Chapter 423 Mutual Destruction?

The energy level of this explosion exceeded the limits of all monitoring equipment on site.

In that instant, the scene was filled only with light.

"Move the drone over there! The closest one! Immediately!" Commander Qi's voice broke the silence, carrying an unquestionable command.

"Report! All near-field drones have lost contact! We are attempting to approach from the outer airspace!"

"Switch to space-based satellite view! Set the resolution to the highest!"

"Report! The satellite is being interfered with by the electromagnetic pulse generated by the explosion. The optical image is obscured by the bright light and is expected to take another thirty seconds to recover!"

One second.

Two seconds.

Every second felt like it was slowly grinding across everyone's hearts.

Chen Jianguo dared not even think about the worst possible outcome.

He even began to regret agreeing to the duel.

That was Cheng Gan, a soldier they had watched grow up, not some cold war machine.

If she...

He dared not think any further.

The global internet is now completely silent.

The barrage of comments that was just flooding the screen has disappeared.

Billions of people just stared blankly at the screen of light, their minds completely blank.

Did they win? Or did they lose?

Where are the immortals of Kunlun?

Did they perish together?

The power of that explosion was so great that you could feel its destructive force even through the screen. Could Cheng Gan, who was at the center of it, really survive?

In the Pentagon's conference room, the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of State were both intently staring at the screen.

Their expressions were complex, a mixture of shock at the power of Ares' final blow and a barely perceptible hint of anticipation.

We won.

We're sure to win.

Under that kind of power, no flesh and blood body can survive.

Even though that Eastern woman died, Ares proved the power of "Olympus".

They traded a loyal follower for one of the top experts from the East.

This deal is a win-win situation.

"Prepare for the press conference." The Secretary of State's voice was hoarse, but tinged with barely suppressed excitement. "To announce to the world that the power of Olympus is truly..."

Before he could finish speaking, a technical officer's voice suddenly rang out from the command center, trembling with tears.

"It's back! The picture is back!"

Whoosh!

Just when everyone thought it was going to be a fierce draw.

On the screen, a streak of cyan sword light suddenly shone from the core of the energy storm.

The sword light was not dazzling, but it was exceptionally resilient.

It was like a stabilizing force, forcefully creating a small safe zone amidst the raging blue lightning.

Immediately afterwards, a figure appeared from behind the sword light.

It was Cheng Gan.

She remained standing in the same spot, as if she had never moved.

There were some charred marks on her white training clothes, but her posture remained as upright as a pine tree.

She lightly twirled the longsword in her hand before sheathing it.

The movements were fluid and unhurried.

"hiss--"

A collective gasp filled the command center.

"No...nothing's wrong?!" Chen Jianguo's eyes widened as if he had witnessed a miracle.

“Not only is she alright, she even broke through to a higher level.” Zhou Jue’s voice was soft, but it carried a hint of a smile.

She could sense that the energy within Cheng Gan's body was more harmonious and refined than before.

That final energy surge not only failed to harm her, but instead became the final crucible for her to temper herself.

This allowed her cultivation level, which was already at a bottleneck, to advance to another level.

Late stage of Nascent Soul, Great Perfection!

In the apartment, Lu Changfeng was so excited by what he saw that he trembled all over and slapped his thigh.

"Great! Okay!"

"To break through and then build up again—that is the true spirit of a swordsman!"

The Kunlun disciples behind him were moved to tears, their chests straight, filled with pride.

After a three-second silence, the global live stream chat went completely wild.

Holy crap!!!

[Alive! She's alive! Completely unharmed! Is she some kind of god?!]

This is true immortal grace! Strolling leisurely amidst the storm!

[Kunlun is awesome! China is awesome! I declare that from today onwards, I am a die-hard fan of Kunlun!]

[Is there even a need to fight? Even a self-destructing bomb couldn't kill them. How can we fight them? The US's face must be swollen from being slapped!]

Cheng Gan raised his head, his gaze seemingly piercing through the camera lens and sweeping across the entire world.

Then, she took her first steps, one by one, and walked out from the edge of the pit.

Her steps were steady, showing no signs of injury. She walked to the center of the field, stood on the scorched earth, found the direction of the Chinese machine, and slowly raised her right hand.

She gave a solemn salute to the camera, a bright and confident smile on her face. She lived up to everyone's expectations.

This gesture, this relaxed smile, at this moment, possessed a power that transcended all words.

boom!

After a long silence of half a minute, the Chinese internet exploded like a volcanic eruption!

[Aaaaaaah! We won! We won!]

【Cheng Gan! Cheng Gan! Eternal God!】

So cool! So cool! Ahhhhhh!

[Did you see that?! That last sword strike! So cool! So satisfying!]

[I cried! I'm a grown man, and I cried! It's so awesome!]

[Did you see that?! Completely unharmed! What do you call that? That's called a crushing defeat!]

[In the name of Kunlun, she slew a god! She did it! She really did it!]

Cheng Gan is awesome! Kunlun is awesome! China is awesome!

[Waaaaah, from today onwards, Cheng Gan is my one and only goddess!]

What exactly does it mean to have the demeanor of a great power? (Leans back tactically)

"Stop talking, I've already prepared my grandson's documents. When does Kunlun Academy start accepting applications? I'm reserving a spot for my grandson!"

[Hey upstairs, you probably have to start queuing from your grandpa.]

The atmosphere in the command center was instantly ignited.

Chen Jianguo plopped back into his chair, feeling as if all his strength had been drained away. He smiled, but his eyes were red.

"Well done...well done..."

Commander Qi let out a long sigh of relief, loosened her clenched fist, and solemnly saluted Cheng Gan on the screen.

Everyone solemnly returned the salute to the figure on the screen.

That was their hero.

[Host, global faith points are converging on China.] The system's voice carried a hint of excitement.

The fortunes of China are growing at an incredible pace.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, in a conference room at the Pentagon.

"Crack!"

The cup in the Secretary of State's hand slipped from his hand and shattered on the floor.

He stared intently at Cheng Gan's radiant smile on the screen; his confident gestures felt like two resounding slaps across his face.

"No...it's impossible..."

"It's fake...it must be fake..."

The Minister of Defense watched the receding figure on the screen, then plopped back into his chair, as if all his strength had been instantly drained away.

"it's over."

"We... have lost our ticket to the new era."

The generals behind him all looked ashen-faced.

We lost.

We lost completely.

They went to great lengths, even using living people to create a so-called "demigod," only to receive a completely unharmed smile in return.

This is not a duel.

This is an execution.

The CIA director's face turned ashen: "Minister, the number of applications from China's allies has increased by 300% in just one minute. All the countries that were previously hesitant have submitted formal diplomatic notes."

On the screen, the names of one country after another changed from gray, representing "neutrality," to red, representing the "Chinese camp."

That red expanse is visibly encroaching on the entire world map.

"We have become an isolated island."

A general muttered to himself.

"No."

The Secretary of State's voice rang out hoarsely; his face was devoid of anger, only filled with endless exhaustion and deathly silence.

"We are not an island."

He looked up at the desperate faces in the conference room.

"We are... a defeated nation."

After a brief moment of shock, the whole world came to its senses.

Cheers erupted at the Pakistani Prime Minister's Office.

In Grizzly Bear Country, Big D looked at the screen with his signature smile on his face. He picked up the phone: "Connect me to the Chinese leader immediately. I want to personally congratulate him."

In a Middle Eastern palace, the prince jumped up excitedly: "Prepare our oil field contracts! No! Two more! I want my son to learn the Kunlun Sword Technique!"

Those countries that were previously wavering and observing are now showing no hesitation whatsoever.

One after another, earnest diplomatic notes flew to China like snowflakes.

"We request to be included in the list of friendly and cooperative countries!"

"We are willing to abide by the new era order led by China!"

"Request that China dispatch a special task force to assist in dealing with our country's energy anomaly!"

At that moment, Huaxia did not say another word.

But the whole world has already understood.

On the field in Geneva, Cheng Gan lowered his hands, faced the camera, and calmly said his last words.

"Kunlun Cultivation Academy will be enrolling students next month. Welcome to apply."

After saying that, she turned around, walked away with her head held high, and head held high back through the passage she had come from.

He left behind a silhouette, for the whole world.

It also ushered in a brand new era for the whole world.