Although Grandmasters were forces to be reckoned with, their impact on the world had been greatly reduced since the introduction of firearms. Any ordinary man could kill a Martial Artist with a gun and merely a dozen well-armed and well-trained soldiers were able to corner a Grandmaster. Even those who were at the top three spots of the Dark Roll could not face the American Military head-on.
The advancement of modern technology had made modern military weapons extremely deadly. However strong a Martial Artist was, he could be laid low by a high caliber bullet, so would Grandmasters under Cannon fire. Those were just the regular arms, not to mention the superweapons, such as nuclear bombs. Therefore, no Grandmaster, let it be those in China or Kendo Grandmasters in japan had the audacity to challenge the authority of a nation.
The more powerful a Martial Artist was, the more fear they had toward superpowers on this planet.
The dignity and integrity of a nation were backed by military might. The progress of the modern military had far exceeded anyone’s imagination. Not even an Immortal State cultivator could have withstood a direct hit from a ballistic missile.
“That’s the fourteenth Brigade stationed at Zentsuji.” Red Sparrow said with a pale face.
A brigade in Japan was usually four thousand strong. Its arsenal included a hundred tanks and armored vehicles, a few dozen armed helicopters, not to mention various field cannons. Although the Japan Self-Defense Forces lacked numbers, they made it up with high-quality weapons that were on par with that of America in terms of quality.
Many tourists turned into bundles of nerves after hearing that it was the Japanese military coming after them.
Most of the tourists were Chinese or Korean who didn’t have fond memories of the Japanese military. Many kids already started crying, and everyone looked at Chen Fan for help.
Chen Fan had killed the Demon Gods and expelled the darkness, so he might as well be immortal. It was natural for ordinary people to turn to the strong in the time of stress.
“It looks like all the Fourteenth Brigade has committed every soldier to this mission. There are thousands of them and are all well equipped. Not even a real Immortal State cultivator could have warded them off. I think we should leave now.” Red Sparrow heaved a sigh and managed to gather herself and put in.
“You and I can move faster than the helicopter but we need to move now and get out of here before it’s too late. They want to pick a fight with us, we won’t let them have what they want.”
Despite the deadliness of the modern military, most Grandmasters would not choose to confront them directly. Most Grandmasters would sneak into a city and use the citizens as their cover. After all, the military couldn’t just barge into a city and started killing.
That was exactly Red Sparrow’s plan as well.
Chen Fan could break the hypersonic barrier and therefore the Fourteenth Brigade would never be able to stop him from escaping.
Red Sparrow’s words were heard by all the other tourists around her. The promise of being abandoned made them panic.
“What are they going to do if we run away?” Chen Fan scanned the people around him and found many expectant and helpless gazes.
These tourists were from a different country and had no connections in Japan. Chen Fan was their last hope, so Chen Fan couldn’t bring himself to abandon them.
Red Sparrow let out a wry smile.
She was a super soldier and was used to thinking in terms of the bigger picture. Therefore, Red Sparrow didn’t hesitate at all when she chose Chen Fan over the group of tourists. Chen Fan was the future of the Chinese Martial Arts and was a greater strategic asset than an entire military division in China.
“Plus, it’s already too late even if we wanted to leave. Look for yourself.” Chen Fan lifted his chin up, gesturing Red Sparrow to look up.
Red Sparrow scanned the sky and noticed three small dots a few thousand meters above the ground. Red Sparrow was startled at first, and then she shouted: “F-15? The Japanese Military had even mobilized the air force?”
The involvement of the Japanese air force meant the situation had gone out of control. Only the officials at the highest level of government could have ordered the mobilization of these expensive machines.
Red Sparrow still had a slight doubt that Fourteenth Brigade happened to be on a military drill. However, the sight of the F-15s confirmed the Japanese military’s intention. It was evident that the leaders of Japan had decided to do away with Chen Fan at all costs. It occurred to Red Sparrow that even the assault of the four demon gods was a ruse to slow down Chen Fan and tire him out before they used the real trump cards on him.
Their real trump card is the military force.
They had given their all and attacked Chen Fan with abandon, to strike him down in one fell swoop. No one, not even Grandmasters or Demon Gods could stand in the way of the military’s operation.
With that thought in mind, Red Sparrow’s face paled even more.
“My speed can reach the speed of sound in short bursts, while these fighter jets can cruise continuously at hypersonic speed. There is no way I can outrun them. Plus, how could I abandon my fellow countrymen?” Chen Fan linked his hands behind his back and cracked a smile.
Red Sparrow’s face flushed red with anger, she shouted: “Are you crazy? So you are going to take on all of them at once? These are not peasants in the dark ages, they are elite soldiers with modern firearms. ”
“The rifles in their hands can fire armor-piercing rounds and one shot was enough to end the life of a Grandmaster. Those mini-guns on the helicopters are able to sever a peak level Transcendent State Warrior in half. Even an Immortal State warrior couldn’t survive a direct hit from a missile or field cannons. Those who were ranked at the top three spots of the Dark Roll were able to escape an army of one thousand strong, but there are over four thousand soldiers out there, not to mention the F-15 and tanks. No one in the world could survive their direct aggression.”
Red Sparrow’s face turned red as she shouted at Chen Fan vehemently.
As an agent in the Chinese Special Case Departments, she knew the full extent of the modern military. The Special Case Departments used to spar with the Chinese military soldiers carrying live ammunition. It turned out that most agents, except for Azure dragon, couldn’t defeat ordinary soldiers despite their impressive personal strength. It was the soldier’s firearms that had given them a big advantage. Not even a Grandmaster could survive a high caliber round shot at close range. Now Chen Fan had to face an entire brigade of them.
Ai Jinqi and her other friends looked at Chen Fan pleadingly. Someone murmured under his breath.
“Mr. Chen, you should leave here now. We are tourists, I don’t think the military would do anything to us.”
“Indeed. Leave now, take that girl with you. We will be fine.” Ai Jinqi squeezed out a smile as she said. These tourists were appreciative of Chen Fan’s help earlier and their conscience couldn’t let Chen Beixuan risk his life for them again.
“I will be fine.”
Chen Fan took a step toward the armored vehicles coming at him. He then waved at Red Sparrow and said: “Red Sparrow, make sure these people are saved. I will go to greet the Japan Self-Defense Forces.”
An azure-colored light came up in Chen Fan’s eyes even as he said so. The promise of a battle had made his blood boil.
North Mystic Celestial Lord had traversed across the universe undefeated, never once had he been afraid of any threat.
He was an invincible celestial being, what did an army made up of mortals mean to him?
Red Sparrow was suddenly at a loss. She watched the outline of Chen Fan’s body against the flood of armored tanks, many complicated and strong emotions rose inside of her.
She looked at Chen Fan’s disappearing image and thought to herself: “Maybe that was what a hero looks like: To achieve the impossible and to think the unthinkable.”
Meanwhile, in an ancient manor somewhere in Tokyo.
The Manor consists of many gardens and pavilions with a similar style as those in Wu Zhou, China. Servants wearing Kimonos bustled about in the manor with surprising economy of motion. Some of them kept on glancing toward the main building in the manor where the master of the house resided.
He was one of the most powerful men in Japan, the leader of the Mitsui family, Mitsui Kazuo.
As the man responsible for bringing Mitsui Group back from the brink of bankruptcy, he was a household name in Japan. He had made the Mitsui Group the mega cooperation that it was.
Mitsui Kazuo stood by the window with his hands linked behind his back. Despite his white hair and wizened face, he stood upright like a jack pine.
The current family lord of Mitsui family, Mitsui Yuto lowered his body to the ground fearfully. He had been in this position for over an hour, yet he still dared not to lift his head up and look at the old man.
“Mitsui Yuto, do you know what have you done wrong?”
The old man asked. Despite the raspy timbre, his voice boomed, filling up the room with his assuredness.
“Yes, my lord. I shouldn’t have incited the duel between Lord Takemiya and Chen Beixuan. The outcome of the battle had brought shame to the entire Japanese Martial arts community. It had even stirred the Prime Minister.” Mitsui Yuto replied as cold sweat streaked across his forehead.
“Humph! However powerful Takemiya Hiro was, he was no wiser than a fool. His life or death wouldn’t concern me or the prime minister.” Mitsui Kazuo snorted. He turned around and caught Mitsui Yuto with the hook of his glance. “What you have done wrong was to overestimate the power of your martial arts friends.”
“Huh?” Mitsui Yuto was taken aback.
“They could laud their personal strength all day long, but at the end of the day, they were still human, just like you and me. If they are really that powerful, why don’t they run the world instead of hiding in the darkness like a rat?” Mitsui Kazuo said derisively.
“This planet will forever be controlled by money and political might. We can even make a mountain disappear much less those martial artists.”
Mitsui Yuto saw the sense in the old man’s words. However, he was still confused. “But what about Chen Beixuan? He is still a very dangerous man. Even the Tokyo Tower was…”
“I have taken you off the case. The prime minister had mobilized the fourteenth brigade and the airforce to capture him. There is no way Chen Beixuan could get away with it.”
Mitsui Kazuo waved a hand dismissively as if he had just crushed something as insignificant as an insect.
Mitsui Yuto was stunned by the revelation.
The government had dispatched fighter jets just to catch Chen Beixuan?
However powerful Chen Beixuan was, even with his title as the most powerful man in East Asia, he was no match against the modern military. With that thought in mind, a ball of fire came up in his heart.
“This was the closest definition of power and strength.”
“It only took the old man one word to undo the strongest man in East Asia.”
“I still have a long way to go in order to catch up with the old man.”
So thinking, he bowed even deeper as his respect toward Mitsui Kazuo multiplied.