The thick main power cable overhead was still sizzling, and the air was thick with the smell of burning insulation. T'Challa's Vibranium claws were still stuck in the broken connector, and blue arcs of electricity jumped from the blades onto his suit, crackling as they struck.
"Don't move." Ye Mo's voice was as cold as ice. He grabbed T'Challa's wrist, stopping him from pulling any further. "This thing is a hard cutoff; the backup power could kick in at any moment. If the current flows back, all our previous efforts will have been for nothing."
T'Challa paused, withdrew his hand, and warily surveyed his surroundings. Under the dim emergency red lights, although the laser emitters in the hall had stopped spinning, the cold metal muzzles of the guns were still pointed in three directions, like a pack of hunting dogs waiting for orders.
Emma Frost stood to the side, her face pale. The mental exhaustion she had just experienced left her feeling dizzy. She leaned against the support pillar, her fingers gripping the hem of her clothes tightly. "Backup power... how much longer?"
"Ten seconds, fifteen seconds at most." Ye Mo pushed up his silver half-rimmed glasses, his eyes behind the lenses sharp as knives. "In fifteen seconds, this system will restart, and because of the short circuit just now, it will enter 'highest alert mode.' At that time, let alone us, even a fly that flies in will be riddled with holes."
"Then let's get there before it restarts!" T'Challa gripped his twin swords, his muscles tense, ready to charge at any moment.
"We can't get through." Ye Mo shook his head, a nonchalant smile playing on his lips. "Look at the angle of those laser emitters; they're overlapping right now. Even if the system loses power, as long as the backup power kicks in, these laser nets will lock on within three seconds. We're fighting hand-to-hand, not gods; we can't dodge them."
T'Challa frowned, his gaze sweeping over the stationary red laser beams. Indeed, that wave of firepower had been too intense; the hall now resembled a giant trap, every step a precarious one.
"What can we do? Just wait to die?" T'Challa asked in a low voice, a hint of reluctance in his tone.
"Of course not." Ye Mo dusted off his work pants, walked to the center of the hall, and looked up at the intricate network of pipes overhead. "Since a direct assault won't work, let's try a different approach. These high-tech lunatics love to expose their wires for convenience and to be conspicuous. But they've forgotten that physics is unforgiving."
"What are you going to do?" Emma Frost keenly sensed the change in Ye Mo's Shang-Chi.
Ye Mo did not answer, but slowly closed his eyes. His consciousness sank into the depths of his mind, where a towering Spiral Tower stood. The barrier of the seventh level had just been stabilized, and a power he had never experienced before was surging within it. It was a thermodynamic reversal mechanism that he had accidentally triggered when he absorbed Vibranium energy in the Silent Zone.
The Gene Spiral Tower spun rapidly in his consciousness, and layers of fragmented abilities began to combine and recombine. Wade's Self-Healing was just the foundation, and Shadowcat's Wall Phasing was just an aid. What truly gave him confidence at this moment was the concept of "absolute zero" drawn from the extreme cold.
This is not magic; it is a forced distortion of the laws of physics.
" Ye Mo?" T'Challa noticed that Ye Mo's face was turning pale at a visible speed, and his lips were even turning slightly bluish-purple.
"Stop talking nonsense, trust me this once." Ye Mo suddenly opened his eyes, a faint blue light flashing in his pupils.
He raised his hands, palms facing each other, fingertips lightly touching. A visible burst of white, icy air erupted from his palms; it was not ordinary frost or snow, but an energy field carrying an extremely low temperature. The icy air spread instantly, like an invisible tide, rapidly reaching the exposed high-voltage cables overhead.
"What are you doing?" Emma Frost exclaimed in surprise. She could feel the temperature around her dropping rapidly. Moisture in the air condensed into tiny ice crystals, which floated in mid-air, shimmering with a faint light.
"Freeze it." Ye Mo gritted his teeth, his voice trembling slightly. Maintaining this high level of Ice Manipulation Ability required a huge amount of mental energy, and what was even more terrifying was that this chill was inversely corroding his body. He could feel his body temperature rapidly decreasing, and his hands and feet gradually becoming stiff.
A white, frigid aura enveloped the copper cable, causing the insulation layer to rapidly embrittle at the extremely low temperature, resulting in a thick layer of white frost forming on its surface. The flow of electrons inside the conductor was hindered by the extreme cold, and the originally stable current began to become disordered.
"Sizzle--Crack!"
A crisp popping sound rang out.
Immediately following was a series of rapid explosions. The main power supply line was completely paralyzed due to insulation failure and internal short circuit. The entire hall was plunged into darkness again, with only the emergency red lights flashing frantically, like some kind of warning signal.
The backup power supply activated, but due to physical damage to the main circuit, current could not be transmitted to the laser emitter and missile system. The red laser beams dimmed and eventually went out. The missile launch ports on the ceiling also stopped charging, emitting a deflated hiss.
"Done." Ye Mo lowered his hands, panting heavily, a wisp of white mist escaping from the corner of his mouth. He wiped the cold sweat from his face, forced himself to stand firm, and grinned at T'Challa and Emma Frost. "Luckily, I happened to know this thing is afraid of the cold."
T'Challa stared at the scene before him, his eyes filled with shock. He had seen countless ways of fighting, using technology to fight technology, using brute force to crush power, but he had never seen anyone directly use "coldness" to break through circuits. This method was both primitive and efficient, completely beyond his comprehension.
"That move you just made... it was incredible," T'Challa said in a low voice, his tone tinged with awe. He sheathed his twin swords, walked to Ye Mo's side, and reached out to support the swaying Ye Mo. "You look terrible, are you alright?"
"I won't die." Ye Mo waved his hand, indicating that he could still walk. "It's just a bit cold. Let's go, before they react, let's hurry and cross the hall."
Emma Frost also came over, looking at Ye Mo with a complicated expression. As Mutants, she had seen many people with elemental abilities, but Ye Mo was the first one who could use his abilities so precisely and unexpectedly. She didn't speak, but silently kept watch from behind, temporarily turning off Telepathy to conserve her energy.
The three quickly passed through the stationary laser grid and arrived at the other side of the cylindrical sample storage device. The ground beneath their feet was still cold, and the air still carried a faint smell of ozone and frost.
"The main control room is just ahead." Ye Mo pointed to a corridor ahead, where the lights were much brighter, indicating a separate power supply system. "Based on my perception, the defense level inside is higher. But we've already breached the first line of defense; the rest is up to you to be careful."
T'Challa nodded, straightened his armor, and regained the majesty of Wakanda king. "Don't worry, with me here, I won't let you down."
Emma Frost glanced at Ye Mo's pale face, hesitated for a moment, and then asked, "Do you need to rest? I can help you warm up."
"No need." Ye Mo shook his head, straightening his back, even though his legs were still a little weak. "I'm in perfect condition right now, ideal for work. Besides, if I were to lie down, I'd be sick for life. Let's go, don't keep T'Challa waiting. He's a big boss, his time is very precious."
T'Challa chuckled, and the tense atmosphere eased slightly. "Let's go in and see what secrets are hidden inside."
The three walked side by side towards the corridor entrance. Ye Mo led the way; although he was somewhat weak, his steps remained steady. In his mind, the seventh level of the Gene Spiral Tower trembled slightly, seemingly digesting the powerful force he had just experienced. He knew this was only the beginning; the real challenge lay ahead.
The lights in the depths of the corridor flickered, like the eyes of a giant beast, silently watching the three intruders. Ye Mo took a deep breath, adjusted his breathing, pushed up his glasses, and stepped inside.