Shortly after the volcanic eruption, the crater was completely submerged by the aftershocks of the explosion and the torrent of lava. Amidst the chaos and destruction, Liu Yun found an unexpected refuge—inside the massive remains of the Undying Bird's mother.
Although lifeless, its colossal body and rigid bones unexpectedly became a natural shield, warding off most of the external impact and high temperatures.
"I didn't expect to have the protagonist's illness without the protagonist's fate; this person shouldn't die by my hand!"
Liu Yun couldn't help but complain. He used his Psychic to control the Undying Bird, making it soar high. The blast wave from the volcanic explosion provided the perfect thrust, propelling Liu Yun far away in one go.
This seemed incredibly simple, but in reality, it was fraught with extreme danger, akin to navigating a small boat against a tsunami tens of thousands of meters high.
However, it was the Mechanical Race Clone, through its calculation of the explosive force, that precisely manipulated the Undying Bird's remains, forcibly guiding it through the giant waves and giving Liu Yun a chance at survival! This is the power of the Automaton Race; its computing power can simulate everything in the world, even ultimately creating a virtual reality.
During this process, the Thunder Blade on Liu Yun's body also played a role, automatically unlocking into a large shield form and staying behind the flying bird to counteract nearly half of the explosive impact.
This was what surprised Liu Yun the most. He never expected his Automaton Race combat blade to be so effective. The power of this volcanic eruption was comparable to a single strike from an Astral Rank existence. Although they didn't face it directly, the dissipated fluctuations were still terrifying, and the fact that it could be blocked meant that the Thunder Blade could withstand attacks from anyone on Earth.
As for Li Wei and the others who remained at the original location, Liu Yun didn't know if they were alive or dead, but the entire volcanic vent had been annihilated in the explosion just now, and those with flesh and blood bodies would have long been reduced to dust.
This blast wave propelled Liu Yun, who was piloting the 'Undying Bird' airplane, far away at light speed. Liu Yun still had an HR Alliance locator on him.
Liu Yun had long known that items provided by the HR Alliance would have tracking issues. He used the Mechanical Race Clone to alter the tracking, so now his location should appear to be three thousand li away in Yingzhou.
He had also completed the Undying Bird mission, but he planned to wander for a while longer. The Mechanical Race Clone had sent a long list of monster Materials and rare metals, which he intended to collect one by one before returning to upgrade his base.
His off-road vehicle was still intact. Liu Yun pushed aside the branches and other camouflage items covering it and drove off, making his escape. Perhaps he had completed his mission, but the road itself had been completely destroyed by the volcanic eruption.
Meanwhile, in the most luxurious district of the bustling Jiangnan Base City, mountains were verdant, waterfalls cascaded, and the lake water was clear, forming a stark contrast with the surrounding high-rises and incredibly expensive land. This area, spanning several kilometers, became a dream residence for countless wealthy individuals due to its unique beauty.
It not only dominated Jiangnan Base City but also ranked second in all of China. This was the famous Jiangnan Landscape Community, especially the villa area located at the Peak of Huayao Peak.
Under the night sky, with stars twinkling, a strong individual dressed in a dark blue training suit sat with his eyes closed on the rooftop of a mountaintop villa. His long hair cascaded over his shoulders, and his face was as stern as a stone sculpture. Even with his eyes closed, one could feel the chilling cold and the heart-palpitating Evil Qi emanating from him. This person was the globally renowned strong individual, known as "Vulture," the High-level God of War—Li Yao.
Suddenly, a piercing alarm sound from Li Yao's ordinary wristwatch broke the night's tranquility. He abruptly opened his eyes, which flashed with lightning-like brilliance. Immediately, a look of shock and anger appeared on his cold face, and he murmured, "A-Wei..."
Li Yao quickly issued commands through his watch, attempting to contact his son Li Wei's two bodyguards, but still received no response. In anger and anxiety, he transformed into a phantom, instantly rushing into the spacious audio-visual room on the third floor of the villa.
"Activate Martial Artist search mode!" Li Yao commanded in a deep voice.
As the command was issued, a giant instrument at the edge of the audio-visual room activated, emitting a hazy light. These lights converged in the center of the room to form a three-dimensional holographic projection. In the projection, a silver-haired, black-clad elder appeared. He was the specialist responsible for this search operation.
"Mr. Li Yao, please confirm the search range you require," the black-clad elder respectfully said.
"Determine the precise coordinates of my son, Li Wei, and search for the locations of all God of War-level Martial Artists within a hundred li radius," Li Yao's voice was filled with unquestionable authority.
However, when he learned that there were no God of War-level Martial Artists within a hundred li radius of Li Wei, Li Yao's expression drastically changed. He knew that given the strength of his son's bodyguards, for them to be killed in such a short time, the culprit must be a God of War-level expert. But why was the search fruitless? This left him feeling an unprecedented sense of confusion and unease.
"Search for the locations of all High-level War General-level Martial Artists within another hundred li!" Li Yao issued a new command without hesitation.
But the black-clad elder informed him that searching for War General-level Martial Artists required an S-level authorization from the HR Alliance, and Li Yao did not possess such permission. This information undoubtedly fueled Li Yao's rage even further.
Just then, a sound of Qi explosion approached from afar, and a blonde, blue-eyed, distraught Caucasian noblewoman rushed into the audio-visual room. She was Li Yao's wife, and also the sister of the powerful Polenas Family Clan Chief within the HR Alliance, the High-level God of War—Veenina Polenas. She had hurried over upon hearing the news of her son's demise, her eyes filled with grief and determination.
"Can you search now!" Li Yao stared intently at the black-clad elder in the three-dimensional projection, while the elder's gaze turned to Veenina.
"Yes, you have S-level authorization. I will serve you with all my heart..."
After he finished speaking, they quickly began searching for High-level War Generals again, but soon failed as there were no High-level War Generals nearby.
They even investigated all High-level War Generals who had ventured out during this period, finding only a handful, most of whom were in distant, remote locations.
Especially Liu Yun, who was directly wandering in Yingzhou, causing the couple to immediately rule him out. This initial exclusion of a correct answer made the subsequent process of finding the culprit incredibly difficult.
However, Liu Yun still completed the Undying Bird hunting mission. Even if Liu Yun could change his location, he couldn't hide the fact that he had been there.
At the same time, Grinda in the HR Alliance was aware of his God of War strength. If this information were to leak out in the future, it would be hard to avoid suspicion falling on him.
After completing the Undying Bird hunting mission, Liu Yun did not immediately return to Jiangnan Base City. Instead, he chose a more remote route, traversing the towering mountains of Yingzhou to continue his hunting activities.
This was also to protect himself; if he were exposed now, he would be finished.
As night fell, Liu Yun found a secluded valley to serve as a temporary camp. In the valley, moonlight filtered through sparse clouds, casting its glow upon a peculiar sight—the scattered remains of tigers as tall as small mountains.
These tigers were all mutated beasts he had encountered and defeated during his journey, their massive bodies bearing witness to the terrifying power of Liu Yun's combat ability.
With the Thunder Blade in hand, combined with the Automaton Race's top-tier computing power, Liu Yun was like a legendary Genius, capable of defeating opponents two minor stages higher. His combat power was among the highest on Earth.
"Computing power and equipment are the most potent weapons of the Automaton Race," Liu Yun murmured to himself, then took out the list of Materials sent by the Mechanical Race Clone and began planning his next move.
There are many ways to break the deadlock. Clearly, Liu Yun intended to increase his own strength, and after forcibly changing the power dynamic, he would then face others' challenges.
Is it really that difficult to Breakthrough to planet stage? After confirming the safety of his surroundings, Liu Yun began to process the remains of these tigers. He used the high-tech tools he carried with him to sever the steel-like tiger claws and the dagger-like fangs.
The tiger hides were also rare treasures. These monstrous tigers all possessed War General strength, and even Liu Yun took a long time to dismember them.
As the night deepened, low roars echoed through the valley, as if even the creatures of nature were shaken by this powerful force. However, Liu Yun seemed to be in another world; his heart was filled only with the desire for power and a vision for the future.
"One day, I will stand at the Peak of this world, making all my enemies tremble."
Liu Yun made a vow in his heart, then cut off all contact with the outside world and continued his hunting journey.