In the name of supernatural powers

Chapter 135 Flood Control
The Dao Mind is like a certificate, a certificate that allows one to comprehend the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth.

Different schools and sects have different interpretations, such as enlightenment, divine master's guidance, the seed of Buddha's heart in Taoism, and the heart of Taoism.

Countless people have attained enlightenment throughout history, but only the way of the sages has been passed down.

Those who are enlightened by the Great Way of the Sage can follow the path of the Sage and seek the Great Way of Heaven and Earth.

The ultimate pursuit of Taoism is to be in harmony with the Tao, and the so-called ancient god circles in modern times are a kind of harmony with the Tao.

Those that failed to survive were either minor doctrines or practices like those of Wang Mang of the Xin Dynasty, which brought disaster to the country and its people.

If his disciple can comprehend the Dao on his own, what kind of Dao will it be?

The old Taoist priest couldn't help but feel a desire to explore further.

He asked, "Of the five elements and countless water techniques, which one would you like to learn?"

After a moment's thought, Lu Zhao said, "This student wants to learn the simplest Taoist techniques that allow for free movement underwater."

He learns Taoist arts quickly, but mastering them and developing combat power is not something that can be achieved overnight.

He has been learning the immobilization technique for a month now, but he still doesn't dare to say that he can move at will or act on impulse.

You can learn many Taoist arts, but none are as easy as supernatural powers, which can be used as instinctively as an extension of your own body.

"There is no such spell."

The old Taoist priest shook his head and said, "The art of water control can be mastered in three days, the art of water creation can be understood in a hundred days, and the art of water avoidance is already close to a divine power."

"What happened that makes you so anxious?"

"The thing is like this..."

Lu Zhao briefly recounted his experience.

Without hesitation, the old Taoist priest replied, "Water demons gain power by using water. You said that modern firearms are much less effective when fired into water, so why not consider using your divine sense to propel the water flow?"

"Use divine power to prop up the water flow?"

Lu Zhao was slightly taken aback, then immediately began to consider the feasibility.

Telekinesis is not limited by physical space, so keeping up with bullets is a piece of cake; otherwise, he wouldn't be able to control them.

The reason Lu Zhao is so strong against humans is because firearms, which are his primary weapons, are ineffective against him. He knows exactly where the bullets are going.

Now, his telekinesis can drag a weight of fifty grams, and it is feasible for him to briefly push open a body of water following a bullet.

That would mean there's no way to control the bullets, but it's better than having no way at all.

"Thank you teacher."

Lu Zhao got up to leave, but as soon as he stepped out of the Taoist temple, he turned back and said, "Teacher, may I ask you for help?"

If a god-level expert like the teacher were to intervene at this moment, then there would be no need for more deaths.

This might not be in line with relying on the strength of the masses and himself, but he didn't want to see more people dying.

He valued the soldiers he had led for three years more than rigidly adhering to dogma.

Lu Zhao admitted that his awareness was not high enough and that his selfish motives were obvious.

The old Taoist priest saw his student's wavering mind and shook his head, saying, "I have given all the power I have to influence the outside world to those three life-saving methods. I can't help you anymore."

Upon hearing this, Lu Zhao did not insist and turned to leave Hunyuan.

The old Taoist priest watched his disappearing figure, a look of indifference on his face.

"One general's success is built on the bones of ten thousand soldiers; you must overcome this hurdle yourself."

He can help; it's just a small favor.

It's true that all the power that can extend into reality resides in Lu Zhao, but this power is not fixed; it is specifically stipulated that it can be used multiple times.

And how big of a crisis Lu Zhao encountered.

He saved Lu Zhao's life three times; after those three times, it became a debt.

The best way to deal with someone like Lu Zhao is to win his heart.

The old Taoist priest truly regarded Lu Zhao as his disciple; he wasn't even this close to his son.
-
Yunshan Reservoir.

Within three days, nearly 100,000 soldiers and civilians gathered here, half of whom were mobilized by the village grain and farmers' associations within the Ant Ridge jurisdiction.

Regardless of age or gender, everyone who could help came.

And the city has mobilized almost all the personnel it can, including federal officials, armed police, police officers, firefighters, border guards, and local troops...

The city also mobilized batches of young and middle-aged people, with at least 500,000 people being mobilized in Fangcheng District.

But the disaster wasn't limited to Yunshan Reservoir, and Zhao De's considerations weren't limited to simply defending the reservoir.

He had prepared for the worst: if the flood could not be contained, he would divert the floodwaters, sacrificing the Ant Ridge area for flood discharge. If, after the flood discharge, thousands of water monsters took the opportunity to enter, he would then surround the entire Ant Ridge.

We must defend the city at all costs and prevent further losses.

Reservoir Management Office.

This place was used as a temporary office, where Zhao De directed flood prevention, logistics, personnel allocation, and other work.

Zhao De asked, "What's the water level now?"

Wang Tong replied, "43 meters. It dropped a bit this morning. But a reservoir upstream couldn't hold up either, so they released water."

"Boss, I think we should release the floodwaters."

Heavy rain is currently falling across half of the western part of the South China Sea, but Fangshi, being the downstream area and a key reservoir in the past, is under even greater pressure.

There is another reason.

Once outside the jurisdiction of Fangshi, Zhao De could not persuade other cities.

Other cities are unlikely to risk being flooded themselves by specifically allocating resources to the city of Fangcheng to alleviate the flood season pressure.

Zhao De reported to his superiors on the first day he took over the job, but three days have passed and he still hasn't received any flood control cooperation from the upstream cities.

The upstream cities of Fang City are important spice-producing areas in the Federation, and they will not sit idly by and watch their cash cow be damaged.

This is the downside of the federal government decentralizing power: local factions have become too powerful.

Zhao De asked, "Have the troops stationed at the outpost returned?" Wang Tong replied, "No, they haven't. Due to the heavy rain, the roads have been buried by mudslides, and vehicles cannot pass. However, a loud noise was heard in the mountains yesterday, and we don't know what happened yet."

After pondering for a long time, Zhao De said, "If the water level reaches 43.3 meters, we will begin releasing floodwaters."

The Yunshan Reservoir dam is 41 meters high. The temporary addition of more than two meters to the dam is extremely dangerous and could collapse at any time.

Zhao De had originally thought that the rain would stop after two more days.

"Yes."

"And you also organized a special counter-terrorism detachment to support the Ant Ridge outpost."

Wang Tong looked hesitant.

He knew very well what this meant: once Ant Ridge became a flood discharge area, the Special Counter-Strike Detachment would be isolated and helpless.

If the water monster comes fiercely, I might not be able to return.

Zhao De noticed his subordinate's hesitation and said, "This time you lead the team out, and as long as you survive, you'll receive a first-class merit. Breaking through to the third rank requires special precious medicine, and a first-class merit is an absolute requirement."

"The Federation's survival is built on sacrifice; human civilization only needs strong individuals who are always ready to become martyrs."

He went through the same thing back then.

Was Zhao De able to become the market executive simply because Chen Wuhou took a liking to him? Absolutely not. It was because he made a first-class merit and received federal training that he caught the eye of these important figures.

Even without Marquis Chen, there would be Marquis Liu, Marquis Zhang, or Marquis Li.

Federal officials can be bad, but they can't be afraid of death.

Wang Tong gritted his teeth, stood at attention, saluted, and said, "Yes, sir!"

At 1 p.m., another breach appeared in the temporarily reinforced dam.

Wang Tong immediately ordered a squad from the Special Counter-Strike Force to begin moving the explosives.

Noticing this, the people at the Ant Ridge Border Station went to inquire and learned that they were preparing to blow up the dam. The two groups immediately started arguing.

Zhang Like confronted Xu Zhenhua, who shouted sternly, "Zhang Like! Are you disobeying orders?"

"Are you trying to kill my brother?!"

Zhang Like was not afraid at all and cursed, "What the hell? My brothers are still fighting desperately at the outpost. If you dare to cut off their retreat, I'll fight you to the death."

Xu Zhenhua frowned, turned to look at the soldiers around Zhang Like, and warned, "Are you also going to disobey his orders? Obstructing flood control will land you in a military court!"

The border guards did not retreat; they remained standing with Zhang Like.

"If you don't move aside, I'll kill you!"

Xu Zhenhua pulled out a pistol from his waist and pointed it at Zhang Like.

Zhang Like and his men had no weapons, but he hadn't lost his mind. Pointing to the gap, he said, "Give me an hour, and I can patch up the gap for you."

Unable to find any other way out after being pestered so much, Xu Zhenhua had no choice but to go back and ask Zhao De for instructions.

Zhao De glanced at the location of the gap and said, "It's in the location of the emergency spillway, so it doesn't matter if we let him try."

To cope with exceptionally large floods exceeding standard levels, reservoirs are typically constructed with a low-lying dike.

In the event of extreme flooding, this low dike can be destroyed, allowing the floodwaters to drain away in a predetermined direction.

13:22
No matter how many bags of sand and gravel Zhang Like ordered to be thrown in, they could not fill the gap.

The gap was small, but due to the enormous water pressure, the water flow was extremely rapid.

Without hesitation, Zhang Like tied hemp rope around his body and, along with a dozen or so border guards with high vitality, jumped into the water.

They formed a human wall to withstand the impact of the water flow, preventing the sandbags from being washed away as soon as they were put down.

"Brothers! Hold on! If we don't close this gap, Lao Lu and the reinforced platoon won't be able to get back!"

Zhang Like roared hysterically.

He didn't understand the grand principles of being an official, nor did he have the same high level of awareness as Lu Zhao.

Zhang Like is an ordinary person; he knows how to repay kindness and also remembers that Lu Zhao saved him.

"Bring more people! Quickly, send a few more people!"

Zhao Lizhi led the able-bodied men of Huangshui Village into the water. At first, there were only ten people, but gradually it grew to one hundred, then two hundred...

Some people were swept away by the flood, but many more will jump into the water.

For a moment, 100,000 soldiers and civilians on both sides of the strait stared wide-eyed, and then stood in solemn respect.

Zhao De, who witnessed this scene from afar, was also stunned.

In the blink of an eye, he felt as if he had returned to ten years ago.

The last spark of humanity was preserved by countless people who sacrificed themselves for it.

They persevered through such difficult times back then, yet today, some people want to give up.

Zhao De chuckled self-deprecatingly, rolled up his sleeves, and stepped into the heavy rain. A dazzling golden light burst forth from his right hand.

A golden sword came into his hand, its resounding aura piercing through the rain.

One of the Seventy-Two Earthly Fiends, in the swordsmanship hierarchy, possessing the powerful divine ability of the Golden Light Sword.

The ticket to the fourth tier is a powerful supernatural ability, and Zhao De had already obtained the entry qualification. Even a supernatural being of his level couldn't change anything in the face of the flood.

With a single slash, the sword light severed the flowing water.

The turbulent water flow briefly paused before the breach, which was 100 meters in diameter.

14:01
The gap has been plugged.

Cheers erupted on both sides of the strait, and both military personnel and civilians were inspired by the actions of Zhang Like and others, with a significant increase in their enthusiasm for disaster relief.

Zhao De called Zhang Like to his office and poured him a cup of hot tea.

He stated frankly, "If the heavy rain doesn't stop tomorrow, we will have to release the floodwaters. I hope Comrade Zhang can understand."

Zhang Like's courage is commendable, but the flood will not recede because of his courage.

(End of this chapter)