Chinese Superman

"The Boshan furnace can silently absorb targets within a specific range into its internally derived alternate dimension."

He seemed to be explaining, or perhaps talking to himself: "Similar spatial artifacts are not unique. Ancient paintings such as 'A Panorama of Rivers and Mountains,' 'Along the River During the Qingming Festival,' and 'Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains' can also evolve or contain space, some even as vast as a small world."

"Although the Boshan Furnace does not have the vast space of those calligraphy and painting spaces, its advantage lies in its invisible and traceless activation, which takes people in without their knowledge. It can also manifest Taoist fairyland phenomena to trap enemies within, making it extremely powerful..."

The pilot was completely stunned and at a loss.

Commissioner Chen remained unusually calm as he sat in his chair, straightening his collar. "Just wait. Since you've used the Boshan incense burner to 'invite' us in, then the people who 'receive' us should be here by now."

He had barely finished speaking.

Suddenly, a clear bird song rang out from the strange sky where the bronze immortal mountain and the golden sea of ​​clouds intertwined.

A glimmer of light appeared from the far distance and quickly grew larger.

It was a lifelike swallow phantom made entirely of pale blue spiritual matter, flapping its wings and soaring high at lightning speed.

Swallows fly fast, but those who ride them are even faster!

An elderly man, dressed in a simple Zhongshan suit, with his white hair neatly combed and looking energetic, was standing in mid-air, leaning on what appeared to be an ordinary wooden cane, his clothes fluttering in the wind.

With each flap of his wings, the swallow beneath his feet left a trail of blue light in the air, as if he were stepping on invisible stairs or riding the wind. Its speed was astonishing, and it was leisurely making its way across the void towards the location of the helicopter.

It was Professor Qian!

What he was using was none other than Xia Xinghan's legendary martial art, "Treading the Flying Swallow"!

With a calm expression and deep gaze, Mr. Qian had already locked his gaze on Commissioner Chen inside the helicopter, even from a great distance.

In that gaze, there was regret, heartache, and even more so... an unspeakable anger!

"Chen Mo, why?"

Old Qian stood in mid-air, riding on the illusory image of a swallow, his eyes deep as he gazed at Chen Mo through the helicopter window, uttering only five words.

Chen Mo met Qian Lao's gaze through the glass, his face showing no fear, but rather a hint of sarcasm as he said, "I never expected that Qian Lao, who is so busy with his affairs, would leave those real 'big fish' to catch me, a fish that is neither here nor there, and would actually take matters into his own hands, even using the Boshan Furnace... I am truly honored."

Old Qian's expression remained unchanged, and he simply repeated three words: "Why?"

Chen Mo's mockery deepened: "Things have come to this point, and I have no intention of arguing about right or wrong."

"Further words are useless. If Elder Qian wants to close the net, then bring it on! But if you expect me to surrender without resistance, don't blame me for fighting to the death!"

His spiritual energy surged in his dantian, circulating throughout his body, and his aura rose.

Old Qian's gaze remained fixed on him, and he spoke for the third time: "Why... Japan?"

After being pressed three times, Chen Mo paused, remaining silent for a moment.

When he spoke again, he seemed more candid: "Why do you keep asking? Is the answer... really that important?"

"It's important, because I need a reason to kill you."

"Really... Mr. Qian, do you remember that three years ago, you asked me at the base if I could recite Li Bai's 'Spending the Night at a Mountain Temple'?"

"Today, I'd also like to ask you, Mr. Qian, can you recite Sima Qian's 'The Biography of Chen She'?"

Before Qian Lao could answer, Chen Mo's voice suddenly rose, filled with emotions that had been suppressed for a long time, as he said to himself, "There's a sentence in it that's truly thought-provoking—'Are kings and nobles born with a special destiny?'"

"Indeed, are kings and nobles born with a special destiny?!"

"I also want to become a 'celestial being'! I also want to build a 'Chen family' that will last for a thousand years and prosper forever!"

Chen Mo's eyes burned brightly, revealing his deepest ambitions to outsiders for the first time without reservation.

"The world has changed!"

"With the revival of spiritual energy and the manifestation of sacred relics, even mortals can cultivate immortality and attain eternal life. So why can those powerful clans that have existed for hundreds of years remain high above, possessing abundant resources?"

"Why can they have one piece of the imperial palace while I have one piece of the imperial palace?!"

"Why can't I, Chen Mo, build a lasting foundation for myself and my descendants?!"

Chen Mo's eyes were filled with fervor, and his voice grew increasingly loud, completely unlike his composed demeanor at the base.

"What doomsday crisis, what creation plan, what Southern Heavenly Gate plan—it's all just needless worry! What we should do is seize the opportunity of the spiritual energy revival, reshuffle the deck, and become true heroes in this chaotic world!"

"When my flower blooms, all others wither; the whole city is adorned in golden armor!"

Throughout the entire conversation, Mr. Qian listened quietly without interrupting. His eyes held a complex mix of disappointment, anger, astonishment, and more.

In the end, it all turned into a heavy sigh.

"Chen Mo, your faith has collapsed, and your ideology has been completely distorted."

"The phrase 'Are kings and nobles born with a special destiny?' has taken on a completely different meaning when it comes out of your mouth."

"The Chen Sheng and Wu Guang uprising was initially a rebellion against the tyrannical Qin Dynasty, seeking a way for the people to survive. But you... are merely driven by rampant selfishness, wanting to become the new 'kings and generals' to oppress others."

Old Qian paused, his tone carrying a rare hint of weariness and helplessness: "I know you've been secretly tipping off powerful families and clans, leaking information in exchange for resources or favors, even if you've done it flawlessly."

"The base is too deep, too complicated, and has too many projects; it's not pure enough. It's not just my base. If you don't leak intelligence to the powerful families, someone else will."

"Some things, as long as they don't touch the root of the problem, I can turn a blind eye to."

"but--"

Mr. Qian's voice suddenly turned stern, and his gaze was like lightning.

"You shouldn't have betrayed your country! Even more so, you shouldn't have cooperated with Japan! This is a red line! A bottom line that must never be crossed!!"

"Touching this red line, no matter your reasons or ambitions, will only lead to your death!"

Chen Mo sneered, "Japan? So what? It's just a tool for me to realize my dreams!"

"You should know that there are quite a few Chinese treasures scattered in Japan. If we can use Japan's resources, or cooperate with them, to bring these resurrected artifacts back to our own use, and once I have integrated them and established the Chen family, returning with these numerous artifacts and powerful individuals, that would be a great achievement!"

"Mr. Qian, times have changed. Why be so rigid and inflexible?"

He changed the subject, making a final attempt to persuade: "Let the people outside who control the Boshan furnace open the exit. For the sake of our more than twenty years of working together, spare my life."

"I promise that even if I go abroad, I will never harm the country."

"This is good for you, for me, and for everyone. Why risk your life for such a trivial matter?"

Even so, his muscles were already tense, and his spiritual power was ready to be unleashed.

Old Qian slowly shook his head, his face expressionless: "No need to waste words. A red line is a red line; crossing it means certain death. There is no other possibility."

"Those who walk different paths cannot make plans together."

Chen Mo knew that persuasion was useless, and his face turned completely gloomy.

Without saying another word, he suddenly reached out and lifted an object that had been covered by a black cloth from the chair next to him.

The black cloth slipped off, revealing a bronze artifact with an extremely strange shape.