Chapter Fifty-One: In Truth, I Am One Reborn
At this moment, the moon was missing a corner, yet its light remained pure and flawless.
Number One and Chu Xiao sat by the window, a cup of tea now lukewarm at their side.
“Chu Xiao, can you tell me—at the end of the prophecy, did we win this war?” Number One asked. “Or rather, with what we’re doing now, have we truly changed the outcome? Can you tell me?”
Chu Xiao paused, at a loss for words. He was not, after all, a prophet, but someone who had been reborn. He could fabricate any answer about whether things had changed, but the truth would eventually come out, and with it, the lie of his prophetic identity. It was better to be honest from the start.
“I can’t,” Chu Xiao replied. Number One was taken aback and was about to ask why, but Chu Xiao continued, “I can’t foresee it. Don’t be surprised. I’m not a prophet at all—I am someone who has been reborn.”
“What? Reborn?” Number One stared at Chu Xiao in disbelief.
Chu Xiao understood that the concept of someone reborn was even more fantastical than that of a prophet. But facts were facts—what else could he do?
“Yes. I was reborn. On the eve of humanity’s complete annihilation, I crossed back to the time before the Lord of the Underworld awakened. It was the perfect opportunity, and I couldn’t afford any mistakes, so I lied.”
“You may not believe me, but the Lord of the Underworld is about to awaken. Please, stay calm! Don’t waste any more time on this!” Chu Xiao spoke each word with emphasis.
Number One still found it all incredible, even now.
But as a leader, Number One had seen all manner of storms. He quickly composed himself.
“Very well. I understand,” he replied quietly.
But Chu Xiao’s next words shocked him even more.
“Spread the news. Let the whole world know I am someone reborn, not a prophet!” Chu Xiao left no room for negotiation—he had his own reasons for doing so.
Let’s see how those foreigners will be stunned by what Jiuzhou has accomplished!
By dawn, the news had swept across the globe.
[The American Times: Chu Xiao is not a prophet but a man reborn! From the eve of humanity’s destruction, he returned to the time before the Lord of the Underworld awakened—is it a lie or the truth?]
[Northern Sands News Agency: Breaking news! Attention! Chu Xiao is a reborn man! A reborn man!]
[Euroforce Times: Breaking! Chu Xiao is not a prophet—he is a man reborn!]
...
America.
Mucus read the news with a cold, scornful laugh.
“Such trickery, and there are still those who believe it!”
“Orden! Come here!” Mucus yawned, his once devilish features now tinged with laziness.
Orden stepped forward. “First Speaker, what are your orders?”
“Go with Lewis and keep watch. See if the Lord of the Underworld awakens at Site 29. If he really does, blow it up immediately! Understood?” Mucus’s eyes suddenly turned fierce.
If the Lord of the Underworld truly gained consciousness, he had to be destroyed in that very moment. Otherwise, it would be a disaster for America.
---
Orden was momentarily stunned, then quickly replied, “Understood!”
Northern Sands.
All of the top officials had gathered in the conference room.
A male secretary was reading out the reports about Chu Xiao being a man reborn.
“Chu Xiao is a man reborn! He took his own life on the eve of humanity’s annihilation, returning to three months before the Lord of the Underworld’s awakening! After that, he assumed the identity of a prophet to prepare for war!”
Everyone had already heard the reports before arriving, but hearing it again still left them shocked.
Chu Xiao was actually a man reborn!
It was simply inconceivable!
Who would have thought that Chu Xiao was truly someone reborn?
Church, too, was stunned—Chu Xiao was a man reborn!
But more than surprise, Church felt a sense of unwillingness. Why did Northern Sands not have someone like Chu Xiao? If they had, they wouldn’t need to swallow their pride and seek help from Jiuzhou now.
“If only Northern Sands had a man reborn too,” Church sighed, harboring nothing but envy and jealousy toward Jiuzhou.
America.
Orden arrived at the laboratory.
“Let me in. I’m here on orders from the First Speaker to monitor the Lord of the Underworld and see if the rumors are true!” Orden stated his purpose directly.
A flicker of surprise flashed in Lewis’s eyes.
No! He couldn’t let himself be discovered! But if he refused entry, suspicion would certainly arise. With the Lord of the Underworld about to awaken, and his grand plan for domination nearly complete, how could he let things fall apart now?
Absolutely not!
“Very well, come in,” Lewis said with a smile as he opened the door for Orden.
Truth be told, Orden was surprised at how accommodating Lewis was today.
He didn’t think too much of it.
But as soon as he entered the lab, Orden caught a strange odor, and then his head grew dizzy. Moments later, he lost consciousness.
Seeing Orden collapse, Lewis quickly fetched a rope and tied him up.
Lewis intended for his old friend to witness the Lord of the Underworld’s awakening with his own eyes—before killing him personally!
The thought filled Lewis with uncontrollable excitement, and he burst out laughing.
“Ha ha ha!”
Jiuzhou.
In the conference room, Chu Xiao was assigning the final tasks before the coming storm.
---
“Recall all warriors stationed at Jiuzhou’s borders to return to the fortress!”
“Also, stop all food gathering missions outside. For those Jiuzhou citizens not yet back, issue one last warning to return!”
“Every soldier must be assigned a clear post. For those fighting on the fortress walls, make sure substitutes are ready—if one falls, the next steps up immediately, without pause! We must not give the Lord of the Underworld any opening to break through.”
“Today’s weapons training will take place directly on the fortress walls!”
As soon as his orders fell, silence filled the room.
The directives were quickly disseminated.
Ji Kaicheng issued the commands, while Chu Xiao patrolled to ensure no one made mistakes.
The main concern now was the use of the laser cannons. Any misstep could expose others to dangerous radiation.
“Load!” The ammunition was a special radium shell.
“Aim!”
“Fire!”
At the command, everyone pressed their buttons. A streak of blue light shot forth, striking the ground.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Explosions thundered, shaking everyone’s eardrums.
Earth flew in all directions. One after another, massive round craters appeared in the ground, encircling the fortress completely.
Such was the power of the laser cannons!
Cheers erupted.
“Wow!”
“Amazing!”
“Incredible!”
Photos of the giant craters made headlines in international newspapers.
What kind of weapon could create such massive pits? Only Jiuzhou’s arsenal!
The world was stunned. Nations scrambled to buy these weapons.
Meanwhile, the Lord of the Underworld hovered on the very edge of awakening.