Chapter 179: Arrived Too Early
"It's over, everything is over..." Although Li Mofu was fortunate enough not to be targeted by those twenty-three cannons, the heavily wounded Ke Laisile suddenly retreated with his people. This reversal of the battle sent Li Mofu plummeting from heaven straight into hell.
"Go, all of you, go. Flee as far as you can, leave this country," he said, turning around, his eyes somewhat hollow.
Behind him were the researchers, roughly half of their original number, who had survived a bloody struggle.
"Charge!"
"How can we falter now!"
"Fight to the bitter end!" The effects of the stimulants hadn't worn off yet, and they couldn't comprehend their leader's state of mind, their blood still boiling with fervor.
"Director, there's still a chance if we leave now. You should come with us too." At this moment, He Lai no longer concealed himself, having regained his usual composure, and spoke directly.
"No. I've spent my entire life battling in the circles of power. Even if I were lucky enough to escape this time, I'd merely be a lonely exile abroad, never able to make a name for myself again. For me, living such a life is no different from being dead." Li Mofu remained in a state of utter despair.
"'Leave the green hills, no fear of no firewood.' There will always be a day to fight back. This era has changed; by continuing to cultivate, it's entirely possible for one person to stand against an entire nation, unlike before where losing all connections and wealth meant never rising again!" As a younger man, He Lai's perspective was easier to shift.
"I understand the principle of 'leaving the green hills,' but I just can't bring myself to accept this. The ringleader must be punished. As long as I, the one who led this, die, they won't make things difficult for you all." Only after his defeat did Li Mofu realize how pointless the things he had pursued earlier were, leaving his heart utterly empty.
"To those I indirectly killed with stimulants, I'm coming to join you." In utter despondency, he walked aside, inciting the Spirit Energy within his body to rage wildly, quickly transforming his body into a massive blaze of fire.
"I'm not ruthless enough. I can't handle power struggles." These were Li Mofu's final words before he committed suicide.
Before the Dao Academy group, who had bided their time and ultimately emerged as the "orioles," most of the rebel forces were either killed or surrendered.
Liu Munian, the mastermind behind the rebellion, was naturally no exception. He and a group of captives were bound hand and foot and thrown before the ravaged Ziliu Sea gate.
"I didn't expect it would be you in the end," Liu Munian said, his expression numb.
"Mind control, psychic infection. Your abilities are powerful, but unfortunately, your strength doesn't match your ambition at all. Mind control that only works on ordinary people is meaningless in this battle of ability users."
"It's simply 'the victor is king, the loser is bandit.' Only the winner has the right to speak." By this point, he had cast aside all thoughts of life and death, saying whatever came to mind.
"He..." Ye Zi didn't reply but walked to where Wu Ye lay.
"Can you still hear me?"
Wu Ye nodded.
"I will now freeze you. Perhaps one day, you will awaken."
Wu Ye nodded again, then let her do as she pleased, quickly turning into an ice sculpture.
"What do you want?" Cheng Mu and the others walked outside, confronting Ye Zi's group.
"First, find someone to put him in a freezer. Perhaps he can be saved one day." She didn't answer directly, instead pointing to Wu Ye, who had become a large block of ice, beside her.
"Understood."
"Our demand is this: twelve people are too many. Huaxia's highest authority will be restructured into a seven-person council. You get four seats, we get three."
"So you're the ones who finally reaped the harvest." Cheng Mu's words held a hint of helplessness. "If only all ability users in this world were like him."
"Everyone has their own ambitions. Just because he has no interest in power doesn't mean others think the same."
"He once said that too, but unfortunately, this rebellion came too early, so early that we couldn't catch up," Liu Zhen added from the side.
"We agree to this restructuring. It will be publicly announced at this afternoon's press conference." Given the circumstances, Cheng Mu and the others had no choice but to compromise, and the other party had already shown considerable respect by leaving four seats for them.
"A few days ago, a few of us went to several small countries in southern Huaxia that were suffering from internal and external troubles due to tsunamis and ability user riots. After employing certain methods, they agreed to our proposal to merge into our Huaxia."
"You?!" The old men present couldn't believe that they had conquered several neighboring countries with just a few people.
"How about this gift, as a congratulatory present for the beginning of our new nation?"
"Enough. Expanding territory in modern society is truly not easy."
That afternoon, the Huaxia government held a press conference in Tianzhong City, adjacent to Tianqing. After briefly recounting the events of Tianqing using 'Spring and Autumn brushwork,' they announced major news to the world.
"From today onward, to better resist the invasion of the Sea Race and strengthen cooperation between all parties, Huaxia, Nanyue Country, Myanmar, Kala Country, Laixi Country, and Singapore—these six nations—will merge to form the Huaxia Federation! The new Federation's highest governing body will be the Federation Council, with one rotating Speaker and six members, tasked with integrated management of all Federation affairs..."
Upon this news, the world erupted in an uproar.
"The Huaxia authorities are engaging in blatant invasion..."
"Strongly resist Huaxia imperialism..."
Due to the existence of the Sea Race, the United States, which prided itself most on its navy, lost all its deterrent power. Furthermore, the significant losses of high-tier ability users in the Tianqing battle led to many domestic repercussions.
Under various practical constraints, the United States, unable to intervene directly and unwilling to ignite a nuclear war over this, could only resort to various "solemn protests" to vent its frustration.
However, once Huaxia offered the complete withdrawal of the independent army (instead of letting them disperse and cause trouble all over the United States) as a bargaining chip, they eventually recognized the legitimacy of the Huaxia Federation diplomatically.
......
"Is this... a trap to kill me?" Bai Mo's avatar had already been roaming throughout Orleans since his main body descended to an altitude of twenty thousand meters. Sending out an avatar to scout had become his habit.
Seeing this, he couldn't be bothered to engage with them. With his relatively weak output, it would be very difficult to eliminate all the ability users in the encirclement.
"The sky is still more comfortable..." Bai Mo made a call, telling his private jet, still at the airport, to return on its own. His main body, carrying the retrieved technical data, drifted in the sky for a few days before floating back to Huaxia.
"Let's play a game."
His avatar, having completed its seven-in-one fusion and possessing seventy percent of his main body's power, used telekinesis to manipulate the scattered rebar and concrete in the city, assembling them into a colossal monster. It then roared with a voice that echoed across half of Orleans:
"Come fight the BOSS!"
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