Aftermath

Lu Li the Cross-Realm and left, and the Blue Star returned to its apparent tranquility.

Of course, this is only on the surface; the real show has only just begun.

On the night of the incident, the President of the Star Alliance Country delivered a national address:

Today, we have been subjected to a deliberate attack by terrorists. Hundreds of thousands of people have lost their precious lives as a result of their heinous acts...

His words were accompanied by countless people in silent mourning.

They took to the streets, placing flowers and candles on street corners to mourn the victims of the attack.

At the same time, many faculty and students were also holding a memorial service on the Harvard University campus plaza.

The president's speech was also broadcast live from the scene.

[No one will forget this day. We will strive forward to defend freedom and all that is good and just in the world!]

Upon hearing this, the teachers and students present spontaneously applauded.

"A good speech, with very persuasive speaking techniques."

A refined-looking man wearing black-rimmed glasses gave the speech high praise.

Just then, two burly men in suits walked towards him and said in a deep voice:

"Professor Rossi David Rossi, you have been specially called up. You have 30 minutes to pack your personal belongings."

Professor Rossi showed no surprise and calmly said:

"I'm happy to serve my country. As for packing, there's no need; I always travel light."

"Thank you for your contributions."

The two agents didn't say much, and directly led the professor to a General Motors van.

However, there were other passengers on the bus, also a well-mannered white man.

He extended his hand and introduced himself in a friendly manner:

"MIT, Spencer Reid, Laser Physics."

"Harvard, David Rossi, Criminal Psychology."

Professor Rossi shook hands with the other person and then asked, "So... the military plans to use lasers against that mutant?"

Reed shrugged and said:

"That monster has a burst speed of 60 meters per second and a flying sword that's close to Mach 2. Lasers are a good option."

That makes sense.

The two chatted idly along the way until, three hours later, they arrived at the "Green Pine" base.

This is the largest military base in the northeastern region of the Star Alliance Country. It is very busy at the moment, with helicopters constantly taking off and landing, and cars coming and going.

Rossi and Reid were led by a sergeant to a large operations conference room.

Nearly 200 people had gathered there, all experts from various fields. Rossi and Reid saw many of their colleagues and old acquaintances.

These people are having a heated discussion:

"Trying to kill him with an airborne laser is a pipe dream! I'm not talking about the technical difficulty... Have you forgotten that he can manipulate the earth?"

"Ordinary rifle bullets can pierce his skin; perhaps we could install Avenger autocannon on the F-15."

"Although the monster has an antisocial personality, he is unusually interested in that mixed-race girl; this can be used to his advantage."

The purpose of these elites gathering here is self-evident: to devise a plan to kill Lu Li.

Battles against Cultivator are quite different from conventional warfare.

The Star Alliance Country was merely caught off guard by the superhumans; the real battle would begin once they recovered!

Meanwhile, other countries have their own responses.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Traditional white-skinned countries share a common bond and naturally issued a statement immediately expressing their condolences to the victims.

We will stand with the Star Alliance Country to face the enormous threat to all of humanity.

It's not surprising that the high-ranking officials and their relatives in these countries are all Star Alliance Country.

But the Xia Country, far across the Ocean Dollar, was also not at peace.

On Weibo, numerous influential figures and independent media outlets reposted the speech by the President of the Star Alliance Country, accompanied by a uniform candle image, calling on people to observe a moment of silence for the victims.

At the same time, there were also various incomprehensible statements:

This superpowered lunatic has tarnished the image of all overseas Xia Descendants; I got beaten up as soon as I went out!

We should reflect on why such people exist among the Xia Descendants. This is a deep-seated flaw in our culture!

The people of the Star Alliance Country are so pitiful, I'd be willing to die in their place.

Various opinions have emerged, and the statements have become increasingly outrageous, with some even claiming:

[Xia Country should take responsibility for this incident, compensate the Star Alliance Country for their economic losses, and cooperate with the international community to bring the terrorists to justice.]

A group of people were jumping around, making a huge fuss.

However, they are not mainstream, and none of them have a readership exceeding one million.

Right now, the hottest topic online is somewhat unexpected—the revival of spiritual energy.

This is currently the number one trending topic on major websites, and related topics easily garner over 100 million views and countless discussions.

[Stop pretending, cultivators have all emerged, spiritual energy has revived~]

I'm 28 this year, is it too late for me to start cultivating?

I've already started meditating, and I'd like to ask you fellow cultivators... where can I get a flying sword?

[You can send a private message to Immortal Elder Lu; perhaps he will reply to you.]

The reason why the topic of spiritual energy revival is so popular is precisely because of Lu Li's flying sword.

Flying swords are well-known in the Xia Country's cultural circles; they are clearly magical artifacts used by cultivators.

The vast majority of netizens in Xia Country believe that Lu Li's abilities are not superpowers at all, but rather that he has obtained a cheat code that allows him to cultivate immortality.

This guess was quite accurate, but the tone was full of banter, and most people were just there for the amusement.

After all, the real world is ultimately ordinary and monotonous...

At this moment, at the Chinese Medicine Academy.

Qian Ping took a clean rag and carefully wiped the office down, then sat down at his desk to wait.

Just as it was 8 o'clock, there was a knock on the office door, and two men in suits walked in.

They looked unremarkable and spoke in a calm tone:

"Professor Qian, please come with us."

"OK."

Qian Ping stood up calmly and followed the two out of the office.

He was mentally prepared, after all, he had cooperated with Lu Li many times and would definitely be questioned.

But a person with a clear conscience has nothing to fear. He hadn't done anything wrong; at most, he just needed to explain the matter of the Calming Incense.

They walked in silence until they arrived at a minivan.

The car was full of Qian Ping's graduate students, all of whom were involved in research related to "Calming Incense" (a type of tranquilizer).

He was still young, and there was a hint of trepidation in his expression.

Qian Ping reassured him, "It's alright. Just tell the truth when you get there and cooperate fully."

Everyone nodded, and the car quickly sped away.

The same scene also occurred at Xigong University and Harbin Institute of Technology.

Professor Wei Wenqi helped Lu Li make the flying sword; he definitely can't escape this time.

And Academician Liu Jiang, who personally designed the "Terminator," also had to go through this process.

Their salaries were much higher than Qian Ping's.

Not only did four people come to pick them up, but the office and laboratory were also sealed off and guarded by designated personnel.

Both were mentally prepared and appeared outwardly calm, but inwardly they were filled with a sense of magic...

As a scientist, I helped cultivators create magical artifacts and puppets?

It was a cloudy day, and my cervical spondylosis flared up. (Rao Yigeng)