Under One Person, your rebellious life has reached the heavens?

Upon learning of the situation, the Ninth Department wrote a simple explanatory report on the research principles and functions of the superpower lock and released it to the people within their territory to appease their anxiety.

The Security Council convened an emergency plenary session, which was attended by several top officials from the nine ministries.

After a ten-minute discussion, the atmosphere became tense and deadlocked. A level 4 Awakened One was simply no match for ordinary firearms and flesh and blood.

Some radical members of parliament proposed to mobilize 10 Class B mechs, concentrate them in one place, first completely wipe out the ambitious "Xianquan" from the human world, and then deter and dismantle other forces.

However, Wei Yuanming and a person in charge rejected the idea. The departure of 10 Class B mechs from the base was like a high-stakes gamble. Those cities that had lost their armed guards were at risk of being invaded by rebels at any time. The situation was even worse. It was undoubtedly gambling with the lives of tens of millions of ordinary people. If a violent counterattack occurred, no one could bear the serious consequences.

When someone inquired whether the Class A mechs could be deployed, the answer was that they had more important tasks to perform and could not leave for the time being.

The only remaining option points to the ultimate weapon with the highest destructive power currently possessed by human civilization—nuclear weapons.

This seems to be the most direct and effective solution for those awakened individuals who have carved out their own territories and become kings.

However, alarming news followed one after another: an email, sent from Xianquan's headquarters, reached the Security Council's network.

As mentioned above, there are currently five cities with populations of over ten million that have been given a backup plan. All artillery attacks will be swallowed up by the ubiquitous wormholes, which will then remotely target those densely populated urban areas.

"We want freedom, and we will never compromise."

"If you're prepared to sacrifice everything and want to destroy us, then come on."

The words were highly provocative, which infuriated many of the Security Council's top officials.

Subsequently, Su Nianlin dispatched several hackers to quickly infiltrate and break into their network in an attempt to uncover more secrets. However, they were thwarted and even retaliated against. The power supply to several coastal cities was cut off in an instant, paralyzing them.

Clearly, Xianquan also has top-notch hackers working for them.

Faced with the threat of the unknown wormhole, the nuclear weapon option was shelved, and the Security Council immediately launched a thorough search of multiple cities within its territory in an effort to locate the wormhole as quickly as possible.

With major transportation routes in various regions not blocked, and more than 20 million awakened individuals mixed among more than a billion ordinary people, even if the Security Council has registered information, it is impossible to check them one by one and restrict their travel.

They repeatedly urged the wavering awakened ones to remain calm and never go to Xianquan's base, because war was about to break out there.

Soon after, the Security Council received threats from other forces that if they dared to assemble mechs and troops to suppress any border, they would face the fiercest counterattack. The seven awakened forces reached an agreement to stand together.

They are Xianquan, Kuhai, Wugou Palace, Luowu, Qianyuan, Chiyao, and Shengyuan. The largest group has 40,000 awakened followers, while the smallest group has more than 10,000. The border cities they occupy have been completely turned into demonic dens outside the order.

Even Zhang Zhiwei and Lu Jin, who initially wanted to join forces to storm the headquarters of Xianquan, slowed down their plans due to this threat. Even if they were willing to take huge risks and fight fiercely on the border, what difference would it make?

Human resources are ultimately limited; they cannot be everywhere and at all times to save everyone.

After attacking Xianquan and driving those madmen to the brink of despair, the six forces will then launch a joint attack on the Central Plains, leading to another round of war and countless civilian casualties.

However, the slowdown is only a slowdown; the top brass of the Security Council have no intention of compromising or letting these seven rebel forces off the hook.

Similar trends have emerged overseas in this way, gradually encroaching on entire countries. Now that disaster has struck, they are pressed for time and can only maintain order while mobilizing as much power as possible to resist the invasion.

Even the leak of the superpower lock was investigated that same day. It turned out that a member of parliament who was still in a coma had had his brain tampered with. He had participated in a siege and was suspected of encountering the leader of Xianquan, and was injured and became a vegetable.

The final decision of the meeting was to launch an attack within 3 days. The three presidents and 4 Class B mechs would head north to attack Xianquan's headquarters, while the vice presidents and councilors would be stationed in their respective territories to defend against attacks from other forces.

In just half a day, according to incomplete statistics, more than 6 low-level awakened individuals left their original cities and went to the cities of the seven major powers to join forces with demons.

By evening, the number had soared to 14.

It's impossible to reason with a damned devil. The high-ranking members of the Security Council, upon learning of this news, were so angry they laughed, their murderous intent intensifying.

That night, Zhang Zhiwei even called Zhang Lingyu and Zhang Chulan to his side for a long talk, giving them all the instructions he could, which was practically his way of making his final arrangements.

Even as the pinnacle of the superhuman world, Tian Tongren, he couldn't predict whether he would be able to return this time.

After all, facing 50,000 to 60,000 awakened beings, the battlefield is ever-changing. Even with the help of old friends and the support of mechs, it is hard to guarantee that accidents will not happen.

As dawn broke, Zhang Zhiwei gazed at the rising sun outside the window, a relieved smile spreading across his face. He stretched out his withered hands and stroked the heads of the two children kneeling at his feet, tears still streaming down their faces. His tone was light yet full of expectation.

"Lingyu, Chulan..."

"From now on, the Celestial Master's Mansion will depend on you all. You must live up to expectations."

"Yes, Master..."

Zhang Lingyu, who was not good at expressing her emotions, choked up.

He felt powerless and guilty, unable to help his master, and could only watch helplessly as the old man went north to slay demons.

"Master... Chu Lan has been deeply grateful for your kindness along the way. From now on, no matter what, my junior uncle and I will work together to ensure that the Celestial Master's Mansion never declines."

Zhang Chulan's tears fell uncontrollably, and his voice trembled more and more as he spoke.

A den of demons with a total of 60,000 awakened beings, their supernatural abilities as numerous as locusts crossing the border. He couldn't even imagine how difficult this battle would be, yet the old man still went without hesitation.

"Don't cry, Chu Lan. Your master has some good news for you, okay?"

Zhang Zhiwei suddenly smiled, not bothering to keep her in suspense any longer:

“Yu De has been settled. He is recuperating at the Nine Departments right now. He was seriously injured some time ago, but... he is fine now. The people who attacked him were remnants of the Wudang sect from the Jia Shen year. If you wake up, someone will take you to see him. I have made the arrangements.”

"Thank you... thank you, Master..."

Zhang Chulan's tears welled up again, and he buried his head very low.

"I originally planned to take you north this time to go fishing and kill those people who are eyeing you from behind. I never expected things to be so serious. I've already spoken with Lao Lu. While I'm away, you'd better stay inside the Sanyi Gate and not leave without permission until I return. Understand?"

".....clear."

In the early morning, the warm sunlight of dawn filled the room.

A moment later, Lu Jin arrived, accompanied by a middle-aged man from the Ninth Department and several department executives dressed in black.

"Lingyu, Chulan, go down first," Zhang Zhiwei said softly.

After the two juniors left, at the middle-aged man's signal, an executive placed the silver box he was carrying on the table, entered the password, verified it with his fingerprint, and slowly opened it, revealing four vials of transparent liquid reagent inside.

"Mr. Xiao, what is this?"

Zhang Zhiwei frowned slightly, looking puzzled.

"A masterpiece from the Institute of Bioengineering, with no side effects, can revitalize your aging body after injection, restoring it to the state it was 15-20 years ago. Each dose costs tens of billions. This is one of the nine weapons that we are supporting you. Other weapons are on their way, so please wait patiently."

"These four medications have drug resistance. The more you administer them, the weaker the effect becomes, dropping from 100% efficacy to 10%, or even none at all. The three people who went to the border this time each had two doses. Old Master Lu's dose was given to you."

Xiao Yi gave a brief introduction to the effects and sources of the medicine.

"Is that so..."

"Old Lu..."

Zhang Zhiwei stood frozen in place, staring at the white-haired young man standing before him, as handsome as when they first met. Memories of the past flooded back, and a touch of emotion welled up in his bright, reserved eyes.

Before he could even express his gratitude, Lu Jin's expression hardened, and his voice was cold as he said:

“Let’s go together and come back together, Lao Zhang.”

"Let those second-rate bastards who act recklessly see their heyday."

"Very well, I will travel with you to sweep away all evil spirits. My wish is for peace and tranquility to prevail over the land."

Zhang Zhiwei smiled knowingly, and the wrinkles on his face suddenly smoothed out, making him look decades younger.

Chapter 356 Returning to the Peak, Emerging from Seclusion and Gathering

There are two ways to administer the medication: direct injection or oral administration.

The accompanying staff took out a series of testing instruments, placed them on the Taoist priest's wrist to check, and after confirming that he was healthy and met the conditions for use, they opened four vials of medicine for him.

"Give."

The young executive handed over the first vial. The liquid inside, exactly 7ml, was transparent and clear, shimmering with a faint blue light, as deep and beautiful as the starry sky.

“Gurgle…”

The medicine tasted just like ordinary boiled water. Once swallowed, its effects were instantly released, permeating every inch of flesh and blood throughout the body, and even aging organs gradually regained their vitality.

In less than two minutes, Zhang Zhiwei clearly felt that his body was much better than before. His loose skin regained its color, the wrinkles on his face faded a lot, and his pale hair turned gray with signs of turning black again.

"How is it?" Lu Jin asked.

"The effect is remarkable."

Zhang Zhiwei circulated his Qi through his meridians and murmured in response:

"It's so good to be young. It feels like I've gone back to how I looked 17 years ago. It's a bit surreal. My innate energy is surging up, like I've been reborn. I never imagined that our technology has reached this level."

"17 years? That's a long time..."

Lu Jin remembered that the last time the two sparred was in 1996. Before that, the old friend's vigor had begun to decline. After that draw, the two did not fight each other for a full 20 years.

"Try again."

"Give."

“Gurgle…”

Even after taking the second dose, Zhang Zhiwei could still clearly feel the obvious changes in his body.

Although not as intense as before, it was more fluid and natural. The erosion marks left by time on the muscles, bones, and flesh were constantly being traced back and repaired. It was as if the body was growing in reverse, and even more powerful than before appeared.

Many strands of hair had turned gray, and the kindness in his features had been replaced by an elder's majesty. His gentle eyes now seemed to have gained a sharp edge, and the wrinkles on his weathered face had diminished again. His overall demeanor was completely different from before.

"It seems we're close." Lu Jin was happy for her old friend.

"Yes, the drug's potency is reduced by half, making you about 10 years younger."

Zhang Zhiwei loosened his muscles and bones, feeling exceptionally comfortable. His internal organs were full of innate Qi, and he was now several times stronger than before.

If he were to face that Level 4 Awakened one who was protecting the Wang family at this moment, he was confident he could kill him quickly.

However, it's still a little short of his peak performance.

“Gurgle…”

After the third dose of the medicine entered his throat, his light gray hair turned dark gray, and his emaciated body gradually became full of flesh and blood, becoming strong and agile. Every move he made exuded a powerful and domineering strength.

"This time it will be 7 years."

"We're almost at that bottleneck."

Zhang Zhiwei rarely paid attention to his aging process, but only today did he feel so strongly that the difference between his younger self and his old self was like heaven and earth. Indeed... he had to admit that he was getting old.

"I wish you all the best, Master."

Xiao Yi respectfully presented the last vial of medicine with both hands.

"Gurgle..."

Zhang Zhiwei took it, drank it, his Adam's apple bobbed, and his body's reverse aging slowed down.

Getting closer and closer, his former peak performance is right before his eyes.

In the quiet and composed wait, in the final few breaths, I successfully broke through.

At this point, most of the old Celestial Master's hair had turned black. His advanced Qi cultivation in his old age, combined with his body before his blood and energy declined, made him slightly stronger than he was at his most powerful.

"It's done?" Lu Jin asked with a smile.

"Yes, the effects of the last dose will only last for a little over two years, but that should be enough."

Zhang Zhiwei let out a soft sigh of relief, his face radiant, and the helplessness of his twilight years vanished.

Given his current situation and the presence of his close friends fighting alongside him, he is fearless in venturing into that demonic lair, wreaking havoc, and restoring order to the world.

At the same time, he felt a sense of relief. His lifespan had been extended several times over, enough for him to live until the day he saw Zhang Lingyu and Zhang Chulan grow up, and he guessed he could even see their big, healthy son.

"Master, now that you have succeeded, I will not bother you any longer. Please rest and get used to your surroundings. I wish you and Elder Lu and Elder Wei a swift and unstoppable conquest. We await your triumphant return."

Xiao Yi bowed respectfully and then left with the other staff members.

That morning, Zhang Zhiwei meditated and cultivated, striving to familiarize himself with his once most powerful physical body in the shortest possible time.

in the afternoon.

The Security Council has announced that another 12 Awakened Ones have joined the seven demonic lairs on the border.

The Immortal Realm that Lu Jin and his group are going to attack alone has more than 80,000 Awakened Ones. What's worse is that four new Level 4 Awakened Ones have joined the fray, one of whom was the leader of the recently disappeared 'Yinghuo'.

Zhou Sheng, Xu Xin, and their group, who were thousands of miles away, had their plans disrupted by the sudden rebellion. They decided to seize the opportunity and join the Immortal Realm, waiting for Zhang Zhiwei to come and annihilate them. They planned to use the power of other strong individuals to kill Zhang Zhiwei on the frontier, at which point dealing with Zhang Chulan would be a piece of cake.

Seeing that Xianquan had gathered 12 Level 4 Awakeners, the high-ranking members of the Security Council felt their scalps tingle. The number of top experts to be attacked had increased by half again. Did the original three presidents and four Class B mechs really have a chance of winning?

Just when everyone was hesitant and about to give up the attack.

Despite opposition, Lu Jin was willing to go through fire and water to march north and slay the demon.

This was not only his duty, but also his agreement with his fellow disciples. He would never back down, and he would not rest until he had wiped out that demonic den and personally killed the traitors of the sect.