Wang Siki's three daughters were urged by the soldiers to evacuate the base. The three girls stood frozen, their eyes reddening as tears welled up. They still hadn't found their younger brother. What were they supposed to do now?
Wang Siki had already resolved herself—if anything happened to her younger brother, everyone involved would pay the price.
The air defense department launched another wave of interception missiles. Inside the command room, the staff stared nervously at the screen. Once again, the interceptor met the Thunder-15 missile. Unfortunately, the Thunder-15 was far too fast and merely brushed past it.
Shir Uaa's palms trembled slightly. He slumped into his chair, gasping for breath, forcing himself to calm down and think of another way to stop the attack. However, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't find a solution.
The Thunder-15 missile was a newly developed thermal weapon from Country E. Other nations had very little understanding of its capabilities.
Suddenly—swish.
A figure clad in white robes appeared in midair, holding a sword and positioning himself directly between the missile and the military base.
The white-robed figure looked incredibly small, like a lone flatboat drifting in a raging ocean.
"He's flying! He can fly!"
"He must be an Immortal!"
"Immortal, please save our soldiers of HHA!"
"With the Immortal here, we still have hope!"
"Is he the Guardian God of HHA? He's so handsome!"
The army below erupted into discussion.
Shao stood among the crowd, staring at the figure with complicated emotions. The Immortal had spoken to him earlier. Even if he died now, he would have no regrets.
Hundreds of thousands of soldiers lifted their heads, gazing at the white-robed figure as hope bloomed in their hearts.
Inside the E-military base, a blond man stared at the screen and sneered.
"No matter who you are," he muttered coldly, "facing our most advanced missile, you're nothing more than an ant trying to stop a car. You're overestimating yourself."
In midair, Shiau was only one kilometer away from the missile.
"Is it… that big?" he exclaimed.
The Thunder-15 was as massive as a truck. Compared to it, the previous anti-aircraft missiles were nothing more than toys.
A trace of hesitation flashed through Shiau's mind. What if it explodes? What if it kills me?
He was scared.
Turning his head, he looked toward his father in the distance, then lowered his gaze to the soldiers within the military zone.
"Dad can't be killed by the bad guys…"
He pouted slightly, his blue eyes locking onto the oncoming missile.
The Golden Crow Sword returned to his hand. He activated his spiritual power, hovering silently in midair, listening to the flow of the wind.
"Listening to the Wind—Seven Swords!"
With his shout, surrounding spiritual energy surged violently into the sword. The Golden Crow began emitting a terrifying aura.
Shiau raised his sword. In an instant, it split into thousands of sword shadows, each radiating powerful spiritual fluctuations.
Now at the Foundation Building Stage, he could finally execute the fourth sword.
"Fourth Sword—Ceiling Demon Unite!"
All sword shadows merged into the Golden Crow. At that moment, it was as if everyone heard a melodious sword cry.
With one strike, the world changed color.
The sword energy collided with the missile—
BOOM!
A deafening explosion tore through the sky. Soldiers instinctively covered their ears as the shockwave spread for thousands of kilometers, whipping up violent winds across the entire battlefield.
Thick smoke and dust lingered in the air.
"The danger is resolved!"
The soldiers burst into laughter and cheers.
"Guardian God of HHA!"
"Guardian God of Huia!"
The roars of four hundred thousand soldiers pierced the heavens.
On the high platform, Shua braced himself against the raging wind, anxiously searching the smoke-filled sky.
Everyone silently prayed.
Waiting.
Waiting for the Immortal's return.
Slowly, the smoke dissipated.
The sky cleared—
But the white-robed figure was gone.
"Where is the Immortal?"
"How could this be?"
"Can Immortals die from explosions?"
Impossible.
And yet… there was nothing left.
The Immortal had vanished completely.
Over a dozen returning masters stood on the platform, gazing into the sky with sorrowful expressions.
"A master who saved hundreds of thousands alone," one of them said softly. "He deserves the title—Guardian Deity of China."
Shaide clenched his fists, regret flashing across his face. He hadn't even had the chance to thank the mysterious savior.
The base gradually returned to order.
Wang Siki's three daughters arrived at the monitoring room, where the staff respectfully ushered them to the screens.
Wang Shinu leaned forward, her stunning S-shaped figure unintentionally stirring the surrounding staff. They hurriedly looked away, suppressing their reactions.
On-screen, as soon as a helicopter landed, the cabin door opened. A young boy carrying a small white dog ran toward the east.
Wang Lelay raised her eyebrows in surprise. She hadn't expected her brother to bring Shohi to the base.
The footage followed them until the boy and puppy entered a blind spot. Then—nothing.
Wang Siki supported her cheek with her jade-like hand, frowning.
"Are there any other nearby cameras? Bring them up. The time frame should be within fifteen minutes of my brother entering the blind spot."
The staff complied immediately.
Suddenly, footage from Monitor 052 showed a white-robed young man appearing out of nowhere.
"Stop."
The video paused.
Wang Siki stared at the image, her expression serious. This man was too strange. He wasn't wearing a military uniform—and he appeared exactly where her brother disappeared.
"Continue."
The footage resumed.
No second person appeared.
Even when the video ended.
"How is this possible…?" Wang Siki murmured. According to her calculations, her brother should have been captured on camera.
Meanwhile, photos and videos captured by reporters flooded social media.
[Shocking! A 100-Meter Giant Sword Appears at the Border!][Mysterious Immortal Stops Thunder-15 Missile Alone!][Guardian Deity of China?]
Hundreds of millions clicked in shock. The most eye-catching image was a colossal sword piercing the sky.
Comments exploded:
"If that sword falls, won't it destroy my house?"
"If I had that sword, I'd make you run 99 meters first!"
"Oh my god, this sword is insane!"
A video surfaced showing a white-robed figure floating a kilometer above ground, executing a sword technique that detonated the missile midair.
China erupted.
Then—everything vanished.
All related videos, photos, and discussions were deleted overnight. Trolls flooded the platforms, calling it fake, claiming it was Photoshopped.
Confusion spread nationwide.
In an office in Kotto, a video replayed on a projector.
An old white-haired man leaned back, legs crossed.
"Shien," he said lightly, "what do you think of the man in the video?"
The middle-aged man beside him replied gravely, "His strength is unfathomable. He may have surpassed everyone on the Heavenly Rankings."
The old man smiled faintly.
"He has long surpassed the realm of martial masters. The Heavenly Rankings can no longer contain him."
Several kilometers from the border, Shiau stood on a hillside, scanning the surroundings.
That explosion had been terrifying. Had he still been in the Qi Refining Stage, he would've been seriously injured.
"Where did that bastard go…?"
He frowned, then shook his head.
"Never mind. My sister is in the base. I'll go there directly."
He flew toward the retreating enemy direction.
Inside the border military district, General Shuaa was reorganizing his troops.
Suddenly—
"Father!"
Three exquisite young women rushed onto the platform.
Shuaa's face darkened. "There's a war happening! What are you doing here?"
Wang Siki stepped forward, trembling. "Father… Shaka sneaked into the military district. We can't find him."
Veins bulged on Shuaa's neck.
"What?!"
"Send twenty search teams immediately!" he ordered coldly. "The rest stay put."
Yet anxiety burned in his heart.
Meanwhile, Shiau flew toward the steel giant city.
Suddenly—ten tracking missiles locked onto him.
He landed instantly.
Sword lights flashed.
The missiles exploded.
More missiles followed—endless.
"Shiai… Shiai?" he called.
No response.
"Sleeping again…"
He reached into his robe, grabbed the dog, and threw it at the missiles.
BOOM!
A charred object fell from the sky.
It was Shiai.
As the dog woke from the explosion, it stared blankly at the sky—
Almost ending its dog life.