In the name of supernatural powers

Chapter 149 Three Flowers Gather at the Top, Ascending to Heaven and Earth!
On the other side, the battlefield is on Tuen Mun Island.

The colossal beast was entirely made of gold, its spine piercing through the raging waves, its massive 300-meter-tall body crashing against an invisible barrier.

The coastal artillery array bombarded fiercely, unleashing countless rounds of ammunition that sparked blindingly bright sparks against the golden armor.

The barrier is one-way; shells can be fired out, but the enemy cannot get in.

"Armor-piercing rounds, spread fire! All of you, get the hell out of here!"

The officer's hoarse shout pierced through the sound of the explosion.

Further away from the front line, artillery positions were also bombarding the area.

The specially designed tungsten-core warhead struck the behemoth and sank deep into its scales, but compared to its 300-meter-tall body and tens of meters-thick armor, it was still difficult to damage its flesh.

The sea area on the right.

Chen Yunming and a giant sea serpent-shaped beast exchanged fire, and the rain of fire clashed with the lava flow spewed from the beast's body, instantly raising the battlefield temperature to forty degrees Celsius.

Huang Fu then continuously summoned immortals to possess him and fight the earth-elemental behemoth. His ten fingers were constantly forming hand seals, just like the style of the sect's extraordinary individuals, possessing many mysterious Taoist techniques.

The new federal law cultivates powerful individuals, but they often resort to unorthodox methods and rely entirely on supernatural abilities.

In theory, a person can have many life-bound supernatural abilities, but not more than the weakest. Once the weakest supernatural ability is exceeded, the body cannot withstand the strain.

In contrast, most of the powerful figures in the sects entered the Dao by borrowing life bones, and could possess the strength of a Martial Marquis without needing earthly fiend supernatural powers.

The downside is that with the same resources, a sect that cultivates both life and life might not be able to cultivate even one person who is strong enough to develop life.

The difference in strength between the two decreases as one approaches the top level, because the Heavenly Divine Power is far more powerful than any Taoist technique.

Historically, there have been unparalleled masters of both body and mind cultivation, such as Zhang Sanfeng and the Jiajing Emperor, but such people appear only once every hundred years.

Further away, two veteran warriors who had just arrived on the battlefield were also fighting against the giant wood-type beast.

They originally planned to go to the western part of the South China Sea to help, but now that Cangwu is in trouble, they can't care about that anymore.

Fangchenggang is a small border city, while Cangwu is the economic center of the federal government. It goes without saying which one is more important.

The continuation of the federation lies in sacrifice, not only of people, but also of cities.

Choose the lesser of two evils.
-
City suburbs.

Cao Shichang fought the water monster all the way from Ant Ridge to the outskirts of the city.

On the one hand, he needs the opponent to be away from the waters of the three rivers, lose their home advantage, and weaken their strength.

On the other hand, it was unstoppable. The water behemoth was like a madman, constantly approaching the city, ignoring his harassment and provocation.

This forced Cao Shichang to confront the issue head-on.

A giant, deep blue whale swam across the farmland, bringing with it a turbid torrent.

From the sky, Cao Shichang was always waiting for an opportunity to strike, occasionally falling like a meteor to smash the fish's head.

The giant whale's horn glowed red again, and its massive body surged with blue light, which overflowed from its tattered right side.

The next second, hundreds of torrents shot out, cutting through the hillside and splitting the earth, slicing through anything in their path like a hot knife through lard.

Composed of water, yet containing thermal energy akin to magma.

Cao Shichang dodged and weaved through the air, but he ultimately lacked the ability to teleport, and no matter how skillfully he dodged, there was always a limit.

scoff!

A beam of light flew toward Cao Shichang, who held it in front of him with his brass hammer. The collision of the two created a mist that instantly turned the surrounding temperature into a sauna.

Immediately afterward, as Cao Shichang was blocking the boiling water rays, another ray flew in from the right in a roundabout way.

At the critical moment, he gripped the giant hammer tightly with both hands and swung it with all his might, shattering the two streams of water at the perfect moment.

The two jets of water flew off in different directions, their momentum undiminished, continuing to plow across the ground.

Hard paddy field ridges, freshly harvested rice paddies, cement irrigation ditches along the edges of paddy fields, warehouses storing grain, or factory buildings in the suburbs.

Everything that blocked its path was as fragile as paper. A scorched ravine, several meters wide and 30,000 meters long, was formed in an instant.

The air was filled with the pungent smell of burnt earth.

We must not let this continue.

Ignoring the half of the body that was already burning red, Cao Shichang's eyes were cold as he wielded his hammer and flew towards the giant whale.

The giant whale's horn has dimmed, and although it can still shoot water jets, its numbers have dropped to single digits.

Just as a person throwing a punch with all their might will reveal a weakness if the movement is too forceful, even an extraordinary fighter who goes all out will find themselves in a state of temporary exhaustion if they cannot severely damage their enemy.

Human superhumans generally seek frequent but moderate attacks in combat; unless they are very confident, they will not immediately launch powerful attacks.

The Federation's powerful warriors are known for their "deliberate" fighting style, taking a step-by-step approach regardless of the opponent's abilities.

Attack without going all out; avoid taking risks whenever possible by dodging or defending, and wait for the opponent to reveal a weakness.

This set of combat concepts has been taught from ordinary soldiers to superhumans, from schools to the military.

Throughout history, those skilled in warfare have not achieved great feats of bravery.

Cao Shichang dodged the water jets and smashed his brass hammer hard into the whale's head, which was covered with hard scales.

He didn't attack the unicorn horn because such parts are often the hardest.

Destroying it would greatly weaken the enemy, but what if you can't destroy it?

He came to protect the city and its people, not to kill the enemy.

Cao Shichang's combat strength is definitely not in the top tier among the Marquis of Wu, but he is the most stable among the younger generation of Marquis of Wu.

This is also why Wang Shouzhen valued him.

What the Federation needs is not a powerful chief, but a chief who can stabilize the situation.

Bang—Clang!

The deafening roar echoed for dozens of miles, and the shockwave from the collision of the two energies visibly spread out in a ring.

The whale, in pain, let out a low, furious howl.

The waves surged even more violently, with wave after wave of tsunami crashing against the edge of the city.

When a tsunami crashes down, the water doesn't recede like a normal wave; instead, it continues to rise slowly from the same spot.

Seeing that another 300-meter-high wave was about to form on the edge of the city, Cao Shichang had no choice but to turn back and break the wave.

Once the behemoth recovered, it used its rays to attack Cao Shichang again.

After Cao Shichang managed to hold off the attack, he returned to fight back.

This cycle repeated itself, and the man and the beast remained locked in a stalemate.

Within the mist, an invisible entity observes everything.

His aura was completely concealed, making it difficult even for extraordinary individuals at the Martial Marquis level to detect.

Ding Shoujin could sense that it was a demon corpse trying to make her aware of it.

Five hundred years have passed, and the power of the Water Beast Cave is no longer what it used to be.

The old Taoist priest's power to influence reality was limited; he hoped to accomplish twelve things with the least amount of effort.

Then the new dynasty would need to make use of it.

Lu Zhao once said that the new dynasty has already truly achieved the goal of "treating the people as water and the country as a boat," and they will not abandon the people.

The old Taoist priest watched coldly as Cao Shichang grew weaker and weaker.

He was wondering if he could use a little more effort to incorporate a Zhuge Liang into the medicine.
A single Five Elements Beast can only be used as a pill embryo; if a Martial Marquis is added, the quality will be even higher.

But if it fails, it will be a waste of precious resources.

Suddenly, a familiar aura approached. The old Taoist priest paused for a moment, then turned to search for the source of the aura.

On the rooftop of a tall building ten kilometers away, stood a man dressed in camouflage.

He closed his eyes slightly, his soul swirling with the primordial chaos.
-
Hunyuan.

The old Taoist priest was multitasking, and when he opened his eyes, he saw a handsome face appear at the end of the steps.

Lu Zhao walked up the steps and entered the Taoist temple, asking, "Master, you said you would give me three chances to save my life. I want to know how to save my life."

Without hesitation, the old Taoist priest replied, "Only by reversing the universe can you overcome this calamity."

Lu Zhao asked, "How do we determine if we've crossed over?"

The old Taoist priest replied, "If the calamity is a person, then kill the person; if the calamity is an object, then destroy the object."

Any schemes or plans are useless in the face of calamity; the only way to help Lu Zhao overcome this tribulation is through pure power.

Lu Zhao understood; in short, it was an extraordinary power that could sweep away everything.

And my teacher also possesses such abilities.

He said, "I want to use my life-saving chance."

The old Taoist priest glanced at Lu Zhao's fate and shook his head, saying, "You are not facing a death calamity yet, or rather, you have already overcome one."

"The so-called calamity of death is a great danger that you have to face whether you like it or not."

Now Lu Zhaoyun's path is completely the opposite.

Purple mist soared into the sky, a rhinoceros horn pierced the crown of the head, and a hidden dragon shook its scales and ascended to the ninth heaven.
It's obvious at a glance that someone will be helping them, and this person is no ordinary benefactor.

He made it very clear on the spot that he would only intervene if it was a matter of life and death. If it wasn't a matter of life and death, he naturally wouldn't intervene.

Lu Zhao also shook his head and said, "Teacher, this is my death calamity."

The master and apprentice looked at each other for a moment.

Although he had only been Lu Zhao's teacher for a little over half a year, the old Taoist priest could roughly understand what the other party was thinking.

"Is it worth it? If you just endure for a little while, you can save more people when you gain momentum in the future. You've endured for the past four years, why fight for this one moment?"

He murmured to himself, “Zhang Yanghao once wrote a poem that said, ‘It is heartbreaking to see the places where the Qin and Han dynasties once stood, where thousands of palaces have turned to dust. When the dynasty prospers, the people suffer; when it falls, the people suffer.’”

"We've suffered for thousands of years, so this day won't make a difference."

Lu Zhao remained unmoved; he was already used to his teacher's 'reactionary' remarks. It wasn't surprising that someone living in a feudal society would have such thoughts.

He understands, but he never agrees.

"Teacher, my soldiers cannot die in vain."

After saying that, Lu Zhao turned and left, stepping down the steps.

The old Taoist priest watched but did not forcefully stop them.

If Lu Zhao is determined to die, then let him go.

The unity of knowledge and action is also a part of spiritual practice.

He also allowed his disciples to be willful.
-
The crashing waves and the cold winds caused people on the overpass to shiver.

One of the cadres, unable to find Lu Zhao at the back of the line, asked the others, "Comrade Lu Zhao?"

"I don't know, it was coming from behind before."

"They just rushed back from the front lines, they're exhausted. Could they have fainted and no one found them?"

Upon discovering that Lu Zhao was missing, the federal officials were somewhat anxious. This was certainly not at the behest of some noble lady; with the radio connection cut off, even with all her connections, she couldn't contact the lower-level officials.

Lu Zhao himself is very famous. He brought down many officials while he was in the special task force, and his name quickly spread throughout the city's defense system.

Everyone has a gossipy nature, and soon many things about Lu Zhao were dug up. Of course, this included his achievements over the years.

A genius from a rural village in Fangshi, with no connections, passed the imperial examination in the capital and was suppressed by an unknown big shot.

Finally, he turned the tables and brought down many important figures.

Such a status and deeds undoubtedly made Lu Zhao an 'idol' among grassroots officials.

The vast majority of people within the system are ordinary people; only a very small minority possess power and influence.

Soon, someone found a bicycle and, disregarding the possibility of a sudden flood, turned and rode towards Fangshi.

As they walked, they called out "Comrade Lu Zhao".

Lu Zhao naturally couldn't hear it. He stood on the high building, opened his eyes, and looked around at the world.

The behemoth and the Marquis Wu are still locked in a fierce battle, while the waves have already crashed into the city.

He raised the pistol in his hand, an unnumbered pistol.

Lu Zhao once wanted to use it to kill Chen Qian; it was his only outlet for venting his anger at injustice.

He was never innocent. When he first received this pistol, Lu Zhao felt as if he had grasped the world, and he was even happier than when he met his teacher.

Even though the situation has improved, and he now has power and Lin Zhiyan's help, Lu Zhao still polishes the unnumbered pistol in his spare time.

Hold it whenever you feel stressed; it will help relieve stress.

Lu Zhao didn't understand before, but now he vaguely understands.

This gun and the three bullets represent his purest form of resistance, a reckless and desperate struggle.

He was born to fight, and he died to fight.

chap!
I pulled the safety, the cold muzzle pressed against my temple.

Lu Zhao stared at the waves and pulled the trigger.

boom!
The bullet passed through the barrel and came to rest at the muzzle.

The entire world seemed to freeze in place, the ferocity of the giant beast and the splashing water droplets suspended in mid-air.

Lu Zhao watched everything, his eyes seeing the swirling ripples spreading through the air, and his ears beginning to hear countless murmurs.

That is the Ancient God Circle, just like its name suggests, it is a series of circles that keep expanding outwards.

These circles are an eyesore, these voices are noisy.

A sense of contempt arose spontaneously within him; he genuinely despised the ancient god circle permeating the void as utterly base.

Lu Zhao slowly closed his eyes, sensing the power within his body.

He couldn't feel it; even his own Qi had disappeared.

He opened his eyes, and everything disappeared.

Skyscrapers, waves, behemoths...

Looking down, the entire land of China lies at my feet.

A moment!

The Nankaido region is a continuous, undulating mountain range stretching for nearly a thousand miles, with 81 main peaks, including four main peaks with an altitude of over 1,500 meters, 26 steep peaks with an altitude of over 1,000 meters, and 49 mountain peaks with an altitude of over 800 meters.

At this moment, the mountain winds of the entire Shiwan Mountains ceased to flow; they held their breath.

He remembered what his teacher had said when they first met.

The gathering of three flowers at the top is an illusion, and soaring through the clouds beneath one's feet is not real either.

How can we know illusion if the three flowers do not gather? How can we know reality if the clouds do not rise?
If I do not gather the three flowers, how will I know if they are illusory? If I do not rise from the clouds, how will I know the vastness of heaven and earth?

If I possess great power, how dare the world bark at me!
(End of this chapter)