28: Chapter 28: She Flew Up
"Boom!"
Another loud noise rang out, and the crack at Node 17 suddenly widened by several times!
A large chunk of concrete fell from the platform, only to be ground into powder by a strange force before it even hit the ground.
The blue light across the entire platform dimmed instantly until it was barely visible, like a candle about to go out in the wind.
Without the suppression of that blue barrier, the water column that had just been pushed down roared back to life, surging upward relentlessly. The surrounding ground collapsed even more severely, looking like it would soon become a massive pit.
"It's over! It's really over this time!"
"Run! Everyone, run, dammit!"
Chief Engineer Wang Jianguo and Chief Engineer Sun Hai screamed at the top of their lungs, their voices filled with despair.
This disaster could not be avoided.
Amidst this scene that felt like the sky was collapsing, Jiang Ning moved.
She didn't run backward; instead, she took a step forward.
This step did not land on the ground; it landed on empty air.
Everyone was stunned, watching with wide eyes as she walked step by step into mid-air.
One step, two steps, three steps...
Beneath her feet, it was as if there were invisible stairs. Her clothes fluttered, and she stood upright. In just a few moments, she had walked directly above the platform that was about to collapse.
The whole world suddenly fell silent.
Those who were running stopped, and those who were shouting clamped their mouths shut.
Everyone's eyes were fixed firmly on the figure in mid-air, their minds going blank.
Flying... she's flying?
A person, just like that... flew up?
Chief Engineer Wang Jianguo's mouth hung open wide enough to fit an egg, his eyes nearly popping out of their sockets.
Chief Engineer Wang Heshan was trembling violently; if not for Chief Engineer Sun Hai supporting him, he would have collapsed to his knees right there. His lips quivered, unable to utter a single word.
As for Dr. Li, the smug, wicked grin on his face had long since frozen, replaced by an expression of seeing a ghost. He felt that everything he had believed in his entire life was crushed at this moment, shattered until not even a scrap remained.
What... what is this thing?
Is this a dream?
Or... an immortal?
Suspended in mid-air, Jiang Ning paid absolutely no attention to the reactions of the mortals on the ground.
With a focused expression, she made a simple gesture with her hands in front of her chest.
"Thick Earth, hear my command."
She softly spoke these six words.
Her voice was not loud, yet it seemed to possess magic.
The next second, the entire desert began to hum.
Under the stunned gaze of everyone, streaks of earthy yellow light emerged from the sand in all directions.
That was the most primordial power of the earth beneath this land!
These earthy yellow lights, like children seeing their mother, surged frantically toward Jiang Ning in mid-air.
No, more accurately, they were rushing toward the platform beneath her feet that was cracking open!
The earthy yellow light instantly plastered over all the cracks on Node 17.
Those fractured chunks of concrete, enveloped by the yellow light, visibly fused back together, becoming even sturdier than before!
Not only that, but wherever the yellow light passed, the patterns on the platform's surface that previously only emitted blue light were now edged with gold!
The entire platform changed instantly, as if it had been reborn!
"Hum—!!!"
A sound louder than any before erupted from the center of the platform.
The blue barrier, which had been on the verge of extinguishing, instantly shone with a blinding light!
Furthermore, the light was now infused with a heavy, earthy yellow hue!
The blue and yellow lights intertwined, transforming into an even sturdier barrier that forcefully suppressed the spraying water column.
The water column receded even faster than before.
The surrounding collapsed ground was also forcibly stabilized by that earthy yellow power.
A major disaster that looked set to drown everyone was forcibly reversed in these short dozen seconds!
The crisis was resolved.
Between heaven and earth, there was dead silence.
Only the tamed water flow remained, guided by the platform, flowing steadily into the reservoir with a "whoosh" sound.
Sunlight pierced through the water vapor, shining on the massive platform shimmering with blue and yellow light, and also on the figure suspended in mid-air, looking like an immortal.
Everyone maintained their upward gaze, motionless, like stone statues.
In their minds, only one thought remained.
What exactly... did I see today?
Jiang Ning slowly descended from the air, her feet landing gently on the brand-new platform.
That last move had consumed quite a bit of her energy. After all, her cultivation was still shallow, and forcibly mobilizing such a vast amount of earth energy was still a bit strenuous.
But the effect was excellent.
Not only did she repair the platform, but she also upgraded it while she was at it.
She turned around, her cold gaze piercing through the distance of several hundred meters, once again precisely locking onto the figure in the crowd who had collapsed on the ground.
Dr. Li.
At this moment, his face was as white as paper, his whole body was shaking like a sieve, his crotch was soaked, and a foul, pungent odor wafted out.
He had wet himself in fear.
In the face of this power that completely exceeded his understanding, his petty schemes and ambitions seemed so ridiculous.
Jiang Ning didn't speak; she just watched him quietly.
But that gaze had already sentenced him to death.
Chief Engineer Wang Jianguo and Chief Engineer Wang Heshan followed her line of sight and saw the soul-less Dr. Li and the puddle of liquid beneath him.
Both men were sharp; they understood everything in an instant.
"Grab him for me!" Chief Engineer Wang Jianguo was the first to react, pointing at Dr. Li and roaring in anger.
Several young engineers immediately rushed forward, pinning the now limp Dr. Li firmly to the ground.
"Speak! Was it you who caused this?!" Chief Engineer Wang Jianguo rushed in front of Dr. Li, grabbing him by the collar, his eyes reddened.
Dr. Li had completely collapsed. He looked at Chief Engineer Wang Jianguo, then fearfully toward Jiang Ning in the distance, muttering incoherently:
"Don't kill me... don't kill me... it's a demon... she is a demon..."
The truth no longer needed to be spoken.
Chief Engineer Wang Jianguo was trembling with rage; he never imagined that the student he valued most would actually do such a thing!
As for Chief Engineer Wang Heshan, after experiencing the roller coaster of going from hell to heaven and witnessing a miracle, he finally regained a bit of his reason.
He looked at the girl standing in the center of the platform, bathed in light.
Then, under the stunned gaze of everyone, this man over sixty, the respected titan who held supreme authority in China's Infrastructure Construction, slowly and solemnly bent the waist he had never bowed to anyone before.
He bowed deeply, deeply, in the direction of Jiang Ning.
This bow was one of shame, awe, and submission.
"Please... lead us!"
He used all his strength to shout these words.
Behind him, the group of old experts led by Chief Engineer Sun Hai also came to their senses. They looked at each other, and finally, without hesitation, followed Chief Engineer Wang Heshan and bowed deeply.
"Please, lead us!"
The synchronized voices echoed to the heavens.
At this moment, science bowed its head to mythology.