C1 The Beginning of the Battle the Nuclear Bomb

A billion years is an incredibly long stretch of time...

In the depths of the North African Sahara Desert, a tall man stood atop a sand dune, gazing wistfully at the sky he had not seen in ages. His name was Chu Xuan, a figure who had once shaken the heavens during the Ancient Times. He had traversed the cosmos, vanquishing the prodigies of the Myriad Clans, and was revered as the Human Emperor by the mightiest of various clans, signifying his status as the supreme ruler of humanity.

Following an event that changed everything, Chu Xuan left it all behind to return to his birthplace, Earth. He secluded himself in the planet's core, six thousand kilometers beneath the surface, to cultivate in solitude. Now, a full billion years had elapsed.

Today marked the culmination of his efforts; he emerged from seclusion, triumphant!

To reach the unprecedented Great Monarch Stage, Chu Xuan had paid a price beyond imagination. He had dedicated a billion years to this endeavor and was now on the verge of stepping into the threshold of the Great Monarch Stage.

Yet, the true essence of the Great Monarch Stage was still some way off. Thankfully, he had weathered the most tedious phase of his journey.

Chu Xuan's immediate concern was to address another issue. A billion years of isolation showcased remarkable fortitude, but it had also left a significant fissure in his Dao Heart. Time, the most relentless of torturers, had tested him with a billion years of solitude. Anyone else might have succumbed to madness, but Chu Xuan's extraordinary resolve had seen him through.

Mending the void of loneliness in his Dao Heart was not an insurmountable task. Merely by stepping into the mortal world for a few days and engaging with others, he could realign himself.

Earth was Chu Xuan's home, the very reason he had chosen it as his place of cultivation. With a billion years gone by, one could only wonder what Earth had transformed into.

But first things first—what had become of him? Conjuring a mirror with a spell, Chu Xuan admired his eternally youthful visage, nodding with satisfaction. Picking a direction at random, he began his leisurely journey.

Under the blazing sun and across the sandy expanse, the solitary figure took one determined step after another, moving steadfastly into the distance. A billion years of seclusion had been unbearably lonely, yet even a simple walk now felt like a breath of fresh air to Chu Xuan.

Meanwhile, roughly a hundred miles away, a quartet was making their way through the desert with considerable struggle. Comprised of three men and one woman, all with Asian features, they appeared quite disheveled, likely victims of a desert misadventure.

Leading the group was a robust young man supporting a middle-aged man. The latter's clothes were stained with blood, his complexion pallid, betraying his weakened state. Yet, an inherent dignity lingered in his expression, indicative of someone accustomed to authority.

Bringing up the rear were the woman and an elderly man. The woman, in her mid-twenties, stood impressively tall, around 1.8 meters, clad in lightweight black martial arts attire. Her long, muscular legs and strikingly beautiful features exuded a blend of grace and strength. A dark leather case was slung over her shoulder. The man beside her, with his white hair and spectacles, had the meticulous appearance of a university professor.

"Yang Hao, release me. I can walk by myself," the middle-aged man demanded of the youth.

"Marshal Xiao, with your injuries, it's best if I assist you," Yang Hao replied, his brow furrowed with concern.

Xiao Tianche let out a cold snort. "I, Xiao Tianche, am not yet at death's door. Let me walk! That's an order!"

"As you wish, Marshal Xiao," Yang Hao conceded reluctantly, releasing his grip.

The woman hurried forward to steady Xiao Tianche, her eyes brimming with concern. "Dad, please don't overexert yourself. You were hurt trying to save us; we can't afford to lose you."

Xiao Tianche sighed deeply. "Ah, Qianxue, I have failed." He was the revered North Border War God of Huaxia, a world-renowned hero, now reduced to such a state.

Xiao Qianxue's voice was tinged with sorrow. "None of this is your fault; you've done all you could."

Yang Hao's voice broke as he spoke, fists clenched. "Marshal Xiao, our brothers sacrificed themselves for our nation. They would not hold you responsible."

"The day I, Xiao Tianche, make my return, those contemptible cowards will pay with their lives, avenging our fallen brothers," Xiao Tianche declared, a renewed fire igniting in his eyes. Abruptly, his face flushed, and he expelled a mouthful of blood.

"Dad!" Xiao Qianxue exclaimed in alarm, frantically wiping the blood from Xiao Tianche's mouth with her sleeve, on the verge of tears from sheer panic.

Yang Hao turned to the elder and pleaded urgently, "Dr. Chen, is there any way to contact our people immediately? Marshal Xiao's injuries can't wait any longer!"

Dr. Chen gave a wry smile and responded, "I've tried numerous times already, but the communicator isn't picking up any signals."

Xiao Qianxue was frantic, like an ant on a hot pan, "Please, think of something!"

Dr. Chen and Yang Hao remained silent, at a loss for solutions in the vast expanse of the desert.

Xiao Tianche, breaking free from his daughter's grasp, declared with a steely voice, "Stop looking so glum. I, Xiao Tianche, am tough as nails. Not even the Yama King dares to claim my life!"

"Marshal Xiao, look! What's that?" Yang Hao suddenly pointed to the sky, his face etched with horror.

A massive object, spewing flames from its rear, was hurtling towards them!

Despite the distance, their exceptional vision allowed them to see it clearly.

"Hmm?" Xiao Tianche looked up sharply, a shiver of dread coursing through him as his face turned pale, "Damn it, that's a P-998 Intercontinental Ballistic Missile. F*ck! Why does it have a nuclear warhead?"

Dr. Chen went pale, his body shaking, "It seems we are the target."

Xiao Qianxue and Yang Hao watched the looming missile grow closer, succumbing to utter despair.

"We're done for!"

"These bastards have lost their minds!" Xiao Tianche felt a sense of desolation wash over him. Even at the pinnacle of his Martial Dao Grandmaster prowess, he would be reduced to nothing under the might of this missile, especially now that he was nearing his end.

To kill him, the awe-inspiring North Border War God, they had resorted to such a devastating weapon.

"They really do hold me in high regard," Xiao Tianche said with a bitter smile.

Just then, a handsome young man was passing nearby.

Chu Xuan, sensing the energy fluctuations in the sky, looked up in astonishment, "Hmm? What is this fiery column?"

Two seconds later, Chu Xuan's face was etched with scorn. "Hmph, such a primitive contraption couldn't even scratch a single hair on my head."

"Yet, it spells doom for the mortals down below."

"Ah well, meeting by chance must be destiny. What harm is there in playing the hero for once?"

The very next moment, Chu Xuan soared into the heavens without a second thought, racing towards the P-998 Intercontinental Ballistic Missile armed with a nuclear warhead!

"Marshal Xiao, look! Is that a person up there?" Yang Hao suddenly exclaimed, pointing to the sky.

"A person?" Xiao Tianche was taken aback.

All three turned their gaze in the direction Yang Hao indicated, witnessing a scene they would never forget.

Beneath the blazing sun, a silhouette rocketed skyward, heroically surging towards the Transcontinental Ballistic Missile that was rapidly descending towards the earth!

"My God, what's he doing? Is he trying to intercept the missile?" Xiao Qianxue's voice quivered with disbelief.

"He's mastered the art of levitation; he must be a Martial Dao Saint!" Yang Hao was utterly astounded.

For a Martial Dao Grandmaster like Xiao Tianche, being at the Grandmaster Peak within the Martial Cultivator Realm was an extraordinary feat.

It was said that a Martial Dao Saint possessed the power to soar through the skies and dive into the depths of the sea, a sight unseen for countless years.

Xiao Tianche murmured in disbelief, "Even the fabled Martial Dao Saint couldn't possibly halt a P-998 Intercontinental Ballistic Missile!"

The P-998 Intercontinental Ballistic Missile, the pinnacle of modern weaponry, was named 'Perfect' after its 998th iteration of enhancements.

This pinnacle of missiles, weighing 300 tons and boasting an explosive force equivalent to 80 million tons of TNT, was a true behemoth.

Against such a formidable weapon, the human body was as frail as an ant.

"To think that today I'd be graced with the sight of a legendary Martial Dao Saint, yet sadly, there's no opportunity to study such a phenomenon," Dr. Chen lamented, slumping defeatedly onto the sandy ground.

Xiao Tianche gave a wry smile. "It's one thing for me, Xiao Tianche, to meet my end, but to have dragged this benevolent stranger into this mess..."

In his view, the Martial Dao Saint possessed the power to navigate the void, making escape a trivial matter for him. Yet, this elder chose not to flee. Instead, he confronted the missile directly. He was attempting to save them!

But how could that be possible?

Such a colossal missile could obliterate an area of 100,000 square kilometers. What could the Martial Dao Saint possibly do against that? It was unstoppable!

The Martial Dao Saint was surely facing certain death in the face of such an explosion!

"Dad!" Xiao Qianxue, overwhelmed with despair, burst into tears and flung herself into Xiao Tianche's embrace.

"If we, father and daughter, must die today, let us consider it a strange fortune," Xiao Tianche said, his eyes closed, his expression devoid of fear.

"Ah!" Yang Hao cried out in utter terror, "Marshal Xiao, look! He, he, he... he actually caught it..."

"What?" Xiao Tianche, startled, pushed his daughter aside, his wounds tearing open from the shock.