Li Lianyi, after spending four days of quality time with Jiang Wuming in the City of Sin, ultimately had to depart.
The next morning, Jiang Wuming personally escorted Li Lianyi to the airport, accompanied by Qin Xiaozhi.
“Sister-in-law, thank you for bringing Gene No. 1.”
Before boarding, Qin Xiaozhi expressed his gratitude to Li Lianyi.
“Brother Qin, since you call me sister-in-law, do you still need to say thank you?” Li Lianyi countered with a smile.
“——”
Qin Xiaozhi was momentarily speechless.
Usually quick-witted, he suddenly felt rather foolish today – did Li Lianyi need thanks for bringing Gene No. 1 to the Zhan Long Hall?
Just as Qin Xiaozhi was at a loss for words, a car drove into the airport, heading towards Li Lianyi’s private jet.
Jiang Wuming, Qin Xiaozhi, and Li Lianyi all turned their gaze towards the approaching car.
Among them, Jiang Wuming and Qin Xiaozhi both sensed Gade’s presence.
Soon, the car stopped in front of the three. Gade emerged from the vehicle, walking towards them with a smile:
“Miss Li Lianyi, I am here on behalf of my teacher to see you off. He asked me to convey that Gene No. 1 will change the global martial arts world, alter the extraterrestrial wars, and shape the future trajectory of this world. You are truly remarkable.”
“Furthermore, I must also thank you. I was stuck at the Two-star War God realm for a long time. It was only after taking Gene No. 1 and re-stimulating my potential that I successfully broke through to the Three-star War God realm.”
As he finished speaking, Gade bowed to Li Lianyi in thanks.
His gratitude was genuine.
He also believed that with the advent of Gene No. 1, more and more martial artists would come to thank and respect Li Lianyi.
“Mr. Gade, you and Master Dawson are too kind.” Li Lianyi slightly inclined her head in return.
Gade said no more, instead walking aside with Qin Xiaozhi, leaving the space for Jiang Wuming and Li Lianyi.
“The wind is strong, let’s go up.”
A gentle breeze ruffled Li Lianyi’s flowing hair. Jiang Wuming stepped forward, tidied her hair, and said.
“Take care of yourself. I’ll be waiting for you in Long Country.”
Li Lianyi nodded, then spontaneously embraced Jiang Wuming.
“Alright.”
Jiang Wuming held Li Lianyi tightly, uttering only a single word.
Then, Li Lianyi released Jiang Wuming, turned, and boarded the plane without pause or looking back at him.
A few minutes later, the plane began to taxi towards the runway, accelerated, and then lifted off, departing from the airport in the City of Sin.
Jiang Wuming retracted his gaze and walked towards Qin Xiaozhi and Gade.
“Brother Wuming, be honest, have you taken Gene No. 1 before, or some similar gene drug with comparable effects?”
Gade couldn’t help but ask as Jiang Wuming approached.
After taking Gene No. 1, he had been astonished by its potency!
“No,” Jiang Wuming replied, shaking his head.
“Then how have you cultivated so quickly? I found breaking through to the Three-star War God realm incredibly difficult, yet you achieved Four-star War God with apparent ease. When I first met you, you were merely a One-star War God, and now you’re a Four-star War God at the sixth stage, while I’m still a Three-star War God.”
Gade looked dejected. He had initially assumed Jiang Wuming had taken a similar drug beforehand, only to realize it was conjecture, and he felt disheartened.
Jiang Wuming couldn’t help but smile wryly.
Following the instructions of the Heavenly Dragon Daoist, Jiang Wuming had never taken gene drugs, relying solely on his own potential for cultivation.
Because he had started cultivating relatively late, and during his time in the Zhan Long Hall, he had been consumed by his desire for revenge, he hadn’t dedicated all his energy to cultivation. Consequently, his early martial arts progress lagged behind geniuses like Gade.
As for Gade’s mention of Jiang Wuming being at the Four-star War God sixth stage…
Although Jiang Wuming had already reached the Four-star War God ninth stage in the past month, he had used a secret Daoist art to conceal his true strength. To outsiders, he merely appeared to be at the Four-star War God sixth stage.
Apart from Qin Xiaozhi, no one else, including Xing Tian, Dongfang Xiaoyao, Huangfu Weixia, and Black Widow Jessica, knew about Jiang Wuming’s cultivation progress.
Jiang Wuming had done this because he found Buck’s situation highly suspicious, suggesting that certain individuals were becoming impatient and making their move.
With the enemy in the dark and himself in the light, he needed to hide his trump cards!
…
An hour later.
The plane carrying Li Lianyi arrived over the high seas west of the North American Alliance.
Inside the cabin, Li Lianyi was engrossed in an ancient medical book, reading with great seriousness.
Zhu Mo’s eyes were closed, seemingly resting, but in reality, he was meditating.
Although he had already known about Jiang Wuming’s breakthrough to the Four-star War God realm, witnessing Jiang Wuming in person during their visit to the City of Sin had left him with a pang of unease.
When he had first met Jiang Wuming at the Li Family Manor, Jiang Wuming had been so weak. Now, not only had Jiang Wuming surpassed him in combat power, but also in martial arts cultivation!
“Beep… Beep…”
Suddenly, a sharp and piercing alarm sounded in the cabin.
Whoosh!
Zhu Mo’s eyes snapped open instantly.
Li Lianyi also put down her ancient medical book.
Immediately, the plane began to shake violently, its tremors so severe that it felt as if it might fall apart at any moment.
“What’s going on?”
Zhu Mo quickly grabbed the intercom to inquire with the pilot in the cockpit.
“Master Zhu… Master Zhu, the plane has suddenly malfunctioned!” the pilot shouted in terror.
“Can you handle it?” Zhu Mo’s expression changed, and he immediately asked.
“I… I’m trying, but it’s very difficult…”
The pilot, in a state of panic, along with his assistant, was doing their utmost to resolve the malfunction.
Hearing this, Zhu Mo wasted no more words. He immediately got up, moved to Li Lianyi’s side, and retrieved the parachutes stored in the cabin.
“Lianyi, the plane has malfunctioned. I’ll help you put on a parachute. If there’s danger, we’ll break open the cabin and jump out to escape!”
As he spoke, Zhu Mo swiftly fastened the parachute onto Li Lianyi.
Having done so, he then put on a parachute for himself.
“Ah—”
At that moment, the pilot’s terrified scream echoed through the intercom. The plane suddenly plummeted towards the ground, and a state of weightlessness ensued within the cabin.
An ordinary person would have been unable to move in such a condition, but Zhu Mo, being a Four-star War God, took a step towards Li Lianyi and unbuckled her safety belt.
Boom!
With one hand holding Li Lianyi and the other, Zhu Mo punched the cabin wall. A surge of true energy erupted, striking the cabin wall and causing it to explode open.
Instantly, a terrifying airflow swept in. Zhu Mo, still holding Li Lianyi, simultaneously activated his true energy to shield them both. He stepped out, finding himself outside the cabin.
“Boom—”
Concurrently, a deafening explosion reverberated. The terrifying airflow that had engulfed the cabin directly caused the plane to disintegrate and explode in mid-air.
Zhu Mo and Li Lianyi began to fall rapidly under the force of gravity.
With quick hands, Zhu Mo protected Li Lianyi with his true energy while simultaneously deploying both their parachutes.
Moments later, they floated downwards. Li Lianyi regained her mobility and looked at the debris of the aircraft, her face filled with sorrow.
“Lianyi, in that situation, I couldn’t save them.”
Zhu Mo could sense Li Lianyi’s sadness and offered an explanation.
“I know.”
Li Lianyi sighed softly.
“There’s a ship on the sea. We can take it after we land!”
Zhu Mo spotted a ship on the sea and quickly changed the subject.
“Okay, Uncle Zhu.”
Li Lianyi nodded. She was not worried about her own safety.
Even without a ship, with Zhu Mo’s strength, he could carry her across the sea.
However—
Soon, Li Lianyi’s expression changed.
It was because of a single sentence from Zhu Mo!
“Lianyi, there are nine Five-star War Gods on that ship below—this wasn’t a normal malfunction; it was deliberate!”
There was no reply.
Li Lianyi instinctively took out her phone, attempting to contact Jiang Wuming.
Her phone was equipped with the Starry Sky Internet, theoretically allowing for a signal anywhere in the world.
The prerequisite was the absence of magnetic field interference in the location.
However—
When Li Lianyi took out her phone, she stopped her action—the phone signal was being jammed, and she couldn’t reach Jiang Wuming!
“Lianyi, they went to great lengths to cause this malfunction, likely not to kill you, otherwise, they could have just planted bombs! You need to find a way to survive!”
Zhu Mo, after a brief moment of panic, regained his composure.
Reason told him that the people on the ship would not kill Li Lianyi, but he himself was surely doomed!
“Whoosh! Whoosh!”
As if to confirm Zhu Mo’s words, just as they were about to land on the sea, an elder on the ship’s deck projected two streams of true energy, manifesting as two hands.
One hand seized Zhu Mo by the neck, while the other grabbed Li Lianyi.
“Pfft—”
The next moment.
Zhu Mo’s neck snapped, his head separated from his body, and blood gushed out, splattering Li Lianyi’s face.
Then, the other hand of true energy, grasping Li Lianyi by the neck, directly lifted her onto the deck!
…
An hour later.
The North American Alliance Military Command issued a statement:
“A private aircraft suddenly disintegrated and crashed in the high seas, one hundred nautical miles off the coast of Los Angeles. The North American Alliance Military Command has verified that this aircraft belonged to Long Country’s Li Lianyi. At the time of the accident, there were four people on board, including Li Lianyi. Their whereabouts are currently unknown.”
The news, once released, sent shockwaves across the globe.
City of Sin, East District Villa.
Upon receiving this news, Qin Xiaozhi immediately went to Jiang Wuming’s residence and found him about to enter seclusion again. He reported with a grave expression:
“Boss, I just received news that Lianyi’s plane had an accident in the seas west of Los Angeles in the North American Alliance…”
“Is Lianyi alright?!”
Jiang Wuming stood up abruptly, interrupting Qin Xiaozhi.
“According to the North American Alliance’s announcement, Lianyi and the other three are unaccounted for,” Qin Xiaozhi reported truthfully.
“Zhu Mo is a Four-star War God. Even if the plane malfunctioned, he should have been able to protect Lianyi’s safety!”
Jiang Wuming forced himself to remain calm and analyzed the situation.
“Ding—”
This time, before Qin Xiaozhi could reply, Jiang Wuming’s personal phone emitted a soft chime.
Jiang Wuming’s heart stirred, and he immediately picked up his phone and opened it. He saw a message containing a photograph.
In the photo, Li Lianyi’s face was covered in blood, her neck gripped by a hand formed of true energy, suspended in mid-air.
Below the photo was a sentence:
“Jiang Wuming, want to save your woman?”
…