149: Chapter 149: The Fury of Industrialized Immortal Cultivation
Ten thousand meters above the Pacific Ocean.
The floating Sky City, "Peace No. 1," suddenly moved.
This massive fortress, constructed of steel and formation arrays, began to slowly adjust its posture. Its colossal body moved through the clouds, casting a shadow that blotted out the sun.
At the bottom of the island, the metal shell, originally smooth as a mirror, split open and slid silently to both sides. A muzzle over a hundred meters in diameter, so deep it seemed capable of swallowing light, was exposed to the thin air.
Around the muzzle, rings of blue energy patterns lit up one after another. These were countless profound and complex charging formations being activated one by one.
An indescribable, terrifying energy began to converge frantically toward the muzzle.
The surrounding air began to ionize due to the massive energy leaking out, making a fine "sizzling" sound and even generating light blue electric arcs out of thin air.
Far away in the Donghai City Joint Command Center, Director Zhao Lixin stared intently at the main screen, which showed real-time footage transmitted from Peace No. 1 and the communication request Jiang Ning had just sent. His palms were covered in cold, clammy sweat.
"Chief Engineer Jiang! Are you sure you want to do this? This is too dangerous! You'll die!" He grabbed the communicator and almost roared into it.
"This is the only way." Jiang Ning's voice came through the communicator, as calm as if there weren't a single ripple, yet carrying a firmness that brooked no opposition.
"Minister Zhao, evacuate all non-combat personnel from Peace No. 1 immediately. Also, activate all backup satellites in geostationary orbit and broadcast the following footage to the entire world in real-time."
"What? A live broadcast?" Zhao Lixin was completely stunned, doubting his own ears.
"Yes, a live broadcast," Jiang Ning repeated in a decisive tone. "I want everyone to see clearly exactly what kind of enemy we are facing. I also want them to see clearly that the Xia Nation has the determination and the capability to protect this planet."
Zhao Lixin held the communicator and remained silent for a full ten seconds.
His chest heaved violently, but in the end, his urge to dissuade her was suppressed by his reason.
He understood Jiang Ning's intention. This wasn't just to eliminate the enemy; it was a global demonstration of military force.
An unprecedented global live broadcast, significant enough to be recorded in the annals of human history, thus began.
"...I understand." Zhao Lixin squeezed out those words with difficulty and immediately began issuing orders.
All over the world, billions of people simultaneously witnessed that heart-shaking scene through televisions, the internet, and mobile phones.
A massive island floating ten thousand meters in the sky, an aerial fortress woven of steel and runes, was slowly aiming its bottomless muzzle at the sky above the Asian continent—the area torn apart by black rifts.
"My God, what is that?"
"Are the Xia people going to use that weapon to attack those monsters?"
"Have they gone mad? Using a weapon of that level over their own country?"
People across the globe, in front of their respective screens, let out one exclamation and question after another. They speculated, discussed, and felt panic and curiosity intertwine in their hearts.
At that moment, Jiang Ning's figure had already appeared inside the main cannon's core control room of Peace No. 1.
This was a massive, spherical space. Countless energy pipes crisscrossed, and dense arrays of runic formations flickered with faint light. In the center of the space floated an energy core as dazzling as the sun, its radiance illuminating the entire enclosed area.
"Energy charging at seventy percent," the system's cold prompt sounded.
Jiang Ning didn't respond, only quietly watching the jumping numbers.
"Eighty percent."
"Ninety percent."
With every percentage point it rose, the core's light grew even more brilliant.
"Charging at one hundred percent. Conventional mode limit reached."
"Switch to Overload Mode." Jiang Ning's voice was calm, devoid of any emotion.
"Warning! Overload Mode will cause permanent damage to the cannon body! Please confirm!" There was a hint of urgency in the system's prompt.
"Confirm." Jiang Ning's answer came without any hesitation.
"Overload Mode activated! Energy charging... one hundred and ten percent... one hundred and twenty percent..."
The entire core room began to tremble violently. The light emitted by the energy core was now so blinding it was impossible to look at directly, as if a small star were imprisoned within this spherical space.
"Charging at one hundred and fifty percent! Physical limit reached! Cannot increase further!" The system issued a sharp alarm.
"I know," Jiang Ning's voice was somewhat raspy.
She took a deep breath and walked directly beneath the energy core.
She sat cross-legged and closed her eyes. Her body appeared so small under the reflection of the golden light, yet it contained infinite power.
In the next second, a golden, vast, and boundless spiritual power surged from her body toward the sky. That spiritual power was like a flood breaking a dam, carrying an unstoppable momentum as it poured frantically into the energy core above.
Her entire cultivation as a Mid-stage Golden Core was poured out at this moment without reservation.
"Buzz—"
The energy core, which had already reached its limit, shuddered violently upon receiving this injection of pure spiritual power and let out a deafening roar.
The light on its surface turned from a blinding white to a deep gold. That gold seemed capable of swallowing everything, carrying an ultimate majesty and destruction.
"Warning! Warning! Energy core overloaded! Energy index... off the charts! Calculation impossible!"
"Muzzle energy reaction has exceeded the safety threshold by three hundred percent!"
"Launch countdown..."
"Ten."
"Nine."
...
Jiang Ning's face had turned pale. The spiritual power in her body was being drained frantically. Her Golden Core was dimming at a terrifying speed. Her body began to tremble slightly.
But her will was as firm as steel, supporting her and preventing her from collapsing.
"Three."
"Two."
"One."
"Fire!"
At the instant the countdown ended.
An indescribable, massive golden pillar of light erupted from the muzzle of Peace No. 1.
That pillar of light was so massive and so dazzling.
So much so that at that moment, the vision of everyone watching the live broadcast worldwide turned completely white.
It was as if a second sun had appeared in the sky.
The pillar of light surpassed the speed of light, crossed the vast distance, and accurately struck the center point where the black rifts were most dense above Donghai City.
There was no sound.
There was no explosion.
There was only an ultimate silence.
The space in that area seemed to be violently kneaded by an invisible giant hand.
All the black rifts, along with the monsters that hadn't had time to emerge, were instantly "smoothed over" in that golden light and vanished.
Space returned to its original state.
The sky became blue once again.
It was as if the apocalyptic scene from just now was merely an illusion.
The entire world was dead silent.
Everyone who saw this scene lost the ability to speak.
Their brains were unable to process the miracle-like scene they had just witnessed.
And inside the core control room of Peace No. 1.
"Pfft—"
Jiang Ning suddenly coughed up a mouthful of blood, and her body slumped down softly.
The Golden Core inside her was now covered in cracks, its light dimmed to the extreme, appearing as if it could shatter at any moment.
Her consciousness also sank into darkness.
In the final moment before losing consciousness, only one thought remained in her mind.
"The wrath of industrialized cultivation... feels... pretty good..."