I, the Five-Clawed Golden Dragon, am being kept by the state.

"...We encountered...a supernatural attack from an unknown civilization...on our own soil!"

When the interpreter repeated the words spoken by the American president in front of the world in a trembling voice, the entire hall fell silent.

All the researchers, including Qian Youmin and Sun Mingde, felt a chill run from the soles of their feet straight to the top of their heads.

crazy!

The US president has gone mad!

Even if an entire carrier strike group is destroyed, such a thing should be kept quiet and swallowed down.

He actually... blurted it out?

Admit to the world that you were attacked, and in a completely incomprehensible way!

This is no longer a matter of being ashamed.

This is gambling with the entire nation's reputation, sending the most extreme signal to that unknown "civilization"—either you step forward, or we'll drag the whole world down with us!

On the screen, the golden eagle emblem and the red five-pointed star flashed side by side, signifying that the highest-level communication between the two most powerful nations on the planet had been established.

"What are they trying to do?"

Sun Mingde's throat was dry. For the first time, this leading figure in materials science felt that the matter he had studied all his life was so fragile.

Qian Youmin did not answer; he stared intently at the screen, his mind racing.

Every word that follows could be recorded in history.

Finally, an old but steady voice rang out in the encrypted communication channel, speaking not in English, but in fluent and clear Chinese.

We need an explanation.

The sound came from across the ocean and was clearly transmitted to every corner of the Kunlun base through the most advanced simultaneous interpretation system.

The one who spoke was the US Secretary of State, a cunning old fox who had been navigating the international arena for decades.

At this moment, however, his signature elegance and composure vanished, leaving only suppressed shock and anger.

Inside the Kunlun base, no one dared to answer without authorization.

Qian Youmin clenched his fist. At the other end of this line, there must be the highest-ranking leaders of the Dragon Kingdom present.

Sure enough, after about ten seconds of silence, a voice that was equally calm, yet carried an undeniable air of authority, rang out from their line.

"Explain what?"

Just four words, neither humble nor arrogant, even carrying a hint of doubt.

It's as if it's asking: Your house is on fire, why are you looking for me?

"money!"

The US Secretary of State's voice rose instantly, clearly angered by this attitude, "Don't play dumb! Don't tell us what happened in Los Angeles has nothing to do with you!"

"Los Angeles?"

The voice from the Chinese side remained calm: "We have just learned from the news that your country seems to be facing some trouble. We express our deepest sympathy and strongly condemn any form of terrorist attack."

Shameless!

These were the two words that simultaneously popped into the minds of everyone who heard the conversation.

But it's awesome!

That was fucking awesome!

There was a time when, in these conversations where the one who knew the truth pretended to be ignorant and used their power to act like a rogue, the other side was always the protagonist.

Now, the roles of offense and defense have reversed.

"you!"

The Secretary of State was so angry that he couldn't utter a word for a long time. He knew that any accusation without evidence was baseless.

But how could such a scene of divine punishment possibly leave any evidence?

"us……"

He took a deep breath, seemingly trying to calm himself. "We have intercepted an unusual energy signal, and the source... is right here in your country."

"Oh?"

The voice from the Dragon Kingdom sounded interested. "Really? That's quite a coincidence. To be honest, we just detected a violent, unnatural energy tide over North America as well."

"We are preparing to request an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council to discuss whether this energy tide poses a threat to global security."

Hit it up!

Qian Youmin's eyes lit up.

Neither admit nor deny, and takes no responsibility.

Do you want to escalate this situation?

Sure, I'll join you in this commotion, stir things up even more, and see who gives in first.

Sure enough, there was a long silence on the other end of the phone.

They can't afford to gamble.

Once it is confirmed that the Dragon Kingdom possesses this "supernatural power," the order of the entire Blue Star will collapse instantly.

The global hegemony established by the United States will become a joke overnight.

At this tense moment, Li Chen's unchanging voice once again resounded in the hearts of everyone at the Kunlun base.

"Do you see that? This is the mind of all living beings."

"Fear, anger, suspicion, greed... these emotions, through that invisible channel, are also eroding you."

Li Chen's voice was like a bucket of cold water, extinguishing the fervor that had just ignited in everyone's hearts.

The two researchers who appeared to be in a daze are the most direct proof.

"Then... Dragon Lord, what should we do?"

Qian Youmin asked respectfully in his heart.

This is a more crucial and fatal question than the one posed by the US.

Power, if it turns against itself, is not authority, but a curse.

"Do you know what merit is?" Li Chen asked in return.

"Merit?"

Qian Youmin was taken aback.

"Punishing evil is promoting good."

"Using swift and decisive measures while acting with compassion, this is acting on behalf of Heaven to punish wrongdoing."

Li Chen's voice became solemn and dignified.

"That Stryker ordered indiscriminate attacks and the killing of innocent people, which is a crime. You used the power of the rules to punish his weapon, deter his mind, and prevent a massacre, which is a merit."

"The thoughts of all beings are complex, containing both resentment and gratitude. The piety and gratitude of Wilson's followers, and the awe and relief of the innocent civilians in the square, these righteous thoughts can be transformed into golden light of merit, cleansing your minds and counteracting the backlash of those resentful and impure thoughts."

"What you are doing is not a simple weapons test, but a judgment. Judgment has its own laws. If you do not follow the laws and abuse divine power, what you will gain is not merit, but endless karmic fire."

boom!

Li Chen's words struck Qian Youmin and the others like a thunderbolt from the blue!

They... were wrong.

It was wrong from the very beginning.

They have always regarded this force as a "weapon," and have been thinking about how to increase its power and how to strike with precision.

But the Dragon Lord told them that this was not a weapon.

This is the law! This is authority!

It is the authority to judge good and evil and to punish on behalf of Heaven!

"I understand... I understand!"

Qian Youmin trembled with excitement. He looked at Sun Mingde with an unprecedented gleam in his eyes.

"Old Sun! We're not arms dealers! We're...we're from Heaven!"

Sun Mingde was also stunned, his lips trembling: "You mean... our direction is to change from creating the East Wind Giant Wave to... enacting a set of heavenly laws?!"

"That's right!"

Qian Youmin slammed his fist on the control panel. "What targets can be attacked, who can be judged, what karma will be generated after the attack, and how much merit will be gained after the judgment... This requires establishing a completely new, comprehensive, and quantifiable model!"

"What we need to do is not hand knives to the front lines. We need to sit atop the clouds and wield that… Book of Life and Death!"

fanaticism!

A fervor a hundred times more intense than when they developed the rule-based weapon instantly ignited the entire laboratory!

If they were engineers who had mastered the codes to nuclear weapons before...

So now, they are determined to become gods who establish the laws of the universe...

Within the dragon-shaped necklace, Li Chen sensed the ambition of this group of "mortals" and revealed a hint of satisfaction.

Children can be taught.

The Tao of cultivating immortality is combined with the principles of science, and further supplemented by the "law" of the state's will.

This path is feasible.

Just then, the voice of the US Secretary of State rang out again in the long-silent encrypted communication channel.

This time, his voice was devoid of anger, replaced by a chilling calm that seemed to have burned away everything.

"We...lost."

He readily admitted it.

This outcome was within Qian Youmin's and others' expectations.

However, what he said next plunged the entire Kunlun base into a deathly silence once again.

"We are not asking you to destroy this weapon, nor will we pursue any further responsibility for this incident."

The Secretary of State's voice sounded like the last words of a madman.

"We have only one request."

"Sell us that 'High Priest' named Wilson, along with the mark on his forehead..."

Name your price.