Chapter 343 - 285: Eleven, Fifth! Take This Antimatter Ultimate Kill

"That’s a secret," Chu Bamboo said, his expression unchanged.

Understanding dawned on Huo Qiming’s face. He nodded and asked no more questions.

After a moment of thought, Chu Bamboo made a series of calls. "We’re officially putting the plan into action!"

And so...

At the Union Headquarters and in factories throughout the shantytown redevelopment district, members of the Captain’s Office mobilized. At that very moment, they all sprang into action, following the plan Chu Bamboo had laid out.

Chu Bamboo communicated with the Hive, piloting a drone to the entrance of the nuclear facility...

’Now, it’s all about timing,’ Chu Bamboo calculated silently. ’Eleven should realize the plan has fallen apart very soon.’

’He’ll definitely make an appearance!’

To be frank, as Chu Bamboo later pieced the information together, he realized the nuclear facility wasn’t actually crucial to the sacrificial plan. Detonating it... was more like an excuse Eleven used to placate the old masters of Daqian—

—to make them mistakenly believe that the All-Powerful was still their hidden enforcer, still carrying out the plan to contaminate the shantytown redevelopment district of Jinghai City and harvest Cultivation Resources...

’But what does it matter if Eleven shows up? He’s not the important one! After all, even Huo Qiming could kill him.’

’The crucial one is Fifth.’

’The tricky part,’ Chu Bamboo considered, ’is that based on probability, Eleven is more likely than Fifth to be the first one out when the gate opens.’

’And even if they both come out at the same time, there’s still no guarantee that Fifth will be within the twenty-meter blast radius when the bomb detonates!’

’But it’s fine.’ Chu Bamboo took a few deep breaths to calm himself. ’I’ll just have to try a few more times. I’ve been stuck on this part for so long, I’m not short on patience.’

He waited silently.

「Several minutes later.」

The gate boomed open.

Chu Bamboo held his breath. Then...

The Antimatter Bomb detonated. The moment Chu Bamboo had touched the metal sphere back at the Hive Base, it had automatically recorded his fingerprint. He had then discovered that he could detonate it at will, whenever he wanted... with just a single thought!

All one could say was that Lin Xin Bamboo’s technology from that era had reached a truly incredible level.

A black light began to spread, like a black hole appearing from nothing, devouring everything in its path. Not even light could escape.

’Though, I feel like this is probably just a visual effect that looks like a black hole,’ Chu Bamboo thought. ’After all, antimatter and black holes... they aren’t related... right? This wasn’t my major in college, so I don’t really get it!’

Huo Qiming’s body went taut, his pupils trembling. He fought back the urge to turn and question Chu Bamboo—

Even from such a great distance, his Spiritual Sense made him feel an unspeakable dread.

It was just like back when he was mortal, watching a massive transport truck—an Ancient Relic—barreling toward him. It was the fear of facing something utterly impossible to resist.

Finally, the black light dissipated.

"???" Chu Bamboo stared, dumbfounded, at the distant, pulverized cliff face and the tunnel, which was now just a partially protruding metal frame.

’This... this can’t be right. Wasn’t it supposed to be able to destroy anything? Why wasn’t the external entrance of the nuclear facility destroyed? No, it looks like it wasn’t affected in the slightest!’

’Although, judging by the annihilated cliff face... if someone had been standing near the gate when it opened, they would have been hit and vaporized... But why is the facility itself completely unharmed? Was Huo Qiming’s previous claim—that it can only be destroyed from the inside—really that absolute?!’

At that moment, Chu Bamboo began to ponder a very serious question. Had Lin Xin Bamboo exaggerated in her description, or were the facility’s construction materials just that special? ’No, even if they were special, there’s no way it would be completely undamaged!’ Then Chu Bamboo suddenly recalled something Huo Qiming had once mentioned: the Great Goddess Nuwa had blessed many special locations.

’...Could it be the effect of an Artifact forged from a Divine Technique?’ Chu Bamboo gradually worked it out. ’Alright, that’s not so hard to believe—’

’His own memory and the Big Orange Cat’s Destiny were both abilities that verged on the conceptual. If that’s the case, it seems perfectly reasonable for a conceptual Divine Technique of defense or sealing to exist that could withstand...’

"Is it over?" Huo Qiming asked, his voice a little dry.

"I don’t know!" Chu Bamboo shook his head. After a moment’s thought, he pulled a micro-drone, no bigger than half his palm, from his pocket. "I’ll have to send this in to scout..."

"No need for that!" The Fifth Apostle’s playful voice suddenly sounded from right behind Chu Bamboo.

Chu Bamboo froze. Huo Qiming’s body went taut, his expression turning icy. He lashed out with a kick. With a terrifying sonic boom, the masked Fifth Apostle was sent flying, the resulting shockwave shredding the trees in its path.

"Problem solved!" Huo Qiming said with a relieved laugh. "Just a gutter rat, after all. You said they were strong, and here I was..."

"Quiet," Chu Bamboo cut him off, his face expressionless. He stood and scanned their surroundings. "Come on out," he said softly.

"Oh, Mr. Zhu," a mournful voice suddenly sighed. "Eleven admired you so much! And what was his reward? You killed him... He died such a miserable death."

"?!" Huo Qiming’s expression froze. It was just as Chu Bamboo had implied... ’He’s completely unharmed... What kind of Divine Technique is this?!’

’Eleven is dead?’ Chu Bamboo thought calmly. ’So the one who opened the door really was Eleven? But for him to appear behind me instantly...’

"You... you were standing close to the gate before, weren’t you?" Chu Bamboo asked abruptly. ’Could it be... was I that unlucky? Was Fifth standing just outside the twenty-meter mark?!’

In the next instant, Chu Bamboo’s body went rigid. He realized a hand was already wrapped around his neck.

"Let him go!" Huo Qiming’s pupils contracted, his gaze fixed in shocked fury on the Fifth Apostle, who had appeared behind Chu Bamboo without anyone noticing.

Chu Bamboo’s face was a mask. ’When did Fifth get behind me? Was the one who got kicked away an illusion? Or was he actually sent flying? Should I use a Destiny jump now...? No, Fifth shouldn’t have that ability! I can only borrow that when the Big Orange Cat is with me...’

’So, is this that same invisibility Technique that was used to control my hand and stab Huo Qiming before?’

Chu Bamboo forced himself to remain calm, but he sighed internally. ’If only I could peer into all of the opponent’s Destiny Divine Power, perhaps I would know everything!’

"Oh, I could let him go," Fifth’s voice was laced with amusement. He looked directly at Huo Qiming, his words pointed. "But, Captain Huo, what will you give me in return?"