Shen Yun ultimately decided to make a move. It would be abnormal not to. However, it was easy to make threats; to actually carry them out, he still had to rely on Xiao Jiu. Fortunately, she didn't disappoint him.
"Master, you need to carry my main body on you," Xiao Jiu said, maintaining her mobile phone form. Her voice was slightly cloying. "You must keep it close to your skin."
Shen Yun looked down at his clothes. He was wearing a short-sleeved shirt. It was already June. He tentatively pressed the phone against his chest. The device was burning hot. He wasn't sure if it was an illusion, but he could even faintly hear Xiao Jiu's suppressed moans. He had the illusion that he was being taken advantage of.
The next moment, wisps of lightning spread from his chest, gradually covering his entire body until his eyes bloomed with a blue glow. He looked just like a Thunder God descending to the mortal realm. But Shen Yun himself only felt waves of a tingling numbness.
"Everything in the house has been arranged," Xiao Jiu's voice appeared directly in his mind. "Let's set off, Master."
"How are we supposed to—go!"
Before Shen Yun could even get the last word out, his body flew out of the second-floor window. He conveniently closed it on his way out before rocketing straight into the clouds.
Exhilarating!
Shen Yun felt the WHOOSH of the wind in his ears and watched the ground shrink away beneath him. An unprecedented wave of excitement surged in his heart. No wonder so many people loved skydiving. This feeling of casting off all restraints and throwing oneself into the embrace of heaven and earth could indeed make anyone forget their worries and simply enjoy the thrill to the fullest.
"Here we go, Master!" Xiao Jiu cheered along with him, as if sensing his mood. His figure then darted rapidly toward East City, trailing the rumbling sound of thunder.
This, however, caused a massive headache for certain departments.
Not only did the radar detection systems blare with alarms, but people in numerous cities along the flight path also witnessed this high-altitude phenomenon. Various videos were uploaded online. Some Cultivators even exclaimed that a heavenly treasure had descended, wanting to chase after the flight trajectory.
Relevant authorities had to issue emergency statements to dispel the rumors: It wasn't a heavenly treasure, but an enraged Golden Core master. They even took this opportunity to issue a stern warning to the wanted criminal, He Anhe: "You have angered a top-tier expert who stands at the forefront of contemporary Cultivators!"
Furthermore, Shen Yun's sheer speed left everyone deeply shocked.
"He's approaching the speed of sound! And he's still accelerating!"
"Major General Hai Deming's tested speed limit isn't even half of this!"
"Intense electromagnetic pulse effects detected. Fighter jets are not advised to follow."
"This is the only Golden Core with a Thunder Series talent so far!"
"Is there any way to contact him..."
Shen Yun had actually vastly underestimated Xiao Jiu's strength. Mobile phones were intrinsically the ultimate representatives of the telecommunications era. After gaining sentience, she had directly achieved a first-grade Thunderfire Golden Core. Coupled with computing power far beyond human capability and the ability to flexibly apply modern scientific principles, calling her the number one Golden Core of the current era wouldn't be an exaggeration. She was the perfect crystallization of science and cultivation.
Following the official explanation, the sensation Shen Yun caused on the internet only grew more intense. Beyond mere shock, it was because his display was just so incredibly cool and dazzling. Busybody netizens dubbed him "Master Thunder."
Beneath all the related videos and news reports, uniformly neat comments began to appear.
"A three-minute moment of silence for He Anhe."
"A four-minute moment of silence for He Anhe."
"A ten-minute moment of silence for He Anhe."
"A..."
He Anhe, who had previously abducted over a thousand people and was listed as the number one wanted Cultivator, had a very high profile online. He had his haters and his worshippers, but regardless, for the majority of onlookers, this was a perfect opportunity to watch the drama unfold. How would He Anhe, who had left government authorities completely helpless, deal with a furious Golden Core powerhouse?
A battle between Cultivators of this caliber was extremely rare. Cultivators confident in their own strength, along with various media outlets hoping for tacit permission to film, all rushed toward East City at maximum speed.
Shen Yun was still completely unaware of all this. However, he roughly understood that he might cause quite a stir. Still, this could be considered solidifying his identity.
Finally, right at the moment he was about to break the sound barrier, he spotted the city in the distance. He gradually slowed down and descended, hovering in mid-air above the city. Lightning still flickered all around his body.
East City was like all other cities. For ease of management and to ensure the safety of the people, the entire population was concentrated in a small district. The area was surrounded by the military and Cultivators, with strict patrols to eliminate any frenzied creatures at the first sign of danger.
At this moment, many bold residents crowded by their windows, looking up at Shen Yun, who hung in the sky like a Thunder God descending to the mortal realm.
This was a Golden Core!
The surging Spiritual Power could be felt even by non-Cultivators, and Cultivators found it impossible to even look directly at him. In their eyes, Shen Yun radiated a wildly oppressive aura. The violent Spiritual Power contained within the crackling lightning made their hearts palpitate in fear.
Everyone had started on the same starting line, yet some had already walked far ahead of the rest. There was jealousy, envy, and fear, because cultivation geniuses were the main characters of this era.
Feeling the gazes of so many people, Shen Yun experienced a sensation he had never felt before.
Three years a shut-in, known to none; one day a Golden Core, known to all!
This feeling of being a prominent figure truly satisfied his vanity to the utmost. He figured that one day, he would reach this stage relying entirely on his own strength.
Shen Yun reigned in his emotions. According to the plan he and Xiao Jiu had discussed on the way here, he would directly have her use her Golden Core's Divine Thought to scan the city inch by inch. As long as that guy named He Anhe was still here, they would leave no stone unturned to dig him out.
However, just as Shen Yun was about to begin, some police officers below suddenly brought out a bullhorn.
"Master Thunder up there! We just received news that your sister has returned safely! Master Thunder up there..."
What?
Before Shen Yun could even process the title "Master Thunder," he was stumped. What did they mean his sister had returned?
"Xiao Jiu."
"Mm-hmm."
Xiao Jiu responded with a sweet hum, then brought Shen Yun down from the sky. He landed right in front of the police officers as the lightning gradually withdrew back into his body.
"Mr. Shen," the officer who had just been shouting approached, a hint of reverence in his eyes. "We just received news that your sister, Shen Jiayi, suddenly appeared in a sedan five minutes ago. We are preparing to send her to the hospital for a comprehensive physical examination. Her parents have also been notified."
Shen Yun fell silent, overcome by waves of speechlessness.
This was entirely different from the plan! He had only just arrived, and the other party had already sent his sister back? Were they really that cowardly?