"You still have time to pay for your mistakes." Loki's eyes twitched, as if he were deep in thought. "Lord Hans and Lord Garrincha have also learned of this and are using their virtual channels to chase after them. Powell, notify all mid-level powerhouses to mobilize and intercept them at all costs. He already knows the secret of our base's cloning and is operating with impunity within the Superpowers Bureau, which means he doesn't take us seriously. Even if it means killing this super-powerful individual and getting involved with an organization we shouldn't have, we must do it." Loki finished speaking decisively, a hint of murderous intent and coldness flashing in his eyes.
"Yes, Lord Loki!" Powell regained his imposing demeanor. It seemed that the deputy director was indeed discerning; he had not colluded with the enemy or betrayed his country, so there was nothing to be ashamed of.
The group of powerful individuals hurriedly used their virtual channels to give chase. Although the exit of the underground base had been sealed, the exit of the main control base was still open. It was a passage specifically for superhumans and could not be closed for the time being, as superhumans on missions might come and go at any time. It was just unknown whether the superhuman who had trespassed knew where the exit was.
...
"What kind of passage is this? How can we travel through metal?" Xia Lan canceled her invisibility spell, revealing her slender figure, and looked in surprise at the blue beam of light that enveloped her and Ling Yun like a shooting star.
The metallic black color surrounding the pillar of light indicated their location. Ling Yun continuously waved his hand, unleashing beams of silver light to maintain the stability of the passage based on data analyzed from the replication ability. The panoramic view constantly shifted its angle, attempting to locate the exit of the main control base's barrier. Since the bases for ordinary people and those for those with superpowers were separate, there couldn't be only one passage between them; there must be other exits. However, the barrier automatically blocked sensory detection, limiting the panoramic view to a range of less than a few hundred meters. Ling Yun remained closely observing.
Hearing Xia Lan's question, Ling Yun smiled slightly: "This is a Five Elements Escape Technique Channel. I didn't expect the Americans to have incorporated the Five Elements techniques into the characteristics of the barrier. It's quite a fusion of East and West. Strictly speaking, this can't really be considered a Five Elements Escape Technique Channel. It's just that some characteristics of crossing the Five Elements have been incorporated into the barrier, so it has the effect of directly crossing the five elements. However, the virtual channel is not omnipotent. It can only remain stable with the support of the barrier's energy. Once it leaves the barrier, it will immediately collapse."
"You even understand the Five Elements? Ling Yun." Xia Lan raised an eyebrow and said in surprise. The Five Elements technique is one of the oldest supernatural arts in China. Very few people with supernatural abilities can understand even the basics of the Five Elements. As for the so-called Five Elements Ninjutsu of Japanese ninjas, it is just a variation of the basics learned from Chinese supernatural arts, which has been modified by themselves. It is not the real Five Elements at all.
“I know a little,” Ling Yun nodded, “but I don’t really understand it.” His understanding of the Five Elements came entirely from the yellow book barrier left behind by Xiu Jie, which was like a living treasure trove. The vast amount of knowledge inside was something that even if Ling Yun spent his entire life studying, he might not be able to fully comprehend. Even now that Ling Yun has become a super strong person and has had many fortuitous encounters, he is still amazed by the unfathomable power and knowledge.
Xia Lan gazed at Ling Yun, watching his focused expression, and a strange feeling and tenderness welled up inside her. They hadn't spent much time together, only a few days in total, but for some reason, every time Xia Lan saw Ling Yun, she could sense a tremendous change in the young man. And each time she saw him, she felt something different—a complex mix of longing, joy, bittersweet memories, and a sense of the past. Xia Lan couldn't explain the origin of these emotions. Her heart, once as pure as a calm lake, was now constantly rippled with waves.
After parting ways in Hong Kong, Xia Lan felt that Ling Yun had changed again upon seeing him again. He had become more profound, seemingly possessing an abyss-like temperament and pressure. Even when he wasn't unleashing his spiritual energy field, Xia Lan could always feel the boy's imposing presence. Xia Lan had only ever seen this kind of presence in a few super-strong individuals at the Superpower Headquarters.
Chapter 374 I'm Going to Dominate You
“Someone’s catching up.” Ling Yun suddenly frowned and said, his words breaking Xia Lan’s reverie. Xia Lan looked behind the blue pillar of light. The two of them had now left the dense metal area and were traveling through a dark, nameless space. There were no directional signs in any direction, as if they had entered outer space and were drifting endlessly.
Behind the blue beam of light, two faint points of light appeared, seemingly insignificant, but they were rapidly growing brighter and larger. These were likely the trackers Ling Yun had mentioned. Xia Lan carefully refrained from using her senses to investigate, as a strong mental field could easily trigger a mental attack through her senses.
The Five Elements Virtual Channel is not infinitely long. After traveling a certain distance in space, the channel will automatically disappear. Although it uses the energy of the barrier, the longer the virtual channel is, the larger the range of calculations required. Therefore, Ling Yun always maintained an extension of only two meters. This can reduce the burden of copying and analyzing supernatural abilities. Moreover, penetrating the metal zone also relieved him. The burden of the Five Elements Channel is not the same for all material planes. It is just like the difference between passing through air and passing through water.
"Have you found the exit of the Superpower Bureau's main control base?" Xia Lan asked.
She had already learned about the layout of the Superpower Bureau's underground base from Ling Yun, and knew that the underground base was divided into two parts. Ling Yun used the Eye of Illusion to easily evade Powell and others' perception and exploration, and then used the Five Elements Channel to reach the Superpower Bureau's main control base.
Even without analyzing the structural points, based solely on his familiarity with the barrier and his intuition, Ling Yun had already guessed that the main control base should have another exit, and that this exit wouldn't be easily closed. Now, all he needed to do was find the exit and escape. As for what happened next, Tang Tiejin and the others would handle the dealings with the higher-ups at the Superpower Bureau. The panoramic view had an automatic recording function; Xia Lan had indeed been kidnapped and was hidden in a storage room in the Superpower Bureau's underground base. The American Superpower Bureau couldn't shirk responsibility. Moreover, if Ling Yun hadn't arrived in time, Xia Lan might have remained imprisoned until she died in this deserted place. The Americans wouldn't escape unscathed.
However, seeing that the Five Elements Passage was completely dark all around, Xia Lan felt uneasy. After all, this was the territory of a super organization. It was like an outsider wandering freely in the Sky Net Barrier of the Superpower Headquarters. It was impossible for him to be more familiar with the Sky Net Barrier than the superpowered individuals of the Superpower Headquarters.
But seeing Ling Yun's calm and focused expression, Xia Lan felt inexplicably at ease, as if all problems could be easily solved by this young man.
"Not yet, I'm looking," Ling Yun said simply. In Xia Lan's eyes, it was all pitch black space, but in Ling Yun's illusory eyes, it was different. The positions of the structural points had changed, meaning someone was trying to close the barrier space. The entire barrier was slowly undergoing subtle changes. The pitch-black space was merely an illusion created by the barrier, while the five elemental virtual channels coming from all directions were rapidly extending towards him. Without a doubt, they were all ability users from the Superpower Bureau, trying to close the door and block him.
Ling Yun sneered. Trying to block him with such a clumsy method? It seems the American Superpower Agency is nothing special. Don't they ever think that even high technology has loopholes? Since he can replicate a virtual channel based on the Five Elements Technique, why can't he modify the virtual channel? Instead of speeding up, he slowed down the calculation of the virtual channel, his expression relaxed and natural.
The light grew closer and closer. Even with the naked eye, Xia Lan could see virtual passages, like time trains, rapidly approaching the two of them. Because most of the virtual passages were protected by isolation barriers, although they appeared to be just transparent straight beams of light, the faces of the superhumans inside the passages were still not visible.
A dazzling silver light suddenly shot out from a virtual passage, piercing straight through the passage where Ling Yun and Xia Lan were. Since the passage itself was just a virtual beam of light, it was unaffected by the attack. The fist-thick beam of light entered from the ground between Ling Yun and Xia Lan and then shot out from the ceiling. Xia Lan was startled, but Ling Yun remained completely calm.
"It's only polite to reciprocate. These guys are pretty arrogant." Ling Yun said calmly, as a silver light of the same thickness shot out from his hand and immediately struck the virtual channel from which the attack had originated.
A strange thing happened. The ever-expanding, dark blue passage suddenly stopped extending the moment it touched the silver light. The dark blue pillar of light dimmed and then slowly disappeared into the air. A medium-sized superhuman fell out of the passage with a look of terror on his face and began to fall freely. However, this was an illusion created by the high-tech barrier of the American Superhuman Ability Bureau. As long as the barrier was not closed, the superhuman's free fall would continue indefinitely.
The other superhumans who had caught up were all taken aback by this bizarre scene. They didn't know what was going on with this guy. How could the virtual channel corresponding to the mental field suddenly disappear? For a moment, everyone stared blankly as the poor superhuman vanished into the vast dark space. A chill ran down their spines. They had never seen anything like this before. What on earth was going on?
No one came to his rescue. It wasn't that his colleagues at the Supernatural Abilities Bureau were heartless; the virtual passages were imprinted with each person's mental energy field when they were set up. No one else could use it except their own virtual passage, which certainly prevented the possibility of the virtual passages being misused. However, what happened was still unexpected.
Ling Yun's hands moved swiftly, his five fingers flicking out in succession. Each silver light accurately struck a virtual passage, and wherever it passed, the virtual passages disappeared. No matter how powerful the superhumans inside were, they all fell into the illusion and started bungee jumping.
Xia Lan watched everything unfold with excitement. In the blink of an eye, Ling Yun had made half of the approaching virtual passage disappear. His special methods and the element of surprise were the main reasons for the Supernatural Abilities Bureau's failure to track them down. No one had expected that Ling Yun could not only create his own virtual passages, but also make others' virtual passages disappear.
This extraordinary technique was beyond belief, far exceeding the expectations of Loki and Powell, who were catching up. The group of Americans gritted their teeth, staring at the slowly approaching, yet unapproachable, virtual passage. They were filled with anger and helplessness, utterly bewildered as to why the special abilities of the main control base's barrier were being manipulated by the enemy, even used against them. The vanished virtual passages had clearly been forcibly removed by the enemy. But the barrier's controllers were all present; no one had given any orders to the barrier. What was going on? It was truly bizarre.
By now, nearly half of the superpowered individuals have fallen. Although they are just ordinary superpowered individuals, the other powerful individuals haven't even seen a shadow of their enemies, let alone fought them. The Superpower Bureau's proud reputation has been completely ruined.
Another virtual channel rapidly approached. Ling Yun repeated the same move, aiming his index finger at the channel and shooting out a beam of silver light. However, this time the virtual channel reacted quickly, its own silver light striking the incoming light from Ling Yun. The two powerful energy waves collided in the dark space, creating a dazzling firework.
Ling Yun let out a soft "Eh." Judging from the other party's reaction and the energy of the silver light, the person in the virtual passage should be a powerful expert, but he didn't know the extent of their strength. Ling Yun suddenly felt a surge of competitiveness. Since escaping the underwater barrier, his strength had improved tremendously, growing remarkably. However, without comparison, Ling Yun didn't know exactly how much he had grown. Before entering the barrier, he was already a colonel-level expert; perhaps now, he could approach the level of a super expert, Ling Yun thought to himself.
The boy was unaware that his strength had already reached the initial level of a super strong person, and was making great strides toward even higher levels of power. If Tang Tiejin were standing in front of him, he would be very surprised, because the boy, whom he had only recently recognized, already possessed the strength to contend with him. Such a speed of progress was terrifying. The level of power that others could only reach in decades or even a lifetime was achieved by Ling Yun in just a few months. Of course, everything Ling Yun had experienced was also unimaginable to others, and such experiences were not repeatable at all.
Countless arrows of light, silver threads, and flames clashed and attacked each other between the two parallel virtual tunnels, like thousands of silver snakes dancing or like a dazzling display of fireworks, standing out starkly in the vast black space. It was as if all the powered weapons of two super aircraft carriers were firing at close range, forming an incredibly hot band of light in the rapidly moving space.
Ling Yun unleashed a barrage of telekinetic attacks from his hands, like a relentless storm, yet his expression remained calm and composed. Simultaneously, a silver shield of light formed on the side of the virtual channel facing the opponent, creating a mental energy field. The opponent's attacks were too dense, and the virtual channel lacked defensive capabilities. While he himself was unaffected by this level of attack, Xia Lan was a different story.
Seeing the girl watching him attack and defend with excitement and agitation, even forgetting to protect herself, Ling Yun smiled slightly, reached out and made a feint, instantly pulling the dazed Xia Lan behind him. With a flash of his mental energy field, he had already enveloped her beside him.
Xia Lan was both shocked and overjoyed. Her already turbulent heart was stirred once more. She had witnessed the power of super-strong individuals like Luo Panxi, and what shocked her was Ling Yun's fierce attacks, excellent defense, and strength that was in no way inferior to those of super-strong individuals. When did this skinny boy, who was just a junior officer in the Superpower Headquarters, grow to this level? It was simply unimaginable to Xia Lan. What made her happy was that Ling Yun remembered to pull her to his side to protect her during the intense battle. Feeling Ling Yun's care, Xia Lan's heart immediately warmed. Standing behind Ling Yun, she suddenly wanted to hug his waist without hesitation, just like before she was kidnapped by that nameless super-strong individual.
The two virtual channels maintained a constant pace, and their attacks not only did not stop, but became more intense and fierce. In just a short while, they had entered a white-hot stage. The clash of their mental energy fields even formed a bright and dazzling band of light, like a galaxy, which suppressed the brilliance of the two virtual channels themselves.
Without the threat of Ling Yun's terrifying ability to cancel virtual channels, many virtual channels rushed in, wanting to intervene. However, the battle between the two super strong individuals was intense and terrifying. Apart from strong individuals of the same level, even mid-level strong individuals found it difficult to get involved and could only anxiously circle around the perimeter.
Ling Yun was fighting with all his might. The two sides had developed to the point where they no longer used conventional magical attacks, but directly depleted each other's mental energy fields. This was a common tactic used by super strong people. When the difference in skills and magical techniques was negligible, what remained was a true clash of strength. There was no room for trickery, only a direct confrontation of strength, and no fancy moves whatsoever.
The release of his pent-up power over the past few days gave Ling Yun a sense of exhilarating satisfaction. For a long time, his enemies had been either too strong or too weak; the strong could instantly kill him, while the weak could be instantly killed by him. This imbalance had prevented Ling Yun from experiencing the true thrill of battle. Now, with an opponent of similar strength, Ling Yun could fully enjoy the exhilaration of combat, and a comfortable feeling emanated from within him.
Of course, Ling Yun was also surprised and impressed by the fact that the powerful opponent he was fighting not only had a strong mental field, but also had a variety of powerful attack methods and extremely fast reactions. He was truly a formidable opponent.
However, Ling Yun was surprised, but the other party was even more surprised. The super strongman who had been fighting with Ling Yun was none other than Deputy Director Loki, who had just been attacked by his subordinates for no apparent reason.
Loki believed that with his immense strength and powerful attacks, he could gradually approach the opponent's virtual portal. Once he merged with the portal, even if the opponent was an extremely powerful being, Loki would be fearless and confident in defeating them. In his view, the enemy's terror lay only in their unheard-of methods of controlling barriers; if it were simply a matter of pure strength, they might not be stronger than him.
To the deputy director's surprise, the enemy's strength was far greater than he had imagined. His attacks were powerful, but the enemy's were even more powerful, and their defense was flawless. Their attacks were fierce, even overwhelming him, and the virtual passage was always kept several meters away, making it impossible for him to get close.
Loki almost ground his teeth to powder. How could a super strongman, the deputy director of a superpowered organization, be beaten to a draw and not even gain any advantage by an enemy he couldn't even see in his own territory, surrounded by a large group of subordinates? Such humiliation was almost unbearable for Loki. But even in a contest of mental energy fields, his opponent showed no fear whatsoever, and instead, like an unstoppable wave, it crashed against Loki's almost clenched heart.
In Loki's eyes, all of the other party's actions turned into a silent, huge symbol of provocation: I'm going to beat you down, what can you do about it?
Chapter 375 Unexpected Overlap