HBWnovel Chapter 365: Lone Courage!
Chapter 365: Lone Courage!
In the town at the foot of the mountain.Twenty seconds earlier, the makeshift screen on the warhead hidden in a cargo truck suddenly lit up. Wang Sheng, who was locked in fierce combat atop the mountain peak, felt his spiritual consciousness shudder violently to warn him.
He turned sharply, and with the aid of the powerful perception from Yaoyun, he locked onto the source of danger: a white cargo truck parked on the street at the foot of the mountain.
It was as if he could hear the ticking of a clock. Despite how absurd the idea was, he still unbiddenly concluded,
However, the mushroom cloud he had imagined did not appear. He froze for half a second, yet his sword strikes did not falter; it still forced the burly opponent wreathed in flames backward.
Two seconds passed. Still no explosion. His spiritual consciousness only screamed louder. Finally, Wang Sheng realized that the warhead had been armed with a timed detonation mechanism.
He immediately abandoned the enemy before him, turned around, and pushed his Heavenly Tribulation Sword Intent to its limit. Ignoring the drain on his power, he hurled toward the town.
His spiritual consciousness warned him ever more urgently. He knew only that the warhead had a countdown, but he had no idea how long he had left before it detonated.
"" Yaoyun telepathically questioned.
Wang Sheng had no answer. His gaze fixed on the town below as his Nascent Soul adjusted enchanted power throughout his entire body, transforming it into cyan tribulation clouds that bred lightning. He merged with the lightning and plunged to the ground.
""
"" Wang Sheng answered.
""
""
Wang Sheng drew a sharp breath. He stopped for the briefest moment, then slashed toward the valley with an even stronger lightning.
"" Wang Sheng added.
""
""
Their minds moved dozens of times faster than their mouths could, bypassing the slowness of verbal communication.
Lightning tore through the sky, cleaving down toward the base of the mountain.
Initially thinking that Wang Sheng was exhausting himself to escape, the four rushed after him. However, a dozen seconds later, alarms blared inside the mountain. Heavy gates began to close with increasing speed.
The modern vampire princess who had delivered "supplies" to the ancient prince earlier hovered in the air and shouted toward Galina in Gelan tongue.
The four immediately stopped their pursuit, turned, and flew at full speed back toward the base entrance, even faster than when they had attacked.
The warhead in the town was armed. Galina, who had the detonator, didn't activate it, yet the device had armed itself, set to explode in one minute.
Galina instantly realized that someone was manipulating the Dark Faction—someone who intended to push the Dark Faction and the Hua Republic's cultivation world into total war.
The one-minute delay was only to ensure that Jialington's base would be fully sealed and the four experts could escape unharmed before the blast.
To everyone's surprise, including the very instigator who had activated the nuclear bomb, the Heavenly Tribulation Wielder was quick to react. Somehow sensing that it had been armed, he had immediately unleashed lightning and charged straight toward the danger instead of fleeing from the warzone.
Taking the time into consideration, it was impossible. A full minute would hardly be enough for him to rush down the mountain even at lightning speed. Each burst of lightning had a limited range, and there was always a brief pause before the next. Even though he traveled through it, it still cost him precious time.
Only thirty seconds remained.
In his mind, Wang Sheng and Yaoyun debated fiercely. Each second of exchange had more meaning than minutes of speech.
Quickly, Wang Sheng explained, " "
""
With surprising calm, he retorted, ""
Yaoyun faintly showed her displeasure. ""
""
""
""
Yaoyun fell silent. While lost in thought, she stretched her perception into the truck.
***
Galina stood above the closing gates of the base as the storm of lightning zapped from the mountain to the town. Watching the lightning-cloaked sword cultivator, her gaze shifted slightly. She shook her head.
People called from below. Galina drew her longsword and slipped through the narrowing gap of the gates. With a heavy crash, the base sealed shut, layer upon layer of barriers locking into place.
***
In the Special Investigation Unit headquarters, hundreds of eyes stared at the main screen.
They could see only the bolts of lightning surging downward. Due to the distance, the satellite could only capture Wang Sheng for brief instants within the storm.
He had already crossed half the distance. He continued zapping toward the town.
Everyone held their breath. The minute felt unbearably long, yet far too short. He had to traverse the mountain and reach the streets.
Doubt filled their faces. To them, he seemed like a moth flying into fire.
"Daoist Master Wang…" Chi Ling still kept her composure. She turned to the stunned man in the corner. "Can the detonation be stopped?"
"N-no, it can't!" the man shouted in panic. "There are barely twenty seconds left. It's impossible to disarm!"
Hearts tightened as the lightning-cloaked man on the screen pressed on without hesitation.
He was fearless, though no one could understand why.
***
Within Wang Sheng's mind, the exchange continued.
""Yaoyun now sounded a little panicked. ""
""
"
Wang Sheng snapped. ""
Yaoyun fell quiet.
Twenty seconds left.
Wang Sheng blanked out, his eyes fixed upon the town. With his Heavenly Tribulation Sword Intent being pushed to the limit, he nearly became lightning himself.
Fifteen seconds.
Arcs of lightning enveloped him. His hair stood on end, and his face twisted with strain as he charged forward.
Ten seconds.
The metallic ticking became ever so clearer. Citizens of the Hua Republic stood in the streets, staring skyward. Their eyes reflected the descending lightning.
Eight.
Yaoyun sighed. Spiritless flared with immortal light, weaving into a radiant curtain that condensed before him. She told herself, ""
Faintly skeptical, Wang Sheng questioned, ""
""
""
His determination rang in his replies as firmly as the light in his eyes. He clenched the pendant in his left hand, tearing it free from his neck as he flew.
Calming down, Yaoyun asked, ""
""
""
"" he answered, seemingly bolstering his own resolve.
Four seconds.
A bolt of lightning struck diagonally toward the center of the street where the hostages were gathered, its tail end already striking the white metal exterior.
Three!
Wang Sheng stepped forward in a blaze of lightning!
Two!
His face contorted. He thrust out his left arm. The pendant in his palm shone furiously as it devoured his enchanted power.
"" Yaoyun asked.
Inside the truck, the numbers on the small screen shifted from 00:01 to 00:00.
Beneath the insulated metal casing, a spark flared.
The high explosive ignited. A compression wave forced uranium rings inward toward the neutron core. Density spiked beyond critical. Fission began.
All within a millionth of a second.