Influence

The dazzling light illuminated both sides, but in Xie Yusheng's vision, it was a vast expanse of azure sky, as if it had been meticulously cleansed...

One side is destroyed.

A peaceful place.

Two completely different forces intertwined to form an unprecedented and magnificent spectacle that assaulted Xie Yusheng's vision, so beautiful that his thoughts seemed to freeze at that moment.

"The sky is filled with strange lights of various colors, as if a holy spirit is displaying its power. The sky is azure and the clouds are clear. I hold a knife and lean on a sword, turning back and forth."

Many thoughts flashed through Xie Yusheng's mind.

At that moment, he felt as if his soul had been elevated once again.

His vision and perspective leaped directly from that of an ordinary nobody to that of a highly authoritative figure. Now, having experienced a nuclear explosion, and even cleaving through flames and storms with a single strike amidst the explosion, his mind seemed to have transcended the level of ordinary beings, truly entering the ranks of the powerful who could rival all people and forces on Blue Star.

One must climb to the summit to survey all the lesser peaks below.

Right now, amidst endless flames, intense light, radiation, and storms, he wields his sword, standing atop the world, appreciating the most beautiful, magnificent, and breathtaking scenery of the Blue Star.

"Ha ha ha ha!"

Xie Yusheng burst into laughter, his mind and spirit in perfect harmony.

He felt as if he had completely merged with the Cheng Ying mecha.

The nuclear fusion reactor was operating at full capacity, continuously pouring countless amounts of energy into the plasma shield to protect him from the impact of flames, high temperatures, radiation, and storms. He himself gripped the ship-slaying sword tightly and, propelled by the power engine, swung it once more.

One cut after another!

Despite the violent explosion compressing the air, carrying terrifying flames and storms, which continued to surge in from all directions.

The shockwave was so powerful that even a high-rise building with dozens of floors of reinforced concrete would be directly "slapped" into dust and turned into ashes.

Faced with such powerful shockwaves, flames, and high temperatures, he showed no fear whatsoever. Instead, he wielded his sword and slashed repeatedly, shattering the shockwaves that were coming at him and capable of destroying everything.

He was like a fish swimming in a raging storm, propelled by the full force of the engine, tearing through countless flames and storms, and finally, he fought his way out like a sharp sword, fiercely breaking out of the saturated bombing zone that covered hundreds of miles.

"Call out!"

The flames dissipated.

Xie Yusheng, who rushed out at four or five times the speed of sound, left behind a ditch and passage that was more than ten miles long and hundreds of meters wide.

It was as if something forcefully pierced through the fireball formed by the nuclear explosion.

Having broken free from the fiery hurricane, Xie Yusheng looked out at the vast sky and sea, feeling as if he had been reborn.

No!

It wasn't just like being reborn; he truly experienced a rebirth!

When he cleaved through the flames from the destruction created by what could be called humanity's ultimate weapon and charged out, there was nothing on Blue Star that could frighten him anymore.

At this moment, all he felt was the exhilarating feeling of breaking free from all constraints.

Unprecedented!

A thoroughly enjoyable and exhilarating experience!

"Hahaha!"

Xie Yusheng let out a long laugh, the nuclear fusion reactor started operating, and the power engine of the Cheng Ying mecha once again spewed out dazzling blue light, like a shooting star, streaking towards the horizon.

After leaving the nuclear blast zone far behind, he rushed into a dense cloud, reduced the intensity of the blue light emitted from his engine, activated an anti-gravity field with a powerful stealth effect, and disappeared from the detection of countless satellites and radars.

It was as if they had never existed in this world.

But...

The impact it has had on everyone on Blue Star, and the effect of single-handedly destroying the Star Spirit Platform, is only just beginning.

"How is that possible!?"

"This bomb didn't kill him?!"

"Is this technology from our Blue Star Earth? This technology is definitely a generation ahead of our Blue Star technology!"

Seeing the streak of light shooting out from the intense thermal reaction, everyone who understood what this scene meant exclaimed in surprise.

He didn't die.

That mech was not destroyed by the Torch missiles launched from the Freedom space-based platform. Instead, it burst out amidst the flames, charged into the clouds, and, with the help of the dense cloud cover, completely disappeared from the sight of all countries using an unknown technology.

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, they escaped the surveillance of all satellites.

This level of technology...

Not to mention other countries, even the top technologists in the Starshine Federation found it hard to believe.

"This is simply... a dimensional reduction attack!"

"Blue Star... will have one more uncontrollable ghost!"

"Find him! Find him by any means necessary!"

High-ranking officials from all countries are exchanging ideas with their advisors.

However, no country echoed the Starshine Federation in labeling the mecha and the forces behind it as terrorists.

Joke.

Even the Starshine Federation's nuclear missile launch couldn't do anything to the other side, let alone them.

If the other side truly acts like a terrorist, disregarding all rules and constantly attacking their country's strategic locations, it won't be long before their entire country is completely paralyzed.

Immediately, these national leaders used various excuses to end the video conference and used their own channels to search for the forces represented by the mecha.

To create a war machine whose technology surpasses that of the current era, there must be clues left behind. If they follow this line of thought, they will eventually find some leads.

President Edward's face turned ashen, but he did not stop the spokespeople from leaving.

I also ended the video conference.

With the destruction of the Star Spirit Platform, the Star Glory Federation's dominant position has been seriously challenged.

But he dared not leave any more harsh words.

The Torch missiles launched from the Liberty platform didn't even leave a trace of that mech!

Satellite images clearly show him seemingly tearing a path through the fiery impact of the nuclear explosion and rushing out...

This scene deeply moved everyone in the command center.

No one could have imagined that this mecha-like thing would be so powerful in combat.

Even now, looking at the dilapidated Star Spirit Platform, while ordering a full-scale repair effort, he only dared to yell at Defense Minister Galis: "Investigate! Investigate! Investigate for me! We must find out where this mech belongs! This kind of advanced technology can only be in the hands of our Star Radiance Federation!"

"Yes!"

Upon receiving the instruction, Jiali quickly responded.

Obviously, things are going to get busy from here on out.

The destruction of the Star Spirit Platform shocked not only major nations but also members of non- Blue Star.

The Lord of the Trayastrimsa Heaven.

"The Star Spirit Platform was actually destroyed!?"

This Spirit Lord also kept abreast of the changes at the Star Spirit Platform through his own channels.

It received the news almost as quickly as the top Lineage in those superpowers.

While the others had no clue, the Trayastrimsa Spirit Lord's eyes widened. "The design of that war machine that destroyed the Star Spirit Platform... why does it look so familiar!?"

War Spirit Artifact!

The War Spirit Artifact forged by that human Heavenly Sovereign from Gu Jinlai the present in the Realm of Immortality and the Heavenly Realm of Heaven!?

Upon arriving on Blue Star, it already had a suspicion that the human ruler named Gu Jinlai must have some connection with this world, perhaps even...

Looking at the projection of the world above its head, which clearly belonged to the realm of immortality, it had already guessed what was going on.

Two worlds are overlapping.

During this process, some people with extraordinary spiritual talents may be able to enter that world through a series of fortuitous opportunity.

Gu Jinlai...

He is one of the best among them.

And right now...

"He's back!?"

The Lord of the Trayastrimsa Spirit couldn't help but recall the fear he felt back then when he was defeated twice in the Qian Tian battle and dominated by that Cheng Ying mech.

"I must inform Lord Qianyan, Lord Xuanyang, and Lord Hongying of this news as soon as possible."

Overwhelmed with fear, the Lord of the Trayastrimsa Spirit recalled the humiliation of his two failed and ignominious escapes, and a glint of hatred flashed in his eyes. "Since this world is closely related to that human, when he truly returns to this world and sees that all living beings have been devoured by our Spirit Race, he will surely feel unbearable pain."

It glanced at the destroyed Star Spirit Platform.

Although the Star Spirit Platform was destroyed, the Star Glory Federation secretly built a backup in case of emergency.

We must find a way to open the space rift again using the rift generator.

When the time comes, the Demonic Spirit that flood in will not be led by just a few; tens of thousands of Demonic Spirit will enter this world and stage a grand carnival.

"Gu Jinlai the supreme ruler? I, the Lord of the Trayastrimsa Heaven, will be the ultimate victor!"

The Qiao family.

The Qiao family's size was nothing compared to the entire Central Plains Kingdom, but it wielded considerable influence locally.

Especially after Qiao Ningyun was selected for the True Immortal Research Institute and became one of the fastest cultivators to reach the Foundation Establishment Realm, the Qiao family's influence in the Central Kingdom rose significantly.

Thanks to the connections she expanded at the True Immortal Research Institute, the Qiao family has now become one of the top 500 companies in the Central Kingdom, far surpassing the Shan Hai Group, which is jointly controlled by the Xie Family and several other companies.

At this moment, the key members of the Qiao family were gathered in a multimedia conference room, whispering to each other while quietly waiting for something.

More than half an hour had passed, but none of the key figures in the Qiao family, including the head of the family, Qiao Shi'an, and the patriarch, Qiao Bainian, showed any dissatisfaction.

Finally...

A flash of light appeared on the big screen, and Qiao Ningyun's delicate and pretty face came into everyone's view.

Upon seeing Qiao Ningyun, Qiao Shi'an eagerly inquired, "What exactly is the True Immortal Research Institute's attitude towards the Nantianmen Project Team? Will they elevate the team's authority or suppress it? And what about Xie Yusheng? If the Nantianmen Project Team gains more influence, is there any possibility that his position within the team could be replaced?"

"I made a special inquiry, but the information I received was inaccurate. Originally, the higher-ups wanted to play both sides between the True Immortal Suimu and that mysterious being who called himself a Qianxing person, but should also belong to the realm of immortals, in order to obtain as much benefit as possible. However... I don't know if it was our ambiguous approach that caused dissatisfaction from the True Immortal Suimu and the Qianxing person, or for some other reason, but the True Immortal Suimu simply disappeared, and the frequency of contact between the Qianxing person and us has also decreased significantly."

As Qiao Ningyun spoke, her delicate brows furrowed slightly. "The situation is getting a bit out of control."

"Sigh, I knew it. It won't be so easy for the True Immortal Research Institute to play both sides. The people in the Longevity Realm aren't stupid. They won't be so easily manipulated."

Qiao Shi'an sighed.

"Currently, it's only been a short time since we lost contact with True Immortal Suimu. Whether it's because we angered that being through some action is still unknown. After all, the Qianxing person also had a record of not responding for over a year. However... the higher-ups have indeed made a decision to officially merge the Nantianmen project into the True Immortal Research Institute and increase the privileges of everyone there, due to Xie Yusheng's special circumstances..."

Qiao Ningyun's gaze fell on Qiao Siyu: "There is a high probability that he will be promoted to a level six civil servant."

"Wasn't it said that Young Master Zhao took over his role as liaison?"

Qiao Siyu asked in confusion.

"There was indeed talk of having Young Master Zhao Qilin take over as the contact person for the Qianxing people, but in fact, his actions displeased the Qianxing people. The loss of contact for more than a year was caused by Zhao Qilin. Afterwards, the Qianxing people were even more outspoken, which was almost equivalent to appointing Xie Yusheng as the sole contact person. Therefore, with True Immortal Suimu already out of contact, the higher-ups dared not take any more risks."

As Qiao Ningyun spoke, she added, "After all, the True Immortal Research Institute is not controlled by the Central Kingdom, but jointly by the three kingdoms."

"So you mean..."

"Just as Xie Yusheng said, we will acquire Shanhai Group as part of Siyu's dowry."

Qiao Ningyun said.

Upon hearing this, Qiao Shi'an and Qiao Bainian's expressions slightly hardened.

Even for them, launching an acquisition of the Shanhai Group would require considerable effort.

But...

If the Qiao family really wanted to do it, it wasn't impossible; it was just a matter of whether it was worthwhile.

"Is Xie Yusheng really worth the huge cost we have to win him over?"

Qiao Shi'an couldn't help but ask again.

"I'm not sure, but in my opinion, we won't lose money in this marriage."

Qiao Ningyun said.

Qiao Shi'an glanced at Qiao Siyu and sighed with some regret, "If you had tamed him back then, none of this would have happened."

"Wasn't it you guys who told me to contact Jin Yuming of Jinlong Group? Otherwise, why would I have given up all my efforts?"

Qiao Siyu looked somewhat aggrieved. "At that time, I had almost tamed him."

"This is not Xiaoyu's fault. Xie Yusheng may seem to lack ambition, but he has a kind of tenacity and persistence that is hard for ordinary people to detect. It is not easy for Xiaoyu to completely tame him. Even if he submits on the surface, he will turn against his master once given the opportunity. Forcibly taming him will only backfire."

Qiao Ningyun said.

She had a relatively high opinion of Xie Yusheng.

"So, what you mean, sister... is that I shouldn't continue trying to tame him and make him do what I want?"

"Qiao Siyu asked."

"As I said, Xie Yusheng is a man of strong character. Forcibly taming him will only backfire. Next, let's see if the True Immortal Research Institute will increase the authority of the Nantianmen Project Team. If the Nantianmen Project Team's importance is indeed increased, you should cut off contact with those young masters and stay by Xie Yusheng's side from now on. While interfering in the matters he is in charge of as much as possible, on the surface, you should be a good wife and mother."

Qiao Ningyun gave instructions.

"This is not a difficult task."

Qiao Siyu nodded.

She knows Xie Yusheng very well.

It's practically a sure thing to get under his control.

If his Lineage hadn't suddenly sent him to get close to Jin Yuming of the Jinlong Group, Xie Yusheng would have been hers long ago, completely at her mercy.

"Then, I will proceed with the acquisition of Shanhai Group."

Qiao Shian said.

"Well, Xie Yusheng probably harbors some resentment towards the Xie Family, so it's okay for us to make a bigger move in acquiring the Shanhai Group."

As Qiao Ningyun was speaking, she seemed to receive some news and said, "The research institute is holding a meeting. It's a very high-level meeting, and I have to go attend it..."

"Yun'er, go ahead and do your best. Don't let these trivial matters affect your work at the True Immortal Research Institute."

Qiao Bainian hurriedly replied.

He, along with all the senior members of the Qiao family, knew that the reason why the Qiao family had been able to develop so rapidly in recent years was because Qiao Ningyun had performed exceptionally well at the True Immortal Research Institute and was very likely to become a pioneer on the path of cultivation.

Therefore, all matters, big and small, of the Qiao family had to give way to the True Immortal Research Institute.

The Qiao Lineage meeting ended thereafter.

"Boom!"

Thunder could be heard over a hundred miles outside Nankai City.

In the dim light, a huge dark shadow seemed to be faintly visible in the clouds.

It was Xie Yusheng who returned to Nankai City after the Starry Federation destroyed the Star Spirit Platform.

Although it was already late at night in the Middle Kingdom, or even close to dawn, Xie Yusheng felt no sleepiness whatsoever, his excited and exhilarated thoughts lingering for a long time.

Before today, he could never have imagined that he could pilot a mech to storm a key military location of the Starshine Federation, successfully complete a reconnaissance mission, and then escape unscathed from the bombardment of more than a dozen nuclear warheads, returning safely to Nankai City.

Recalling what had happened in the past ten hours, Xie Yusheng felt a sense of unreality, as if in a dream.

It wasn't until they were already outside Nankai City, and the mecha switched to anti-gravity flight mode to avoid causing too much of a commotion, that Xie Yusheng finally calmed down.

"Senior Taiyi, did I really do all these things today?"

"Don't be surprised, it's you."

Gu Jinlai said, "Moreover, this is not your strongest form. When you cultivate the Chaos Demon God's Eternal Dao Proving Method to the third level and condense your True Spirit, you will gain the ability to possess your True Spirit. At that time, you will not only be able to control two, four, or even eight or sixteen Cheng Ying mechs at the same time without having to risk your true body. At that time, you will be able to form an army, a regiment, a nation, and be invincible all by yourself!"

"One man can form an army, one man can form a regiment, one man can protect the nation, one man is invincible!"

Xie Yusheng murmured the words spoken Gu Jinlai, feeling as if the blood in his body was burning and boiling, making him unbearably hot and restless, wishing he could blast something to vent the turmoil in his heart.

"The path to becoming a demon god is far more powerful than you can imagine."

Gu Jinlai said, "The 'Thunder' type Cheng Ying mech you are currently in control is only the weakest version. If it is hit head-on by a nuclear bomb, it will still be destroyed on the spot. If it weren't for the electromagnetic pulse weapon, the full-band stealth force field, the anti-gravity force field and other technologies that you have prepared, you would not be able to avoid the satellite detection of other countries and escape unscathed."

He casually described, "These technologies are nothing to cultivators. Electromagnetic pulses, anti-stealth fields, and gravitational fields are useless to those cultivators who have developed divine sense and are Heavenly Monarchs who can spy on targets from the real spirit world. Once the opponent breaks your stealth, a few rounds of nuclear missiles will bring you only death."

"This..."

"Only when you have truly forged a mech comparable to the body of a demon god, capable of withstanding a nuclear explosion without damage, will you be considered to have truly stood at the pinnacle of the Blue Star."

From Gu Jinlai the present

These words quickly restored Xie Yusheng's composure.

After this battle, his vision and mind were completely elevated, and he no longer viewed things as he had before.

With Senior Taiyi around, the future prospects he can have will far exceed his imagination. Today's battle is just the beginning.

"I see."

Xie Yusheng responded.

He piloted his mech, using the anti-gravity field and the cover of night to silently return to the machine factory.

As the warehouse doors closed again, the colossal machine, standing a full sixteen meters tall, fell silent once more.

Xie Yusheng stretched his body and jumped off the mecha.

With his Foundation Establishment Perfection and comparable to the Core Forming stage, a mere height of a dozen meters was naturally no challenge for him.

"Buzz!"

As soon as he stepped out of the mecha, his phone vibrated.

He soon saw the urgent notice from the Nantianmen project team.

"It seems they've already connected it to the Nantianmen project team."

Xie Yusheng said.

When the Qianxing people sent over the mecha design blueprints, many people were present.

The project team's researchers even submitted blueprints, hoping to explore the feasibility of replicating the mecha.

Of course, the design drawings sent by Gu Junxiu, who was disguised as a Qianxing person, and the design drawings that Xie Yusheng had prepared from Gu Jinlai were not on the same level in terms of completeness and feasibility.

At this point, they only have suspicions.

"I don't want to expose myself, but given the Middle-earth Kingdom's ability to monitor and control its own people, my purchase of the machine shop and the start of mech production will soon be reported. Plus, the mechs are so big, I can't hide them even if I wanted to..."

Xie Yusheng sighed as he spoke, "If only I could cultivate the third level of the Chaos Demon God's Eternal Dao Proving Method, then through the possession of my True Spirit and the manipulation of the mecha, I could be extracted from the main vortex."

Gu Jinlai, everyone knows what Xie Yusheng was worried about.

Although his mindset has changed, he is clearly not fully prepared to face the leaders of the world's top powers.

Considering that it is not easy to cultivate a Celestial Master from scratch, it is highly likely that he will fail to stand on the stage with his current level.

After all, his strength lies in his mecha, not himself.

It's easy to dodge a spear in the open, but hard to guard against an arrow in the dark.

If something were to happen to him, training another person would take several more months.

Moreover, Gu Jinlai felt that he had a connection with Xie Yusheng, so he said, "If you want to hide, it's not difficult. I will teach you a formation. The formation can attract spirituality and hypnotize everyone who enters the warehouse, making them ignore the existence of this mecha. However, if you want to cultivate the Chaos Demon God's Eternal Dao Proving Method to the third level and completely remove yourself from it, you still have to rely on your own efforts."

"That's great."

Xie Yusheng exclaimed with delight, "I will definitely condense my True Spirit as soon as possible, cultivate to become a Heavenly Monarch, and guide our Blue Star civilization to cope with the upcoming Spiritual Qi resurgence."