sky Net lies the core, the energy source for the entire barrier system. Like the sun, it provides the Sky Net with the energy to operate, a supply that has never ceased. However, apart from the chief instructor, no one has ever truly seen the core's true form.
As for what awaited Ling Yun within the core, Xia Zhen had no idea. She only knew that the third layer of the barrier, the Sky Net, would only launch such a fierce attack when an A-level ability user was a repeat offender or when an A-level intrusion alarm sounded. Neither the heavenly lightning nor the vortexes were something ordinary ability users could withstand; most would be annihilated by the heavenly lightning, and very few could survive. Of course, the barrier's attack methods had been strengthened and improved countless times, becoming not only more varied but also increasingly powerful. Even if an intruder could dodge the heavenly lightning and vortexes, even stronger and more ferocious attacks would follow.
After a moment's thought, Xia Zhen wiped away the glistening tears still clinging to her face, a resolute and calm expression appearing on her countenance. She quickly jumped down from the small building and ran towards the building on the left at the end. If there were no special circumstances, Xia Lan should be waiting for her there; such a large commotion from the Skynet would surely alert Xia Lan.
"We must find out what happened!" the young girl cried out angrily in her heart. In truth, she knew perfectly well that she had entered and exited the Superpower Headquarters multiple times without incident. Although Ling Yun was entering the headquarters for the first time, he had already passed the identity verification through the barrier at the outer perimeter without any problems. How could he have been attacked by Skynet for no reason?
The facts were too obvious: someone was deliberately manipulating Skynet to attack Ling Yun and himself. As for who it was, the answer was obvious. Very few people in the entire Superpower Headquarters had the authority to control Skynet; besides the instructors, there was only Group Leader Xia Lan and Group Leader Ye Feng.
Out of a desire to train outstanding young superhumans, the instructors recently granted Skynet a small portion of its permissions, allowing Xia Lan and Ye Feng to familiarize themselves with the characteristics and profound control of the barrier. After all, the future leaders of headquarters might emerge from among these excellent young people. Accepting the barrier earlier serves as both a course to enhance the superhumans' cultivation and a transition for the headquarters' succession, achieving two goals at once.
Xia Lan couldn't possibly use her control of the SkyNet to attack her own sister and Ling Yun, nor could the instructors. That leaves Ye Feng, the leader of Group Two, as the prime suspect. Furthermore, Fang Yu and Yun Hai, who were severely injured by Ling Yun, are Ye Feng's subordinates. Even a fool could see who was behind this, seeking personal revenge.
At this moment, on the top floor of a small building on the right at the end of the manor, a pale-faced young man in a blue uniform stood in the center of an empty hall, stretching out his hands and facing the bright floor-to-ceiling window on the south side of the hall, his fingers constantly drawing lines in the air.
The young man appeared to be about twenty-three or twenty-four years old, with a thin, oval face, thick, short black hair, sharp eyebrows, bright eyes, and a straight, jade-like nose. He was quite handsome, but his expression was always calm and expressionless. In particular, the slightly upturned corners of his mouth gave him a kind of wicked and arrogant feeling, as if he were a self-righteous gentleman. However, his bright eyes always held something strong and inexplicable, making it impossible for anyone to understand him.
The young man's fingers appeared to be drawing invisible and irregular trajectories in a chaotic manner, but if viewed with a psychic eye, one would find that his fingers were always condensed with silver light like water droplets of spiritual energy. The silver light formed a set of mysterious and intricate diagrams in the air, similar to a combination of simple lines, but upon closer inspection, it also conformed to some nameless law.
After completing the diagram, a fine layer of sweat appeared on the young man's forehead, as if the diagram had consumed a great deal of his energy. Before him was a light screen pulsating with countless tiny, eerie blue droplets. The light screen was shaped like a trumpet, with a finger-thick, eerie blue energy pulse at the center of the opening, level with the opening end. The trumpet-shaped light screen was about one meter long, gradually thinning from beginning to end until one end disappeared into the void, as if connected to something else at the other end.
The young man gestured intently, his eyes revealing his unwavering focus. Once the mental energy field diagram was complete, it was slowly pushed onto the energy pulse at the center of the light screen's horn. The pulse's tip seemed to possess a magnetic force, instantly absorbing the diagram and transmitting it through the light screen's horn to the nameless other end in the void.
Throughout the process, the young man's movements, though somewhat hesitant, were fluid and efficient, demonstrating considerable skill. However, when the process was about two-thirds complete, his fingers stiffened slightly, and a look of surprise appeared on his usually icy face. He couldn't help but mutter, "There's a reaction? What's going on?" But he immediately shook his head and put the drawing aside.
After completing the two diagrams, the young man stopped gesturing. He let out a slight sigh of relief, as if relaxing; clearly, this strange and unusual technique had taken a toll on his energy.
This is a large hall of 200 square meters. Apart from the clean and tidy scarlet Persian carpet on the floor, there is a simple two-meter-long crimson leather sofa placed in front of the floor-to-ceiling window. In front of the sofa is a dark red solid wood coffee table with two drawers. Apart from that, the hall is empty.