novelraw Chapter 20 : The Decision of the Purple Light Pavilion
Chapter 20 : The Decision of the Purple Light Pavilion
Chapter 20: The Decision of the Purple Light Pavilion
Six hours after the “Metal Storm” incident occurred.
At the power core of the Longxi Republic, in its capital, within a top-level conference room not open to the public—inside the Purple Light Pavilion.
An unprecedented emergency meeting was being held in this windowless, signal-shielded chamber.
Before the long rectangular table sat the most powerful people of the Longxi Republic.
At this moment, the face of every single one of them carried an unprecedented gravity.
In the center of the conference table, a holographic projection device was playing a video file marked as “Top Secret.”
In the footage, a torrent of steel blotted out the sky and sun, while modern armed forces were crushed as easily as ants.
That metal storm, like divine punishment itself—the godlike figure seated upon an iron throne—and that mobile fortress which crushed everything in its path, plunged the entire room into a deathly silence.
Silence.
A long silence.
A deathly silence.
For a time, only the heavy breathing of those present echoed in the still air.
“This is the report from the 【Candle Dragon】 task force, sent back from Jiang City, regarding the ‘Transcendent’.”
Sitting at the head of the table, an elderly man with a gaunt face and eyes deep as the sea finally broke the silence.
“Everyone, speak your thoughts.”
A military giant with stars on his shoulders and a face as sharp and firm as if carved by blades spoke slowly, his voice hoarse, “I can stake my decades of military experience on this—no nation or organization in the world currently possesses such an efficient and precise technology of metal manipulation.”
“Therefore, according to the report from the 【Candle Dragon】 task force, we can basically confirm that an entirely unknown form of ‘Transcendent Power’ has descended.”
“Gentlemen, this is not crime.”
“This is war—of another kind.”
“Our opponent wields powers that defy human comprehension!”
“I agree.”
Another man, a top academician from the National Academy of Sciences, adjusted his glasses, his complexion pale. “From the perspective of energy conservation, within a mere five minutes, he mobilized at least tens of thousands of tons of metal, causing violent deformation and high-speed motion. The energy involved is equivalent to a small tactical nuclear explosion.”
“And all that energy… seemed to come from him alone.”
“One man is an army.”
“No, he’s even more terrifying than an army.”
“I fully agree with General Li and Professor Jiang,” said a refined man wearing gold-rimmed glasses. “According to intelligence sent back from Jiang City, apart from the one codenamed ‘Iron Monarch’—Liu Gang—there are at least three other Transcendents, each with distinct abilities, codenamed ‘Titan’, ‘Zhurong’, and ‘Gale’.”
“Their powers respectively involve ‘super strength’, ‘flame manipulation’, and ‘super speed’.”
“Based on the autopsy of Jiang City’s first Transcendent victim, Li Ming, we also have reason to believe there exists a fifth, perhaps more, unknown form of Transcendent ability—using ‘curses’ or ‘psychic attacks’ as means.”
“In just over ten days, at least five Transcendents with different abilities appeared in the same city.”
“This is no coincidence.”
“Behind this must lie a massive secret—or conspiracy—we have yet to uncover.”
As the intelligence chief finished speaking, the conference room again fell into silence.
Everyone present held high positions and had weathered countless storms.
Yet this report, and the mythical footage accompanying it, had utterly overturned their understanding of the world.
Finally, the elderly man sitting at the head of the table raised his eyes, as deep as an abyss.
His gaze swept across everyone present. When he spoke, his tone was calm but carried an undeniable authority.
“Gentlemen, now I need to know—how shall our nation, our army, and our people face this unprecedented upheaval?”
“The threat level of the Jiang City incident must be reassessed.”
“I propose that, effective immediately, the threat level of the Jiang City incident be raised from a ‘Major Public Security Incident’ directly to ‘Wartime Level’!”
“Immediately establish the ‘National Strategic Response Group for Transcendent Affairs’, under my direct command, to coordinate all national resources to address this crisis.”
“Authorize the creation of the ‘Jiang City Special Incident Joint Command Center’, composed of the military, state security, public security, and relevant technical departments. General Li will serve as the overall commander.”
“Mobilize the army immediately. Bring all latest-generation weapons of mass destruction, including the ‘Skyfire’ thermobaric bombs and ‘Thunder God’ electromagnetic pulse bombs. Within twenty-four hours, complete a full military blockade around Jiang City and place the city under martial law!”
“Order the National Supercomputing Center to conduct full-scale, zero-blind-spot data monitoring and analysis of Jiang City and its surrounding areas.”
“Authorize the Command Center, if necessary, to take all measures—including the use of strategic-grade weapons!”
The old man’s voice was calm, yet each word struck like a mountain, making everyone’s hearts pound violently.
“I agree.”
“Seconded.”
“No objections.”
Before an absolute threat, all disagreements became meaningless.
Thus, an unprecedented resolution was passed unanimously at the highest level.
The entire Longxi Republic—this vast, precise national machine—having been utterly provoked, finally revealed its ferocious fangs!
Orders were issued from the nation’s power core, transmitted through encrypted lines to every key department.
A war between the mightiest mortal forces and an incomprehensible Transcendent power was about to erupt in the city known as Jiang City!
……
At the same time, on a main avenue of Jiang City.
The massive mobile fortress made of scrap iron was rampaging down the road.
All vehicles along the way frantically swerved aside, clearing an unobstructed “King’s Road.”
High above, several police helicopters hovered at a distance, too afraid to approach, only transmitting the target’s real-time position back to the command center.
Inside the fortress, Liu Gang’s face was pale.
Though he had seemed unstoppable earlier, that earth-shaking “Metal Storm” had nearly drained half of his stamina.
Manipulating such an enormous amount of metal with precision and speed placed a tremendous burden on him.
He needed to find a safe place to hide and recover his strength—fast.
Yet he knew the authorities’ pursuit would not cease.
The eyes in the sky, the networks on the ground—he was like an insect under a magnifying glass. Wherever he fled, there would be no escape.
As he pondered how to shake off the pursuit, a teasing voice suddenly sounded beside his ear.
“Hey! Uncle! Need a hand?”
Startled, Liu Gang whipped his head around.
A young man in a delivery uniform had somehow appeared beside his fortress, gliding through the air on invisible currents, keeping pace with him.
“You’re that flyer—how are you here?” Liu Gang asked warily.
“Relax, we’re on the same side.”
Zhang Jie grinned and pointed toward the helicopters overhead. “If you keep running like this, they’ll wear you down eventually.”
“Drop those metal chunks and come with me. I’ll get you out—they’ll never catch up.”
Liu Gang stared at Zhang Jie’s confident smile, hesitated for a moment, then chose to trust this suddenly appearing “teammate.”
With a thought, the metallic sphere covering his body rapidly disassembled, clattering to the ground in a series of sharp metallic sounds.
“Good!”
Zhang Jie laughed heartily, leaping from a wall to land neatly beside Liu Gang.
“Hold tight!”
He grabbed Liu Gang’s muscular arm, then stomped hard on the ground!
A powerful air current exploded outward from his feet, raising a swirl of dust around them.
The next second, under the astonished gazes of countless pursuers below, Zhang Jie actually pulled Liu Gang—this man over 1.9 meters tall—straight toward the glass wall of a nearby commercial building!
Their feet landed firmly against the vertical surface, as if gravity no longer applied to them.
“Keep up with my rhythm!”
Zhang Jie shouted, dragging Liu Gang along as they sprinted up the sheer building wall at breathtaking speed!
“What… what is that?!”
Inside the command center, Chen Mo stared at the screen, his mind once again crashing.
Two living men—running up walls and leaping across rooftops like martial arts legends!
Zhang Jie’s speed reached its peak. He pulled Liu Gang as they leapt between rooftops dozens of meters apart, weaving beneath overpasses.
The helicopters above could not lock onto them in such complex terrain, while the police cars below could only watch helplessly as the two dark figures sped away overhead.
Eventually, after shaking off all pursuit, Zhang Jie landed with Liu Gang atop the vast rooftop of the abandoned factory where Sun Na was staying.
Liu Gang emerged from a pile of scrap iron and looked at the smug young man before him, speaking solemnly for the first time, “Thank you.”
“No need for that—we’re all brothers of 【Radiance】.” Zhang Jie waved his hand casually.
Just then, the factory door opened, and Sun Na stepped out, wearing a fiery leather outfit.
She glanced at Liu Gang and whistled. “Yo, big guy, you sure stirred up quite the scene.”
Liu Gang ignored her teasing and asked evenly, “Is this place safe?”
“Relax.”
Sun Na pointed around them. “I’ve jammed all signals here.”
……
Yet, they didn’t know.
High above them, a hollow-eyed crow was circling.
In its glassy eyes, the entire abandoned factory was reflected clearly.
But the crow did not realize—it was not the only observer.
At that moment, on the other side of the city, inside a dormitory at the zoo.
Yang Li drew a red circle on a map, marking the location of the abandoned textile factory on the outskirts.
“Found them.”
She murmured softly, then picked up her phone and sent a message to an unmarked number.
“Three targets located. Location: suburban textile factory.”
Soon, a reply came back—“Observe and wait.”
After reading it, Yang Li deleted the message and closed her eyes again, continuing to monitor the turbulent city through her animal companions.