Chapter 542: Essence

Inside the CIA headquarters building, Creasy Lewis, head of the CIA's Central Intelligence Directorate, was holding a closed-circuit video conference with subordinates scattered across various locations.

"As per your instructions, our Georgia branch has been closely monitoring every move of the Wiltonstein Group and Andre Lee Wiltonstein for the past six months. But now, our funds and manpower are severely insufficient. Especially that lucky Andre—the speed at which he expands his power is nothing short of a miracle. So I hope headquarters can approve our temporary funding request. This sum of 2.3 billion gold shields is crucial for us, determining whether our branch can fully monitor the Wiltonstein family's situation."

"BOSS, speaking of Andre Lee Wiltonstein, we have investigated that there is indeed some connection between him and Huaxia. However, so far, we haven't gathered any evidence. If you hope to make a breakthrough in this area, I suggest headquarters increase investment and give us more support. Also, it would be best to approve the arrest of Song Aiguo. I know he has legal status, so it requires taking some risks."

Creasy Lewis frowned deeply, looking noncommittally at the screen on the other side.

"What about Light Magic Industries? Have there been any anomalies recently?"

"Yes, sir. According to the information we have, Anthony Braden has not appeared in public for three consecutive days."

On the screen was a man with a gaunt face and a large hooked nose: "That wouldn't normally be a big deal; Mr. Braden often does this, disappearing for ten days or half a month in the lab or on a woman's belly. However, our people also noticed that Anthony Braden's Manhattan mansion, 'Tomorrow Manor,' suddenly strengthened its defenses in the past two days. The Braden family has concentrated at least twelve legends there. Even over at Magic City, defenses have been reinforced. There are rumors that the Braden family's demigod 'Ironwing' Dala Ran has left Magic City, but we are still confirming this."

"Additionally, Light Magic Industries' vice chairman and CEO Soren Otto is heavily buying up Light Magic Industries' stock on the NASDAQ secondary market. It must be noted that due to a series of bad news and poor financial reports, Light Magic Industries' stock price is currently at a low point. And this Mr. Otto has obtained support from at least two supreme families, securing loans of at least 300 billion gold shields from banks like Star Flag and Morgan."

"You can do some probing over at Magic City, but be careful not to overstimulate Light Magic Industries."

Just as Creasy Lewis issued the instruction, a knock sounded at the door of the video conference room. Within a second, a beautiful female staff member, pale-faced, hurriedly pushed the door open and entered.

"I'm sorry, BOSS, I have to interrupt you. There's been an emergency."

As she spoke, she glanced at the several screens nearby. Creasy Lewis's expression tightened slightly, and with a puzzled look, he pressed a button on the table, temporarily suspending communication with his subordinates.

"Can you tell me what happened, Ms. Lina? What kind of urgent event made you—"

Before he could finish, the female assistant named Lina interrupted: "The External Operations Management Office told me that Ryan Brodwick has been confirmed dead."

"Brodwick?"

Creasy Lewis could no longer remain calm. He stood up abruptly, staring at his assistant Lina in disbelief: "Has this news been verified? Our Astral Agent is dead? What exactly happened?"

"I'm sorry, this is the result after repeated confirmation by the External Operations Management Office. Ryan Brodwick's mark left over there has disappeared."

The female assistant smiled bitterly: "No one knows what happened now. Brodwick didn't send back any information. Not only is there no footage of his death, but not even a single word was transmitted. All we know now is that he may have died in the Astral Plane, while carrying out the exploration mission for 'World Three.' However, we can confirm that he did not reach the observation station we set up in 'World Three.' Moreover, it is highly likely that he died at someone else's hands, within fifteen minutes. According to our information, there have been no major astral storms near our Bright World in the last five days; it's currently a safe period—"

"Additionally, it must be mentioned that for the exploration mission of 'World Three,' Ryan Brodwick was carrying divine authority scrolls of 'Punishment Thunder Spear' and 'Consciousness Erasure.'"

"Are you telling me that his condition at the time could even kill a demigod?"

Creasy Lewis took a deep breath, trying to calm himself: "Notify the Astral Security Division to investigate this matter thoroughly. Also, have someone confirm the locations and movements of all demigods and lesser gods in the Prime Material Plane at that time!"

Then, thinking of something, he asked thoughtfully: "'Nightlord of the Void' Delfinia Adric, where was she at that time?"

"Are you suspecting Andre Lee Wiltonstein?"

The female assistant named Lina shook her head: "That possibility is slim. Delfinia has been at Shawan Island the whole time these past two days. She obtained a large sum of money from the Wiltonstein family and bought Shawan Island from the Bahamian government, trying to build a paradise for the Hetero race there, but I'm not optimistic about them. Off-topic, anyway, given Andre's current strength and that of his subordinates, the possibility of killing an Astral Agent is extremely low."

"Can it be confirmed?"

After receiving an affirmative answer from his assistant, Creasy Lewis still showed a look of suspicion.

But then he rubbed his forehead in headache, a pained expression on his face.

Although Ryan Brodwick was only a fifth-level legendary sorcerer, due to his special sorcerer talent, he held a much higher status within the CIA than most demigods. This man's abilities were almost irreplaceable. With his death, many of the CIA's operations would become difficult to carry out, or even grind to a halt.

"Notify all departments to find a way to investigate thoroughly! We must know what caused our Astral Agent's death. The murderer who killed Brodwick—don't let me find him—"

…

At the same time, in the 'Destiny Land' magic tower, Li Mochen was lamenting the difference in combat power between himself and 'Tianxin' Li Mochen.

Although the latter's overflowing self-confidence and his egotistical, arrogant attitude gave Li Mochen a headache, the gap in combat power between the two states was indeed not ordinary.

Also, those two divine powers that nearly killed him—

Thinking of the scene not long ago when he was almost killed by the thunder spear, Li Mochen's pupils constricted.

This experience made him feel that he was still weak in this world.

Any intermediate god could kill him. And there were at least a hundred such beings in the Bright World.

Beside Li Mochen, Angela was speculating about the origin of the 'Punishment Thunder Spear': "The foremost master of the divine power 'Punishment Thunder Spear' is the God-King Zeus. But that scroll couldn't have come from the Olympian God-King; after being severely wounded, he disappeared for thousands of years. Moreover, Zeus's 'Punishment Thunder Spear' has reached the 'Source' level."

"It couldn't be Thor either; he is at the quasi-God-King level. His main thunder divine power isn't 'Punishment Thunder Spear,' but the latter's level should have reached that."

"Nor is it the Hindu thunder god Indra or the Eastern divine system's 'Puhua Tianzun, the Thunder Responding to the Primordial.' The former is at the God-King level, with the title 'Shakra,' and before Brahma took over India, he was the lord of all gods in India; as for 'Puhua Tianzun, the Thunder Responding to the Primordial,' it has been confirmed that he is merely an incarnation of the Taoist 'Great Emperor of the Southern Pole, the Elder of Longevity' mapped onto the various worlds, and has not been seen since the so-called Silver Age of the Greek pantheon, which corresponds to the late Eastern Primordial Era."

"What I can think of now are the Slavic thunder god Perun and the Lithuanian thunder god Perkunas. Both are at the major god level and do not primarily cultivate 'Punishment Thunder Spear.'"

"The most likely is the Slavic thunder god Perun, who also governs war and forging, using an axe or hammer. In the era when the Church of Light swept through the gods, he was transformed into the saint 'Elijah the Thunderer,' one of the seven archangels before the Lord of Light. It is said that he often cooperates with the American government and has connections with the Statue of Liberty."

"As for 'Consciousness Erasure,' I'm not sure. The one that affected you should be a lesser divine power. Many beings possess this divine power."

Li Mochen shook his head, feeling disheartened, thinking that his future path might be longer than he imagined. It was not ordinary difficult to truly carve out a place for himself in this world.

Fortunately, due to the divine war thousands of years ago, most of these gods were in hiding or asleep. The remaining part, for some reason, were temporarily unable to manifest in their true forms, and even if they forcibly descended, their power would be greatly limited.

"You should have taken a live prisoner. You might have gotten some information out of him."

After saying all this, Angela added regretfully, "Ryan Brodwick wasn't always an agent. Before reaching the legendary realm, he was a wanted bandit and robber. It wasn't until forty years ago that he was recruited by the CIA and became their top operative in the Central Intelligence Agency."

Li Mochen couldn't help but laugh. "I'd like that too, but Angel, do you think it's possible?"

Angela fell silent. In his 'Heart of Heaven' state, Li Mochen wouldn't consider taking prisoners. Whoever opposed him, he'd simply cut them down; he disdained any scheming.

"Actually, it's not necessary. Clark Banfield, my parents' enemy in the CIA, has already helped me investigate most of it. He's worth the salary I pay him."

Li Mochen changed the subject. "Let's talk about that ancient dragon skeleton you have, Angel. We need to forge it into 'Fantasy Dragon Armor' as soon as possible. I've always felt something's off about your father's condition."

Angela's face darkened. She thought, it wasn't just Li Mochen; many of her father's subordinates had recently sensed the storm brewing.

What was Michel planning by cooperating with the Dragon Witch Cult?

"Angel, you know I have a three-year truce with the Dragon Witch Cult, so I can't actively attack them. If something goes wrong with the Michel Group and the Dragon Witch Cult, you'd better have some ability to respond."

According to the treaty between Li Mochen and the Dragon Witch Cult, Angela and the Michel Group were under his protection.

The problem was that before the treaty expired, Li Mochen couldn't launch an attack or intervene prematurely.

And if the Dragon Witch Cult decided to break the treaty, it would mean the situation was extremely serious—

"Of course I understand."

Angela took off the 'Fantasy Dragon Armor' from her neck and held it in her hand, reluctant to part with it—she actually preferred this one, which held Li Mochen's feelings.

But the new necklace was also made from materials Li Mochen had risked his life to obtain with her. Her beloved was doing his utmost to help her.

"But this time, let me do it myself, okay? A-Mo, you just need to tell Mr. Braden that I'm willing to pay three complete divine knowledge skills and mythical materials worth ten billion gold shields in exchange for his and Professor Bethel Eistain's help. These all come from my mother; according to her will, I'll inherit everything from her in half a month when I turn seventeen."

"But you're offering too much, Angel. Three complete divine knowledge skills—that's too cheap for him."

Li Mochen was taken aback, then spoke with helplessness as he pulled out his mobile phone.

He knew Angela had made up her mind, so he didn't try to dissuade her.

And to quickly turn that ancient blue dragon skeleton into real combat power, they indeed needed Anthony and the sorcerer's help.

But when Li Mochen took out his magical mobile phone, he saw the red light for 'missed calls' flashing rapidly.

He pressed the query button and found that the vast majority were from Anthony Braden. Without hesitation, he called back.

"Wow, you look in good spirits, but you seem troubled and haggard, Mr. Braden."

When Anthony Braden appeared before Li Mochen as an electromagnetic projection, Li Mochen immediately noticed this contradictory state in him.

Anthony Braden relaxed slightly. "Finally got hold of you. Where the hell have you been? Dragon Tomb?"

"You've already guessed, haven't you?"

Li Mochen looked at him suspiciously. "Four days, and you called me seventeen times. What happened, Anthony?"

"I was set up."

Anthony Braden began to look worried again. "Someone made me drink a drop of 'Gaia's Uranus Spring'."

Li Mochen was stunned again, then looked at Anthony in confusion. "The legendary life essence from the genitals, right?"

Gaia is the Earth Mother Goddess in the Greek pantheon. She and the sky god Uranus were born together, each holding part of the power of the 'Source'. But the sky god was stronger and always dominant.

Until Gaia conspired with her youngest son Cronus to cut off Uranus's genitals. That organ of the sky god turned into a strange substance that periodically condensed a blood-colored liquid—the top mythical treasure of Olympus, said to grant immortality.

"Hey! Don't be so disgusting. You should call it the Blood of the Source. How can a severed organ have life essence, huh?"

Anthony Braden complained loudly, but when he said 'genitals', he looked depressed again.

'Blood of the Source from the genitals' and 'life essence from the genitals' didn't seem much different—both came from genitals.

"But Mr. Braden, isn't this a good thing?"

Hazel, standing nearby, asked curiously, "I heard this stuff has been off the black market for years. Decades ago, someone offered five billion gold shields and no one sold."

"A good thing? It is a good thing."

Anthony sighed. "I'm about to advance to the legendary realm, folks. I've tried everything these past few days to suppress it, but I can't. The Goddess of Magic is already watching me. If I don't take precautions, I'll face disaster within ten days at most."

Li Mochen had already realized the seriousness, but he was still puzzled. "But Anthony, I want to know, under what circumstances were you given the 'Gaia's Uranus Spring'?"

Anthony Braden looked embarrassed, unsure how to answer.

Angela saw this and laughed mockingly. "A woman, right? Father always said you'd eventually be brought down by a woman's belly. Sister Natalie Mace should have kicked you out; she must be furious."

Li Mochen was speechless. "Anthony, why didn't she just poison you?"

"If it were poison, I would have detected it. I have constant demigod-level 'Detect Hostility' and 'Detect Poison' spells. If someone tried to harm me, I'd know."

Anthony shrugged helplessly. "But my girlfriend, though she didn't know it was 'Gaia's Uranus Spring', genuinely believed what she put in my coffee was good for me. And it actually is."

"I roughly understand the situation. But the timing is really bad, Anthony. You've given me a headache this time."

Li Mochen rubbed his forehead, speaking with some distress. "Anthony, I want to know, in your current state, how long can you hold out at most?"

The current situation is indeed troublesome, as their standoff with Philip I continues. The other side shows no sign of rushing into a decisive battle, thus keeping many of his demigods and legends immobilized. Meanwhile, his two current allies, the Anthony and Michelle factions, are both showing signs of imminent collapse.

"The limit is eight to ten days. During this time, I will do everything I can to suppress myself. However, my magical advisor has provided a new idea: I can create a device to temporarily freeze myself, which could buy two to three months."

Anthony looked desperate: "But I bet Philip I won't give you the chance to deal with him in those two months."

"Indeed, but if we have two to three months, we might still have a chance of victory."

Li Mochen's tone was calm: "We can work something out using the time difference."

"Time difference? What do you mean?"

Anthony seemed to catch on, narrowing his eyes: "You plan to lure Philip into action when I ascend, right? You're quite confident, young man!"

"Give you an inch and you take a mile, huh? Who caused this trouble in the first place?"

Li Mochen's face was cold: "Anthony, I just want to know, after the battle starts, can you give me three hours? Within three hours, I'll solve my own problems first. No, even one hour would be enough."

"Of course! When a magic mage advances from level 20 to legend, it takes time. My enemies will only strike at the most critical moment."

Anthony was visibly energized: "Since you're so confident, everything is easier. I've prepared for years; I can hold out for three hours at least. If it comes to it, I can also mislead them about the timing of my ascension."

"Then before that, help my girlfriend design a new Fantasy Dragon Armor."

Li Mochen continued expressionlessly: "I need new combat power now, Anthony. Once the battle starts, I won't have the energy to look after the Michelle faction."

"New Fantasy Dragon Armor? Ah Mo, you're really taking advantage of the situation."

Anthony smiled bitterly: "But I bet the dragon remains you got from the Dragon Tomb are high-level, right? Let me guess, an ancient dragon? No? Then a primeval dragon? Damn, looks like you made a big haul on this Dragon Tomb trip."

After reading the answer from Li Mochen and Angela's faces, Anthony sighed helplessly: "But you can see my situation now; I can't help you at all. My body and mind must remain frozen during this time."

"So, Ah Mo, you'll have to ask the teacher for this."

Li Mochen frowned deeply, and Anthony looked at him seriously: "You should go see him yourself, at Stanford University. Professor Einstein has been waiting for you."

"Alright, I'll go over in the next couple of days, Anthony."

Li Mochen didn't hesitate any longer. After saying the last few words, he hung up the phone.

...

After ending the communication with Anthony, Li Mochen became busy again.

First, he focused on the situation in the Dark World. The battle at Rocher Canyon had reached a stalemate. The two simple fortresses planned by the Rising Sun Group had never been completed; the enemy interfered heavily, aided by human heavy artillery and missiles. Michael Wood's two attempts both ended in failure, with losses up to 500 million gold shields.

However, the fortress built by the Bloodwing Grand Duchy in Rocher Canyon was also destroyed by the dozen heavy cannons and long-range missiles Michael had brought in.

After the fortress construction plan failed, several commanders of the Rising Sun Security Department changed course. They built several railway tracks behind the trench line, converting dozens of 'Soul Annihilator' fortress cannons into railway guns. Combined with two 'God and Demon Roar' cannons provided by Light Magic Industries, with a caliber of 1,400 mm and a range of 2,000 km, they could easily destroy any effort to build permanent fortifications on the opposite side.

These were originally the latest fortress main guns designed by Anthony for 'Magic City'. Light Magic Industries produced eight in total. Six were installed in Magic City, and the remaining two were kept in storage as spares.

When Michael Wood heard about the two in stock, he submitted a request to Eliza and brought over the two spare 'God and Demon Roar' cannons.

Thus, the battle at Rocher Canyon was already tipping in favor of the Rising Sun Group.

It was expected that the Bloodwing Grand Duchy would soon be forced to withdraw from the canyon or come out for a decisive battle. In fact, the dark army inside the canyon had launched several probing attacks, all easily repelled by Michael.

—If it were just defense, Li Mochen's private army was undoubtedly top-notch. A large number of veterans, along with the most advanced top-tier equipment, brought the technical and tactical level and firepower of these six armored regiments and three mechanized brigades up to the standard of the Federal Marine Corps.

What they lacked was coordination and默契 among units, but defensive warfare relying on fortifications required the least of that.

Additionally, demigods from the Bloodwing Grand Duchy had appeared on the battlefield twice. After encountering interceptions by 'Blood-Eyed Angel' Robert Yvonne and Douglas Duncan, they immediately withdrew.

These were probing fire reconnaissance; the enemy was observing the magical arrays set up by Douglas and others, waiting for an opportunity.