Chapter 118: A Little Surprise

Chapter 118: Chapter 118: A Little Surprise

CRASH!

This time, the celebratory wine glass was hurled directly at the floor, shattering into countless pieces.

"He actually refused." Buddy glared at the smile on Shen Yun’s photo, completely consumed by anger.

A beauty? This woman was certainly pretty, but in the society of the truly wealthy, good looks were a mere accessory. He had gotten tired of playing with beauties before he even turned thirty!

"Master," the old butler beside him said softly. "Perhaps it is because he feels that you won’t be able to withstand the reckoning of the world’s nations."

Buddy fell silent for a moment before letting out a cold sneer. "That’s right. He must have received some news from the authorities. It doesn’t matter. In due time, he will come to understand my true strength."

He was brimming with confidence. Valuing Shen Yun was merely an investment in the man’s future. His current refusal didn’t affect Buddy’s overall plans. All he had to do was wait.

In reality, following the conclusion of the product launch, the internet was buzzing with intense discussion. However, the public’s focus remained largely fixated on three things: the Spiritual Energy Power Furnace, Buddy’s invitation, and Shen Yun’s romance. Meanwhile, the authorities remained completely silent. This wasn’t just the case in China. Whether it was the United States or any other nation across the globe, the reaction was exactly the same.

Eventually, the first batch of Power Furnaces was shipped to a certain small country. In an instant, the entire shipment vanished without a trace, secretly distributed into the hands of nearly every major nation in the world.

The research had begun.

Some time later.

At a secret research base in China, a team of experts was dismantling the core of a Power Furnace. This grueling research had been ongoing for an entire month. Professor Yang, whom Shen Yun had met previously, was among those working here.

Today, Wei Er had come to visit the facility.

"Any results?" Wei Er asked, looking at Professor Yang with a serious expression.

"It can indeed absorb, store, and release Spiritual Qi, converting it into usable energy," Professor Yang replied, his face showing obvious signs of exhaustion. "However, we can’t figure out how it was manufactured. Simply put, the material is entirely different from anything known to us, and its molecular arrangement is exceptionally unique. We haven’t found a single clue on how to replicate it."

"I understand." Wei Er nodded. "Thank you for your hard work."

"It’s not that hard." Professor Yang shook his head with a bitter smile. They were just feeling a bit demoralized.

After leaving the research base, Wei Er headed straight to the Special Service Bureau’s headquarters. He sought out Deputy Director Zhong—the same Zhong Huiyun that Shen Yun had met before.

"Have any other countries passed along useful information?" Wei Er asked.

"Everyone’s conclusion is identical; they’ve gained nothing." Zhong Huiyun shook her head. "They even asked us if there was anything like this in our ancient heritage, seemingly having found similar concepts within our culture."

"Similar concepts?" Wei Er paused in surprise.

"You know, the Spirit Stones that constantly appear in cultivation novels," Zhong Huiyun said helplessly.

"Crap!" Wei Er couldn’t help but curse.

Having been a web novel author in the past, he obviously knew why most cultivation novels featured the concept of Spirit Stones. It was simply because it was a convenient plot device. All cultivation novels shared the same roots, and everyone copied useful settings. Heaven knew who had come up with it first, or whether there was any actual basis in mythological lore.

"So, it really is a product that transcends our current era?" Wei Er’s expression darkened.

"That is practically certain." Zhong Huiyun nodded. "The only question is whether this Buddy stumbled upon some ancient heritage or discovered a third Bronze Hall. It’s even possible that he obtained an item or encountered a lifeform that fell through a spatial rift from the Otherworld."

Spatial rifts. According to the manuals left behind by the Ancestor of Holy Light, these rifts were the second method of traversing between worlds, aside from the Bronze Halls. However, they were extremely unstable, appearing randomly and only lasting for a limited time. When the Ancestor of Holy Light was fleeing, he had accidentally fallen through a spatial rift into Vierlia’s world and was never able to return. Evidently, the rift had vanished behind him.

"Sigh," Wei Er let out a heavy breath. "That guy has armed his private island to the teeth. He’s heavily relying on a local computer network for control, and every single scientist has been implanted with a device that can instantly destroy their brain. Add to that a dead-man’s switch capable of wiping all the laboratory’s data in a split second, and a modern military base equipped with heavy weaponry rivaling a nuclear facility... the chances of successfully taking it by force are slim to none."

Under normal circumstances, it would be impossible for a single person to threaten the entire world with mutual destruction. Yet, it had now become a reality.

Buddy himself wasn’t important, nor were the two hundred scientists. However, the importance of the Spiritual Energy Power Furnace to human civilization was self-evident. A Power Furnace core the size of a finger could generate enough power to propel a standard family sedan to a hundred and eighty miles per hour. While its output control and energy conversion were still somewhat unstable, the potential for future development was clear for all to see.

If they missed out on this, it would be a missed opportunity for all of human civilization. Were they really going to let that bastard monopolize the energy of the future?

"Director," Zhong Huiyun hesitated for a moment. "How about we go ask Master Shen if he has any ideas?"

"He probably can’t do it either," Wei Er shook his head. "Even if he breaks through to the Void God Stage and uses his Divine Thought to cover the entire island, instantly wiping out everyone there... what about the computer systems? Moreover... during the chaotic period right after the revival of Spiritual Qi, some countries lost track of their nuclear weapons. We absolutely cannot bear the consequences of losing Shen Yun."

The previous two expeditions to the Otherworld had made them acutely aware of how crucial top-tier experts were when dealing with foreign dimensions. After all, not all worlds could comprehend modern technology, but the vast majority understood absolute strength. Deploying an army would only trigger an all-out war, while sending a supreme expert could secure immense benefits completely bloodlessly.

Not to mention, Shen Yun’s character was highly trusted by everyone.

"We should at least ask," Zhong Huiyun suggested, having no better alternatives. "Master Shen has always been unfathomable. Who knows, he might gain some miraculous abilities after entering the Void God Stage."

"You’re right." Wei Er couldn’t help but feel a glimmer of anticipation.

The Void God Stage. According to Shen Yun, it would take him at most four more months to reach that level. Meanwhile, Wei Er himself had only just touched the threshold of becoming a Grandmaster. Furthermore, Wei Er had just returned from Otherworld Number One to attend a secret joint committee meeting, specifically to discuss how to deal with Buddy. Asking Shen Yun wouldn’t hurt.

Thus, Wei Er hurried over to Shen Yun’s home.

As for Shen Yun, his life over the past month had been incredibly peaceful. Or rather, he had spent every day brimming with anticipation. The day he would finally be able to bestow enlightenment upon his fighter jet was fast approaching. At most, it would only take another ten days or so. The next time he went to visit Vierlia, he would be able to complete the enlightenment process. He was utterly stoked.

As for the situation in the outside world and that fellow Buddy, Shen Yun really didn’t care much. Computer-controlled? That was playing right into his hands.

Recently, the internet had calmed down quite a bit as well. Because Buddy seemed to be keeping a lower profile, the vast majority of netizens had gradually shifted their discussions toward Shen Yun’s romance. It had been over a month, yet his relationship with Xiao Jiu was still dominating the headlines.

Xiao Jiu would occasionally use Shen Yun’s social media account to post photos of the two of them, causing his follower count to skyrocket once more. He had genuinely become the number one most-followed account in the world, far surpassing anyone else. The platform had even been forced to dedicate an exclusive server just to handle his traffic. Every single photo went viral online, with the number of comments easily exceeding ten million.

The netizens’ enthusiasm for the discussion was sky-high.

"So Master Shen lives in such a simple house. The food he eats and the things he uses are all so ordinary."

"His room isn’t even half the size of mine."

"He looks so relatable when he’s focused on playing video games! I honestly thought he spent all his time in bitter cultivation."

"I ran into the two of them in a game last time! And I got completely thrashed!"

"Xiao Jiu’s gaze is so warm! How can a person’s eyes be so full of love!?"

"Master Shen’s life feels so cozy. No wonder the teachers at school say our Chinese moral system is beneficial for cultivation. Peaceful, warm, and full of love—foreigners probably wouldn’t understand this kind of lifestyle. How could being an emperor ever compare?"

In the past, people only knew that Shen Yun was incredibly powerful. However, they knew virtually nothing about his actual personality or his daily life, relying solely on a few brief words from his occasional public appearances. He had given off the impression of a dignified man possessing the heavy sense of responsibility expected of a supreme expert.

But now, people were finally seeing his everyday side—casual, ordinary, yet seemingly containing the profound truths of the universe. No wonder he had managed to become so unimaginably powerful in just over three short years. For a time, the number of people who genuinely began to idolize Shen Yun and become his die-hard fans surged rapidly.

Of course, all of this was actually Xiao Jiu’s doing. As a sentient mobile phone, she naturally knew exactly how to tailor the perfect public image for him. Given Shen Yun’s personality, the relatable "boy-next-door" persona suited him best.

Shen Yun just let her do as she pleased. At that moment, he glanced toward the door, having heard the sound of an approaching car.

Ever since the last incident, the Special Service Bureau had mobilized dozens of Divine Thought experts. They had drawn a perimeter roughly two thousand meters in diameter around his home and established a joint defense utilizing both modern technology and cultivation methods. The only people who could casually drive a car right up to his door were from the Bureau.

As expected, Shen Yun saw Wei Er walk in.

"Take a seat." Shen Yun smiled, pointing to the sofa across from him. "After we finish talking business, you can stay for dinner."

"Why are you being so generous today?" Wei Er eyed him with a hint of suspicion.

"I’m in a good mood. Take it or leave it." Shen Yun rolled his eyes.

"You might be in a good mood... but my mood is terrible." Wei Er didn’t stand on ceremony and sat right down.

"Because of that Buddy guy?" Shen Yun asked casually.

"What else could it be?" Wei Er sighed. "You have no idea. We’ve been studying that thing for over a month and can’t even find a viable direction for our research. That guy definitely has a secret! And the bastard put all of his data..."

Wei Er proceeded to ramble on, spewing a torrent of complaints. The gist of it was that Buddy had accurately predicted they would be too reluctant to part with the Power Furnace. His underlying threat was clear: if they dared to make a move, he would destroy everything.

"...Just a week ago, our neighboring country revealed that one of their ’big boys’ went missing a year ago. Tell me, what kind of mess is this?" By the time Wei Er finished, he was wearing a thoroughly miserable expression.

"Are you saying..." Shen Yun murmured, though a flash of pleasant surprise crossed his mind.