Chapter 1200: Still in Wushan

Yang Xiao's eyes were tightly shut, and his lips were somewhat pale.

He didn't respond, seemingly dedicating all his energy to sensing the falling nuclear weapon. Up until now, he had only been able to manipulate small, stationary metal objects. While a nuclear weapon wasn't exceptionally large, its speed was incredibly high.

How much time was left until the nuclear weapon fell? Ten seconds? Fifteen? Matching its speed and deflecting it within such a short timeframe was an immense challenge for the current Yang Xiao.

But failure meant death!

Yang Xiao's brain worked furiously, and crimson blood flowed from his seven orifices. He had never pushed himself so desperately since gaining his powers.

A flickering point of light descended from the clouds, heading directly towards the city center.

Just as it had fallen nearly halfway, an inexplicable force suddenly emerged, as if someone had forcibly grabbed one of its corners, twisting its direction. It arced through the air in a way incomprehensible to ordinary people, flying towards the nearby suburbs!

Death's scythe plunged obliquely into the deserted residential area. After a brief silence, an intensely blinding fireball expanded wildly in all directions!

BOOM—!!!!!

A deafening roar penetrated the eardrums of everyone in the shelter. The ground trembled violently, as if the sky itself was about to collapse. Everyone instinctively hunched over, covering their ears, their expressions filled with pain and terror.

As everyone was gripped by fear, Yang Xiao, his face ashen, swayed and fell backward rigidly.

"Yang Xiao!"

Lu Xun and Chu Changqing, one on each side, immediately helped him up.

The tremors from collapsing buildings still echoed, and dust swirled through the underground shelter. Violent coughing and crying sounds rose and fell. This explosion was much closer than the last, causing many to break down emotionally.

"The shelter didn't collapse... Did he succeed in changing the nuclear weapon's trajectory?" Chu Changqing asked in shock.

"He must have." Lu Xun gently laid Yang Xiao flat on the ground, his gaze complex. "Yang Xiao usually doesn't talk much, but in critical moments, he's always more reliable than anyone else."

"We only avoided the explosion's impact... But what about nuclear radiation and harmful fallout?" Su Zhiwei asked, recalling Lu Xun's earlier words with worry.

"Even with the wall's attenuation, we should still be exposed to nuclear radiation now."

Lu Xun pondered for a moment. He looked down at his palm, where a faint starlight silently flickered.

"Perhaps... I can try."

The shockwave from the second nuclear strike swept across the entire Wushan Town. All visible buildings were instantly destroyed, leaving only devastation.

Chen Ling stood atop a distant mountain peak, his opera robe fluttering in the wind. He slowly lowered his arm, which had been shielding him, and opened his eyes only after the intense explosion had completely dissipated.

Staring at the devastated city before him, Chen Ling was stunned for a long time.

"Oh no..."

"Oh no!!!"

Chen Ling completely disregarded the nuclear radiation and fallout, moving swiftly with a cloud step and rushing towards Wushan Town!

This time, the nuclear strike area was directly in Wushan Town. Even if Lu Xun and the others weren't harmed by the explosion, the subsequent nuclear contamination would still endanger their lives.

If any of the Nine Lords died in this disaster, everything would be over!

The large red opera robe receded into the vast gloom.

After a few minutes, two figures slowly floated out from the rock strata within the mountain.

Fu Kun's legs went weak, and he collapsed onto the ground, completely drenched in cold sweat. He looked at Wushan Town, now leveled before him, a strong lingering fear on his face.

He had been moments away from being engulfed by the explosion. If Ying Fu hadn't intervened, pulling him directly underground to avoid the direct impact of the nuclear strike, he wouldn't have survived even with two lives.

"Your Majesty..." Fu Kun stiffly turned his head and bowed twice vigorously to the man behind him.

"Thank you for saving my life, Your Majesty!!!"

Ying Fu merely gave a faint hum and offered no further reply.

His gaze was fixed on the post-explosion Wushan Town and the gloom that enveloped the entire city, his brow slightly furrowed.

"Strange... Why is there a peculiar scent in the air after this explosion?"

"Huh?" Fu Kun was startled. He sniffed the air.

"I don't smell anything... But the cloud that formed after this second nuclear weapon exploded does seem different from the first. Are these two nuclear weapons from different countries?"

That was the only explanation Fu Kun could think of.

Ying Fu pondered for a moment, then shook his head. He didn't care what secrets the second nuclear weapon held. Although Wushan Town was affected, he believed his subjects were safe and well-protected at Bureau 749.

On his first day in Wushan Town, Ying Fu had discussed the various anomalies of this conference with Chancellor Han. Although Ying Fu hadn't foreseen the nuclear strike, he had long suspected that the people at Bureau 749, gathering cultivators, were unlikely to harm them. After all, such individuals were valuable assets in any era.

Now, with the nuclear strike, Ying Fu had fully grasped the underlying logic of the Wushan Conference. All clues connected in his mind, including the "White Hands" who were being protected.

"...Let's go."

Ying Fu turned and walked into the distance.

Fu Kun was startled. "Aren't we waiting for Chancellor Han and the others?"

"They are safe. They should be able to come out after a while."

Ying Fu had no interest in forcibly entering Bureau 749 to retrieve them. After all, no matter where Chancellor Han and the others were, their contributions to him remained. Attempting to rescue them himself would even pose a risk. In that case, letting them stay at Bureau 749 for a while to gather information wasn't a bad idea.

"Oh..." Fu Kun scratched his head. "So, where do we go now?"

"To another city." As if remembering something, Ying Fu turned to Fu Kun. "The shop I asked you to buy last night, do you know where its owner and his daughter went?"

Fu Kun suddenly stopped, his expression odd.

Seeing his change in expression, Ying Fu's brow furrowed deeply.

"Your Majesty, I actually intended to report about this to you this morning... but there was a slight mishap." Fu Kun stammered. "I bought the shop last night, and the father and daughter had already planned to move. However, the girl's father said they needed to pack their belongings and complete some procedures at her school... so..."

"So, what?" Ying Fu's voice grew steadily lower.

Fu Kun felt the overwhelming pressure and involuntarily swallowed.

"So, they planned to leave by high-speed rail after going to school this morning..."

A low rumble echoed from the clouds overhead. Ying Fu stared intensely at Fu Kun, speaking slowly and deliberately:

"Are you saying... she's still in Wushan now?"