Chapter 95: Pursuit Beneath the Waves

They plunged headfirst into the storm. The strong winds buffeted the ability users above, throwing them off balance and forcing them to abandon their fighter jets.

“Don’t panic! Hold steady!” Three S-rank ability users unleashed their powers to protect the fighter jets.

Three energy barriers swiftly enveloped the jets, securing them. Even so, their forward momentum was severely impeded, making further progress impossible.

Seeing that the three fighter jets couldn’t approach her, Bai Mengqi suddenly dove towards the sea below.

She quickly plunged into the ocean, immediately forming a Water Repelling Seal with her hand to separate the surrounding seawater.

Her intention was to use the ocean’s depths to evade the fighter jets. However, it wasn’t just the jets above; there were also submarines beneath the waves and battleships on the surface.

The moment she entered the water, the battleships above began firing. Several torpedoes suddenly shot towards her from multiple directions.

The torpedoes possessed immense power. Even though Bai Mengqi released an attack beforehand to destroy them, the shockwaves from the explosions still made her blood and qi surge uncontrollably.

She was tossed back and forth by the currents in the water, a sensation that was profoundly uncomfortable.

“Great Immortaless, help me determine my position!” Bai Mengqi called out with difficulty from within the water.

She knew that at this moment, she had to find an escape route as quickly as possible, otherwise, the consequences would be unimaginable.

The Great Immortaless swiftly responded, “Head north! There’s an ocean current there that can help you accelerate your escape.”

Bai Mengqi stabilized her body. Guided by the Great Immortaless, she quickly adjusted her direction and sped northward.

Although her speed in the water was affected by the pressure, her formidable abilities allowed her to maintain a relatively high pace.

However, the submarine commander had not given up the pursuit.

They tightly locked onto Bai Mengqi’s position using their sonar system, continuously launching torpedoes in attack.

Bai Mengqi deftly dodged these deadly attacks in the water, yet each explosion sent a shiver of dread through her.

“Target is accelerating its escape. Submarine units, prepare for interception.”

The commander calmly reported the situation to the general headquarters.

Their pursuit had reached a critical juncture, and there could be no room for complacency.

At the general headquarters, a massive battleship stood majestically on the sea surface.

The commander on the battleship closely monitored the battle’s progress via radar.

This pursuit was not only about the reputation of Japan’s ability user community but also about the nation’s future security. Bai Mengqi had to be eliminated.

“Continue the pursuit! She must not be allowed to leave Japanese waters,” the commander ordered with unwavering resolve.

They understood Bai Mengqi’s strength. If she managed to escape the pursuit of the battleships and submarines, catching her again would be virtually impossible.

The ability users who had been on the fighter jets had also landed on the battleship.

Indeed, engaging in combat in the sky had been somewhat troublesome for them. However, now that they were on the sea surface, they could go all out.

The battleship’s full speed was faster than Bai Mengqi’s swimming, essentially keeping her within their pursuit range.

Modern technology offered an advantage: their reconnaissance was unaffected by the spiritual energy of cultivators.

Bai Mengqi’s divine sense couldn’t interfere with the battleship’s sensors, nor could it disrupt the sonar of the submarines behind her.

She could only turn invisible; she couldn’t truly become air itself.

Moreover, the ability users were about to make their move. A Yin-Yang Master stepped forward, casting several `Shishin` into the water, which transformed into aquatic yokai.

“Yumo can ride the `Shishin` to pursue that Xiahua ability user,” Anshin Yang of the Anshin Clan instructed the ability users who were not proficient in water combat.

The ninjas of the Jingu Clan, on the other hand, plunged into the sea without hesitation. They were skilled in water ninjutsu, moving through the water as if it were their natural element.

As for the remaining ability users, they tried to give chase on the surface of the sea.

Jingu Ming, the patriarch of the Jingu Clan, personally descended into the water.

Bai Mengqi found herself surrounded by several battleships, with fighter jets constantly patrolling overhead. If she dared to surface, she would undoubtedly be met with a barrage of炮弹.

Meanwhile, in Xiahua, Zi Yanran was consumed by anxiety.

News reports in Xiahua had already begun to cover the attack on the Jingguo Shrine in Japan by unidentified individuals.

If Bai Mengqi were safe, Zi Yanran would undoubtedly have been thrilled by this news.

But her calls to Bai Mengqi today had gone unanswered, or the phone simply indicated that the recipient was out of service.

This left her unable to sit still.

She paced anxiously around her home.

Seeing their daughter’s distress, Zi Ye and Su Xiaoshi knew that something serious must have happened.

“Oh, stop pacing. What exactly happened?” Zi Ye asked.

Zi Yanran glanced at her phone, then at the television. After much deliberation, she finally revealed what Bai Mengqi had done.

“Dad, Mengqi likely set fire to the Jingguo Shrine. She didn’t return yesterday, saying she had to finish that matter before coming back.”

At these words, Zi Ye, who had initially been excited about the destruction of the Jingguo Shrine, instantly lost his smile.

He knew Bai Mengqi was a powerful ability user, but could Japan possibly have no ability users themselves? Would Japan easily let Bai Mengqi off after she burned down the Jingguo Shrine? Clearly, this was impossible.

“What? That child Mengqi did it? This… while I’m glad the Jingguo Shrine was destroyed, isn’t this far too reckless?” Zi Ye’s expression darkened. “I don’t know. I thought things would go smoothly, but I haven’t been able to reach her since this morning, and she didn’t ask me to prepare a private plane for her in advance. I knew something was wrong,” Zi Yanran replied.

Zi Yanran and Su Xiaoshi exchanged glances; this situation was not going to be easy to handle. “Yanran, you need to contact your aunt about this. She might have a solution.”

Zi Yanran offered the most sensible advice.

In truth, the Xiahua Ability User Bureau had been in an uproar for days. They certainly had informants in Japan, and when such a major incident occurred yesterday, they received reports immediately.

The reports stated that an incredibly powerful ability user had attacked the Imperial Palace, then several locations around Tokyo, and finally infiltrated the Jingguo Shrine last night, ultimately setting it ablaze.

They knew without a doubt that this was likely the work of a Xiahua ability user. Unfortunately, they still couldn’t confirm the individual’s identity.

Even the Japanese authorities only stated that it was suspected to be a Xiahua ability user.

Furthermore, the Xiahua military had received intelligence that the Japanese Self-Defense Forces had deployed fighter jets, submarines, and battleships, which were currently attacking something in Japanese waters and gradually approaching Xiahua’s maritime territory.

“Good heavens, what audacity! To cause such chaos in the Japanese ability user world all by themselves. They must possess an S-rank ability, and a rather powerful one at that,” Mu Tianrui, Director-General of the Xiahua Ability User Bureau, exclaimed with excitement.

In a way, he was certainly thrilled, but at the same time, he appeared quite worried.

From the intelligence they had received, it was clear that the individual was being hunted.

While S-rank ability users were powerful, they were not so strong as to completely disregard the machinery of war.

Moreover, Japan would not have dispatched only warships; they would certainly have sent numerous ability users as well.

Just as they were focusing on this matter, Lin Hongyu suddenly initiated contact with headquarters.

“Director-General, I have something I need to report to headquarters.”

Mu Tianrui quickly responded, “What is it?”

Lin Hongyu also didn’t know how to put it. Not long ago, Zi Yanran had contacted Su Ruoxi, telling her that Bai Mengqi was the one who burned down the Jingguo Shrine.

At this point, she had no choice but to speak.

“Director-General, I need to report this matter to you privately.”

After careful consideration, Lin Hongyu decided it was better to keep it confidential.

Mu Tianrui didn’t press further. He immediately left his office, went to his private office, and reconnected the call with Lin Hongyu. “Alright, I’m alone here. Speak. What happened? It wouldn’t happen to be related to that Bai Mengqi, would it?” he asked.

Lin Hongyu offered an awkward smile.

“We just received confirmed news from Zi Yanran of Zijin Group: the mysterious ability user who set fire to the Jingguo Shrine is indeed Bai Mengqi.”

Mu Tianrui was stunned.

“It really was that little girl?”

Only now did Lin Hongyu realize that when she had tested Bai Mengqi, Bai Mengqi hadn’t used her full power at all.

“So what do we do now? That little girl isn’t contacting us, likely unwilling to bring trouble to the country. She really is a willful one,” Lin Hongyu said with a wry smile.

But Mu Tianrui stated without hesitation, “An ability user of this caliber is a blessing to the nation. We absolutely cannot let her die in the Japanese pursuit. I will immediately request the higher-ups to send warships to international waters to escort her.”

Mu Tianrui declared his stance without a moment’s hesitation.

In her view, Bai Mengqi’s value far outweighed any potential deterioration of relations with Japan, which were already strained.

Furthermore, if they could assist Bai Mengqi and foster her goodwill towards the state apparatus, they could later use this opportunity to recruit her into the Ability User Bureau.

This would provide them with an S-rank powerhouse to command.

Of course, Xiahua had at least five S-rank ability users who ostensibly followed state orders.

However, they only intervened when the nation required their assistance; they were not completely subordinate to the Ability User Bureau.

Turning back to Bai Mengqi, she was now directly confronting the Japanese ability users.

In the water, she had pierced a ninja’s body with her wooden sword, but immediately after, a terrifying water pressure assailed her from another direction, slamming into her and causing her to spit blood.

This attack’s power was naturally not from an A-rank ability user, but from the ninjutsu unleashed by Jingu Ming.

“Xiahua ability user, today you have no escape,” Jingu Ming appeared before Bai Mengqi and said coldly.

Bai Mengqi clenched her fist. She glanced upward, then shot out with a whoosh.

But the moment she surfaced, she was met by the ability users on the battleship and the fighter jets’ cannon fire.

The combined energy explosion forced her back underwater once more.

She was already injured. This situation seemed to have reached a life-or-death moment.

‘This is troublesome. I still overestimated myself.’

Bai Mengqi’s face was incredibly grim.

📚 Also on NHV Novels

An Undeniable Pull

ChaebolDominant TopObsessive

Read Now →
Not interested