A Shocking Exchange in the Real World

"I'm not a time traveler. The time traveler you saw is already dead." Su Ming simply stopped thinking about it. Anyway, the people on the other side were all elites. Even if he spoke incoherently, the intelligence analyst could easily explain it away without him having to worry about organizing his thoughts.

"Galio is the creator of wormholes. He was already seriously injured when he arrived. After the natural gas transport truck rear-ended the truck, Ling Wen received a notification in her earpiece. Her pupils suddenly dilated, and she looked up at the sky."

Su Ming also looked up and saw a tiny bright spot in the sky that was rapidly growing larger.

What is that?

Su Ming didn't react at first, but then he realized something: if you see something falling from the sky but can't see any trajectory, there's only one possibility!

Miao Xin merged instantly, and the ghostly flames in the Little Spiky Head's pupils suddenly blazed brightly. The building was very tall, surrounded by hard concrete. But if he jumped to a nearby building and used the roll to cushion the impact...

Something flashed to her side, Miao Xin instinctively dodged, but there was no sign of being attacked. She resumed her escape, accelerating from the start.

"No, don't jump!" Su Ming suddenly stopped him.

In the sky, the point of light had changed; some fragments on the sides had broken off, causing the main body to deflect.

Although it was only for a brief moment, a trajectory line did indeed appear.

The Little Spiky Head stood on the rooftop, watching the incredibly fast fireball streak down from the sky, instantly piercing through the neighboring building and smashing through the basement.

Fourteen times the speed of sound, a space-based weapon!

Upon reaching the concrete base layer, the impact of the falling object suddenly stopped, and it exploded with a loud bang.

The shockwave swept through, blowing away the building's ground floor and sending debris flying onto surrounding structures. A large area of the exterior walls centered on the blast point was instantly reduced to rubble, with extensive glass shattering simultaneously.

In the event of a high-speed impact, the resistive properties of solid ground, including the impacting object itself, become fluid. This causes the falling object to not, as one might expect, create a small hole and penetrate deep into the ground. Instead, it will spread out in all directions like a puddle of soft mud.

When the impact is large, the ground can even bounce back like water, creating ripples. This is also why impact craters on Earth or the Moon are generally not very deep, and the bottoms are mostly horizontal.

The shockwave swept past, and even the Little Spiky Head in its fused state staggered back several steps before regaining its footing. From above, a portion of the entire park was riddled with craters in an instant.

The smoke and dust kicked up by the explosion only had time to spread then.

"Is this the terrifying power of a nation?!" Su Ming murmured. "You people are truly—sigh—"

Amidst the deafening roar of the collapsing building, Su Ming turned around and looked at Ling Wen, who was lying on the ground, covering her head and trying to avoid the shockwave. He had no idea what to say, and could only sigh.

This woman was willing to use herself as bait, hoping to die together with him.

He was filled with mixed emotions. If he weren't the one being opposed, he would be the one being protected by the people of his hometown.

They should feel at ease knowing they know nothing about it.

****

"You bastards, is this how the CIA plays the game?!" The commander ripped open his collar, his anger reaching its peak.

The phone call just now was to inform you that a long, cylindrical "satellite component" weighing over a ton has suddenly derailed and is falling toward the operational area.

This brutal low-orbit reentry took less than ten minutes in total, with an even shorter window of detection. Moreover, the crash site was in Vietnam; the fact that they could connect this to Vietnam and relay the information here seconds in advance demonstrates the shrewdness of the headquarters intelligence personnel!

But it was precisely those precious few seconds that allowed the laser interception system to operate at full power at the last moment. Although somewhat inexplicable,

But the interception seemed to have some effect; the target was not hit.

At the scene, the rumbling of the collapsing building gradually subsided. The limited kill radius of the space-based weapon, which was not as advertised, also prevented the worst-case scenario.

Ling Wen struggled to get up, trying to explain something to Su Ming. But her vision was blurry, her mind was filled with noise, and she couldn't speak at all.

Miao Xin jumped off the roof, then grabbed the decorative edge of the building and hung there a few floors below.

Then, repeating the same trick, he jumped down again. Ling Wen struggled to climb to the edge, only to vaguely see the Little Spiky Head rapidly shrinking.

Miao Xin landed quickly. A team member dressed as a worker rushed out from behind the outer cover, yelling at Su Ming, hoping he would stop.

Su Ming ignored her and carefully observed his surroundings. Miao Xin had already transformed into her Hunting Dog Form and was running at top speed.

[Go around towards the collapsed building!]

The collapsed wreckage can be used; the smoke and dust have not yet cleared. By approaching the park's cordon from this side, we can shorten the distance and find an opportunity to break out!

Miao Xin approached the collapsed building. A crackling sound was brewing in a small hut next to it—the central power distribution room of the industrial park. Suddenly, an arc of light, dimming even the sunlight, flashed out, followed by a massive fireball that shot up!

Snap! Boom!

The 110 kV, 10,000 kW transformer that supplies power to the entire industrial park exploded, multiple capacitor banks melted, and intense electromagnetic waves swept across the entire area!

A surge of blue lightning enveloped the Little Spiky Head, a sharp, zigzagging arc sending it flying. A tremor emanated from the Vengeful Spirit Mark, severing Miao Xin's fusion with the Little Spiky Head.

[Miao Xin?] Su Ming was somewhat surprised; this kind of physical attack shouldn't have harmed Miao Xin!

But there was no response.

Su Ming quickly took control of the Little Spiky Head, fell to the ground, rolled a few times, and got up. He used his senses to search for Miao Xin, but couldn't find her around.

Su Ming looked up and saw the vengeful spirit floating in the air, huddled together.

[Miao Xin, we should go!] Su Ming called out again.

The sudden explosion disabled a large number of electronic devices. This was a huge advantage for Su Ming. If he didn't seize the opportunity to escape now, when would he?

But Miao Xin remained curled up in a ball, trembling. Su Ming forced a connection and finally sensed something—a series of terrified screams. "[Don't kill me! Don't kill me! Don't kill me!]"

This is?

Su Ming suddenly realized that Miao Xin had been enveloped in this same blue light when she died a few months ago!

But things were even crueler than that. As a ghost, she watched her body slowly rot, stink, and even crack open after summoning a skeleton.

Bang!

An object fell to the ground nearby; it was the plainclothes worker. When he chased after it, he was thrown into the air by the aftershocks of the explosion, his body covered in shrapnel and blood.

Miao Xin's emotions suddenly exploded, an endless wind bursting out all around, pale light meandering across the ground and spreading rapidly. The Vietnam industrial park, which had just suffered a catastrophe, once again faced a weight that it should not have to bear.

Su Ming sensed something was wrong; the connection with the vengeful spirit was severed in an instant.

Not only that, the Vengeful Spirit Mark in his sea of consciousness also began to tremble violently, on the verge of collapse, and the Little Spiky Head's imprint also began to crumble. Su Ming concentrated his mind, and countless runes gathered in his sea of consciousness, attempting to repair them.

The moment they made contact, Su Ming encountered an extremely destructive force, as strong as a physical storm. However, Su Ming also clearly felt the essence of his own power for the first time! Concept Element transcended ordinary elements, like Wanshi in a storm, gradually kneading the broken imprints together and forcibly aggregating them.

Su Ming once thought he would lose Miao Xin. But in the end, he sensed a faint pulse. Crossing the dark depths of the sea, Su Ming's consciousness recaptured Miao Xin's true feelings, and she responded with difficulty.

The two drew closer to each other little by little in the sea of consciousness. Finally, Su Ming "held" Miao Xin's hand.

The spiritual storm dissipated beside them, and the undead girl's form gradually calmed down. (In the real world, in Vietnam industrial park...)

The storm subsided, and the deep, dark sea of energy contracted, disappearing back into her spirit.

So, is Miao Xin herself this dark, deep sea?

For the first time, Su Ming realized that this girl was indeed a vengeful spirit. Furthermore, the level of power she displayed was unlike anything Su Ming had ever heard of before!

The Vengeful Spirit Mark in his sea of consciousness reformed, and as Su Ming reconnected, the ghost girl floated back to the ground.

Around her, a small patch of the Nether Sea still surged, shimmering on one side and disappearing on the other, rippling like waves.

The entire unfinished industrial park is a mess. The glass that survived the first explosion has now disappeared along with the window frames. The exterior walls of the buildings are covered with deep corrosion marks, and everything looks like a faded scene after a nuclear war.

But then another tenacious member of the action team emerged from behind the cover, hands raised, attempting to approach.

The Nether Sea around Miao Xin deepened again, and soul fire erupted. She suddenly merged with Little Spiky Head, who turned completely black, then soared into the air, using the outer wall of the building for leverage, and then sped away.

Wherever they landed, the walls turned to dust!

In just a few leaps, the Little Spiky Head swiftly reached the outer perimeter. There were more members of the action team there, forming a defensive formation, and some weapons that Su Ming didn't recognize were being activated. However, it seemed that due to the electromagnetic shock earlier, the equipment wasn't functioning smoothly.

Miao Xin's eyes were dark as she headed straight for them.

[Miao Xin, control yourself!] Su Ming quickly said, [Don't do it!]

"[They - are going to hurt me!]" Miao Xin's reply was tinged with malice.

"[Let's leave!] "Su Ming said forcefully. "[I know you don't want to disappear like this, and I know you still have many things you cherish. Resurrection may not be possible, but I promise you, we can still continue our journey like this!]"

Thinking about her experiences after death, the fire in Miao Xin's eyes flickered, but ultimately did not erupt again.

The Nether Sea beside him began to slowly shrink.

She finally regained some clarity, pushed off with her feet, turned away from the group of people in front of her, and ran towards the outer perimeter.

Buildings were left behind, and many vehicles began to give chase. Su Ming knew that this place was very close to the Red River, so he pointed in a direction and told Miao Xin to run in that direction.

"I'm sorry about just now." Miao Xin, who was gradually recovering, took the initiative to apologize, "Although, although—but when I saw the blood splattering, I really couldn't control myself."

Miao Xin was terrified by what had just happened, losing her reason and being overwhelmed by endless darkness and destructive desires. If she hadn't returned with Su Ming's help, she didn't know where she would have ended up.

[Miao Xin, you need to manage your emotions and not touch that power again.] Su Ming said.

[Okay, I understand.]

****

Su Ming summoned Zijin and quickly recounted what had just happened.

"This vengeful spirit's power far exceeds our understanding." The scholar tapped the table lightly, pondering. "No matter how powerful the material, the vengeful spirit's upper limit is only Intermediate Rank. Besides, Miao Xin is an Earth girl; she couldn't possibly have had a combat rank in her previous life."

"What exactly is Miao Xin's power level?" Su Ming asked. He was completely shocked and was still somewhat shaken.

"Su Ming, your Magic Power power is already quite strong," Zijin said. "Miao Xin belongs to you and wants to break free from your control."

Its strength must far exceed yours. This is definitely not within the scope of what a vengeful spirit should be—but as to what extent exactly, I find it difficult to judge.

Su Ming changed the subject, "What would have been the consequences if that situation had really gotten out of control?"

"Miao Xin will lose her mind and indiscriminately slaughter others, ultimately destroying herself as well," Zijin explained. "Although I don't know much, this is the 'normal' use of vengeful spirits."

"A disposable, indiscriminate self-destruct weapon?" Su Ming nodded. "Understood."

On Earth's side, although there were pursuers, Miao Xin's Psionic Power output had increased significantly during the recent anomaly. The Little Spiky Head moved more nimbly, and even with four wheels, he couldn't close the distance on Vietnam's poorly constructed roads.

She didn't even need to cut down the utility poles and block traffic.

Several armed helicopters covered with stickers of the Vietnam gold star and red flag emerged from behind the building. They initially approached rapidly but seemed to receive a sudden order, immediately slowing down and maintaining their distance.

Su Ming judged that this was because the other side was wary of the destructive power that Miao Xin had just demonstrated.

Miao Xin quickly reached the water's edge and jumped in. She ran underwater, cleaning herself as she went. She discarded all electronic devices and anything that might leave a trace.

In the end, she left almost all the gold, crumpled it into a ball, and stuffed it back into her bosom.

"[Follow the Red River, head northwest.]" Su Ming instructed her.

Where are we going?

"Go back to China," Su Ming said. "Go see your family."

Although the situation is a complete mess, Miao Xin is actually the top priority.

Although the deeper details of the vengeful spirit are unclear, it is necessary to strengthen Miao Xin's understanding of the human aspect. Her attachment to the world and her longing for her loved ones may be the source of the resentment, but they are also the only thing that holds everything together.

A glint of light flashed in Miao Xin's eyes. [Thank you, Lord.]

[Call me Su Ming, stop acting cute.]

[Where's the cuteness? -- Okay, Su Ming.]

"[Yes, nice to meet you, Miss Miao Xin,]" Su Ming said.

[Is this a meeting between people who have never met before, separated by an unknown distance?] Miao Xin murmured, her demeanor noticeably more stable.

Su Ming glanced at the water behind him, where there were constant movements. Some were probably speedboats, while others sank into the water with bubbles in them; he couldn't tell if they were sonar buoys or unmanned underwater vehicles.

A chill ran through him, and an inexplicable sense of loneliness enveloped him.

[Su Ming, there are drainage pipes.] Miao Xin reminded them. There were several circular outlets in the water ahead, each with a diameter of over one meter. Judging from their shape, they should be connected to the municipal stormwater pipe network.

"[Hmm. Go in and get out of the river first.] "Su Ming said.

Miao Xin did as instructed, switched to Hunting Dog Mode, and crawled inside.

****

At the claims operations command center, everyone was devastated to learn that the target had been completely lost.

One person was seriously injured and two others were slightly injured, marking the second failure of the large-scale interception operation. Fortunately, apart from the three members of the vanguard team, the rest of the operation did not get close.

Otherwise, who knows how many people would be receiving workers' compensation today.

"We finally made contact with the time traveler," the commander said harshly. "CIA, you guys are something else!"

If you can't have it, destroy it without hesitation. Such ruthless and decisive actions are truly befitting of the overlord of Blue Star for so many years!

While cleaning up the mess, new orders came in from company headquarters.

"This task will be taken over by the company's internal affairs department; they'll handle the order now," the commander announced to everyone. "The IT department will complete the handover."

There was no punishment. The shame and resentment of failure, and the guilt of not completing the task, were the greatest punishment for all team members!

"Boss, what do we do?" one of the team members asked.

"Us?" The commander's eyes blazed with anger. "Of course, go get the compensation!"