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Chapter 473 Freedom

In the blink of an eye, the countdown had reached its final day.

All remaining individuals who wished to leave had gathered at the rocket launch base in the southern part of the North American continent, awaiting the final spacecraft's ascent.

The space command on the Moon had fully taken over the duties of the Earth command, guiding the spacecraft's journey.

They would bring a satisfactory conclusion to this historic evacuation.

At the same time, this evacuation also marked a new beginning for the Human Federation's history.

“Tang Nansen and the others, do they really think they can save the world like superheroes?” Edward Teach, his face grim with killing intent, mocked with a hint of sarcasm inside the Tanbo Space Base.

With countless lives on his hands, the mere malevolent aura swirling around him was enough to make many people hallucinate falling into hell.

However, the more people he killed, the more he came to appreciate the preciousness of life, and the less he could understand why some would sacrifice themselves for an ethereal, uncertain possibility.

“Every era will have people who refuse to compromise for their ideals, even willing to abandon everything; they deserve respect.” The former President next to him said, gazing respectfully in a certain direction.

After the Human Federation was established, the President, who had been exhausted from years of opposing the Land of White, had no intention of re-entering the nascent core power circle, deciding to leave only at the very end.

“I’m staying here purely to witness their ultimate fate, hehehe.”

“The executioner of the United States, that title, honestly, is quite fitting.” The former President, leaning on a gentleman’s cane, mercilessly taunted Edward Teach, whose personality was atrocious.

“Sometimes I really want to twist off the heads of you hypocrites.” Edward Teach snarled with a grin, “like drawing a sword, grabbing the back of your heads, and pulling your entire spines out of your bodies—how satisfying that would be.”

“Do our bodies even have spines anymore?” The President maintained a gentlemanly smile, softly refuting Edward Teach’s words.

Both were six-tier Transcendents; their highly evolved bodies meant that while they still retained human appearances, their internal structures were already as different from ordinary people's as clouds and mud.

To be able to firmly grasp the position of a powerful leader in such a chaotic era, the President himself was naturally no simple individual; his family background, cunning, and strength were all top-tier.

But only such a person could converse and jest freely in front of the demonic Edward Teach.

“If you want some, I can send you a few from my collection.”

“I’ll pass.”

...

“That fantastical worm, to think it could actually persuade thousands to their deaths.” Seeing the conversation suddenly stall, Edward Teach smiled and changed the subject.

“Life is dear, love is dearer, but for freedom, both I cast away...” The President gently tapped his cane on the ground, reciting the poem to himself.

Even the surrounding wind seemed to be infected, carrying a desolate chill. If an ordinary person were to approach at that moment, an inexpressible sorrow would well up in their heart.

Even without specializing in the martial path of spiritual will, the emotional power contained within a regular six-tier powerhouse’s words was enough to influence the surrounding environment. It could be perfectly described as “flowers shed tears at the sight of the times, birds are startled at the sorrow of parting.”

His emotions were enough to distort the mundane things in the environment.

However, for Edward Teach, this was merely a breeze across his face; his unconscious malevolent aura effortlessly dispelled these negative emotions.

...

With ten minutes left until the rocket's launch, an ineffably powerful aura gradually surged forth from this last stronghold of the Human Federation.

The two, who had been relaxed and jesting with each other moments before, now became incredibly tense.

If they still possessed organs like sweat glands, perhaps they would now notice the cold sweat on their brows.

“This... this is his power! Hahahaha!” Edward Teach forcibly pulled himself out of his momentary stiffness, concentrating intently to perceive the power from this stronger being, attempting to find a clue to the path forward.

As for the talk of witnessing Tang Nansen’s fate, it was purely Edward Teach’s excuse; his true intentions were completely hidden by his outwardly atrocious personality.

This was the last chance to experience seventh-stage power at zero distance, and obsessed with becoming stronger, he naturally wouldn't let it slip by.

Many others shared the same thought, including the President beside him.

“Power is an intoxicating poison.”

Air, earth, water... Group after group of humanoid entities, sculpted from various substances, gradually took shape, accompanied by that powerful will.

They flew from all directions of the space base, layer upon layer, encircling all positions except for the rocket launch port.

“Time is almost up.” Tens of thousands of different voices whispered at the exact same moment.

There was not the slightest disarray; every sound was cut at the same position, their voices horrifyingly uniform.

“After the seventh-stage, is the path he’s trying to walk one of an individual deriving a race, and then evolving a civilization?” There were many intelligent people present; they strung together Bai Mo’s actions over this period, roughly guessing at some things.

After countless “elemental beings” surrounded the space base, that oppressive aura began to meld with the light and dust, scattering into every corner of the launch pad.

More transparent air-humanoids crawled out from various corners, looking towards the people still remaining on the launch pad. Their invisible gazes were like sharp knives, pricking these people with pervasive pain.

From amidst the crowd, Tang Nansen emerged.

Clad in a simple white formal suit, he adjusted the tie at his neck, walking step by step to the space base’s main gate, and looked up to meet the gaze of the elemental army in the sky.

“Since childhood, my father taught me not to act on impulse, not to challenge those I couldn’t afford to offend, and that only by living could there be hope of turning the tide later.”

“I followed his words, living conscientiously for sixty years, and climbed to the highest position in this country.”

“However, I’ve realized that for certain things, I should put aside his teachings and follow the deepest desires of my heart. For a person to never once act as they please in their lifetime is perhaps the greatest sorrow.”

“Man is born free!”

Before activating the plan, Tang Nansen briefly expressed the emotions within his heart.

However, most of the people present had wills as firm as bedrock, and were unaffected.

Yet, this speech, broadcast live by satellite from the Moon, transmitted his will via satellite signals tens of thousands of kilometers away, causing many who were forced to leave Earth to burst into tears.

“I hope what you said is right.” He murmured to himself, pressed the button to initiate the plan, and smiled as he welcomed the anticipated disintegration of his physical body.

He, and the vast majority of people who participated in this plan, had already known from the very beginning that this would be the outcome.

What Tang Nansen left for the world in the end was a face submerged in light, a serene face.