Translator: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio
Lou Cheng was back at Fartouat Port by noon.
Without informing Consul Mao, he took the long way and went through the streets where occasional gunfire could be heard. He then left the city on his own and entered the desert region beyond the oasis.
At that time of the day, the light from the blazing sun, unsifted and unimpeded, ignited the air and scorched the sand. Everything seemed distorted to the eye, like a mirage.
As he ran, Lou Cheng felt a significant change in his resonance with heaven and earth. The darkness was fading, the coldness diminishing. What became amplified and defined were qualities such as brightness, hotness, and denseness.
It was as though someone had zoomed into the Cosmic Universe Diagram and focused at the area surrounded in a cosmic storm.
“So that’s why Physical Invulnerability Mighty Ones put so much emphasis on having the home-ground, that is, terrain advantage... Certain environments can empower you and weaken the enemy, which adds up to a significant advantage... However, since I have balanced and intertwining Ice and Fire Forces, I shouldn’t be affected by it that much,” Lou Cheng nodded pensively. He had accelerated to the speed of a train and was presently whistling through the golden sands. He left a staggering trench in his trail, which, as soon as it formed, got filled and smoothened out by the sand whipped up by frigid wind.
After making the great leap, the outer world—heaven and earth—had been interacting with and refining his body, which made his physique even stronger. But, compared to before, there wasn’t a solid improvement. It will be the same even if he trained endlessly and approached the forbidden area. There’ll be a cap to how strong he can get.
The greatest improvement was in his mental prowess. The gurgling stream had turned into a raging river, increasing Ice Mirror’s reflection range from one or two meters to around ten. Also, he could now use resonance during combat to draw corresponding power from nature. Resonance could also increase the power of his melee and ranged attacks, or reshape the environment to impede his opponents.
Since he wasn’t considered a true Physical Invulnerability Mighty One yet, his connections with heaven and earth weren’t stable. Thus, the latter applications were unstable.
He had, of course, come up with an emergency plan. By imitating cultivators and forming a balanced, swirling Dan with Force Concentration, he could temporarily strengthen that connection.
His thoughts race as he crossed dunes and the occasional oasis like a slithering Earth dragon.
This time, before sunset in less than two hours, he discerned the city known as the Central Pearl of Nike, Khukhang.
To its west was the famous Great Desert, to its east the River of Isis. Khukhang was rich in mineral resources, flooded with firms, and choked with skyscrapers. A modernized city only second to Nile’s capital, Deeka, in this region.
Twilight ruddied the sky in a magnificent, burning red, enveloping the city in a scarlet dome. Circling the vast oasis, Lou Cheng discovered that checkpoints had been set up on all main roads. At those checkpoints, soldiers were disciplined and never did anything out of the line, except occasionally stealing or accepting bribes. It was a stark difference from the ones in Tetans and Fatouat.
The first word that popped up in Lou Cheng’s mind when he saw these was: Order.
Looks like the actual power holders in Khukhang are very capable, he thought. He avoided the main road, vaulted across obstacles, and stealthily entered the city.
Along the way, he noted traces of gunfights. Troubled residents were queueing for water as protestors, some in a frenzy and others emotionally numbed, marched down the streets.
The people at the Chinese consulate in Khukhang were organizing a massive evacuation party to Deeka, so Lou Cheng didn’t head there. He followed the map and found his way to 63 Gunam Street.
That was where Siris’s son, Jeru, resided.
However, it seemed like an intense battle had taken place here. There were char marks on several buildings, and nearly all the windows were shattered. Bullet holes could clearly be seen.
In that environment, one of the units stood out—the third floor of Apartment 63. The walls there had fully collapsed, revealing the ruined mess inside. It was redolent of the work of a demolition team, even affecting the units above and below it.
There must have been a fight between Inhumans... The fight didn’t last long; otherwise, the entire apartment would have been in shambles, analyzed Lou Cheng.
...
When Uncle Siris was here to fetch his family, he encountered an ambush. With his family held hostage, he soon yielded...
But who could have done it?
Lou Cheng glanced around. The place had been ravaged by rioters; there were gruesome corpses, wandering dogs, scurrying rats, and fluttering bugs. He didn’t see anyone. It felt even quieter and more forlorn with the occasional gunfire in the background.
That was when he felt a presence. He looked over his shoulders.
“Who’s there?” he said slowly.
From a shop with a half-collapsed door came a man of thirty. He looked rather haggard, with dark hair and resolved black eyes. He was obviously Chinese.
“Special military investigator, Wang Dong. You must be Lou Cheng?” he said with a smile as he displayed his identification.
By then, Lou Cheng had kept his influence on the surroundings in check. He nodded gravely.
“Yes. You are here, I assume, to locate Siris?”
With his ability, he wasn’t afraid of any surprise attacks, so he openly took the identification and verified it with data given by the military.
Wang Dong furrowed his brows slightly.
“I came to Khukhang and began my investigation right after we lost contact with Siris, which was way before you came. At that time, there were some residents who had yet to evacuate. After some snooping around and verification, we know that Siris and his family were captured by the High Priest of the Iris Holy Chapel. They are currently held captive inside the chapel.”
“Iris Chapel? High Priest?” Lou Cheng returned his identification.
Wang Dong ruminated.
“When Siris asked us for protection, he gave away many secrets. One of them is the cultural conflict in Nile. The Iris Sect are loyal to the Pharaoh. The Pharaoh wants to revert the state of religions to that of the past... In a way, the High Priest of the Iris Sect carries out the will of the Pharaoh. He’s strong, nearly at the level of Physical Invulnerability. Before this, General Sathah of Brotherhood wanted to do away with him, but for some reason failed to do so. Other than him, there are three to four Inhuman Mighty Ones in the Chapel. You’ll have to be careful if you are going on a rescue mission.”
“Got it. Any more information on the chapel and the High Priest?” inquired Lou Cheng.
“Quite some. That includes the satellite picture of the chapel, a visitor’s sketch, and a blueprint of the building...” Wang Dong rifled out a number of items from his backpack.
With those items, Lou Cheng roughly knew what he needed to know about the chapel before nightfall. But he didn’t act rashly. In the cover of darkness, he went one time around the building. A gap had seemingly formed at the center of his forehead, from where invisible hands of the mind extended and enveloped a 10-meter radius. Every nook and cranny was reflected, either clearly or blurrily, through the Ice Mirror in his mind.
No danger premonition... Quite a bit of distance between the Inhumans... Lou Cheng stopped in his tracks.
“Have you made the preparations for follow-up evacuation?”
“Yes!” replied Wang Dong.
“I’m going in,” nodded Lou Cheng.
“Be careful!” Wang Dong couldn’t help but advise him again.
“I will.” Without another word, he turned, pressed on a protruding part of the wall, then vaulted into the air. He landed on the edge of a window on the third floor.
Jerking his shoulder and using a precise amount of force, he removed the window and laid it aside noiselessly.
He flipped inside. There wasn’t anyone there. He stuck his ear to the door, listening and sensing for a moment. Suddenly, he pulled the door and barged in. The two guards in the corridor looked over spontaneously.
Visualizing an ancient character, Lou Cheng’s gaze became frigid and sharp. He merely glanced at the two beefy guards, which was enough to make them lose their minds, wailing as though they saw a monster from the depth of hell.
With the qualitative change of his mind, Lou Cheng’s Simplified Army Formula had become by far more powerful!
He stepped forward, raised his hands, and delivered a knife-palm to them each. After knocking them out, he skirted the circular cloister and proceeded forward stealthily.
That’s the High Priest’s room!
Lou Cheng’s plan was to take down their leader right off the bat, so he didn’t have to waste time questioning guards—who may or may not know—on where Siris and his family were confined.
He avoided detection from the infrared alarm using his power of cold, which reduced his heartbeat, softened his breathing, and lowered his body temperature.
“There’s more than one person in the room...” Lou Cheng stopped outside the door. Like a hovering God, he saw what was going on in the room with Ice Mirror.
There was a concrete difference between Inhumans and Physical Invulnerability Experts in this aspect!
“Two Inhumans, but they are in different rooms. One is more powerful. There’s also a few with average power, even powerless. They are together with the weaker Inhuman...” By then, Lou Cheng understood the situation.
Siris and his family were confined in the secret room at the High Priest’s residence!
Perfect, thought Lou Cheng. He thought through some possibilities, then barged in suddenly!
The high priest realized at once and stood up from his lounge chair. He saw a shadow approaching him, and heard a loud, shrilling wind.
He extended his arms flexibly, one above and one below, one blocking and one attacking. A dark glow gathered at his arms. He put all his strength in that, hoping to create a bigger clamor to attract the other Mighty Ones.
That was when a chilling gale, as though from the North Pole’s innermost, blustered against him. He shuddered.
The shudder made him weaker and slower. Lou Cheng’s right fist skirted around his head and chopped at his forearm.
Before entering, Lou Cheng had readied a Severe Warning, through which he altered his surroundings and summoned a Northern gale!
Bam!
In the dull sound of the collision, the unprepared High Priest entered a frozen-like trance.
Lou Cheng would never let a chance like this go. His left palm struck at lightning speed and knocked out his opponent.
The results of the match had been decided in a breath’s time!
Certainly, being the surprise attacker gave him an overwhelming advantage!
He stretched his feet out, cushioning the High Priest’s fall to prevent any noises. The High Priest fell and went into a lying position.
Without dallying, Lou Cheng found the secret room. He broke the lock and entered.
“Who’s there?” asked an elderly wanly. He was swarthy and muscular, with dark hair and blue eyes.
He seemed to be under the effects of drugs.
Before Lou Cheng could reply, the elderly had discerned his appearance.
“Shi’s disciple?” he cried.
“Yes. And you must be Mr. Siris?” inquired Lou Cheng.
The blue-eyed elderly, feeling the frigid wind and the interaction between Lou Cheng and his surroundings, nodded in joy and wonder.
“I’m Siris.”
He then muttered covertly.
“He never mentioned his disciple was this powerful...”
“Anyway, let’s get out of here,” decided Lou Cheng in a glance.
...
In a building close to the military base.
Constantine threw a bored glance at the Mummy. “When will the reinforcements arrive?”
“At around daylight,” replied the Mummy calmly.
That was when someone came and whispered something to the guard outside. The guard then turned around, knocked, and requested for the Mummy.
A moment later, the Mummy was back.
“It’s the chapel. Some pests were meddling around. I’ll go take care of them.”
Constantine shrugged.
“Come back before I die of boredom.”