66: Unleashing a secret realm to devour the heavens, becoming an enemy of the world, fleeing to the sea and sky.
At this moment,
In the underground Cultivation hall of the First Cultivation University, China's original ten Sequence Members were now reduced to only seven.
Everyone's expression was grim; the atmosphere was so heavy it felt like water could drip from it.
Lin Jin, Leng Qinghe, and Lin Yidong were all unconscious due to severe injuries and were currently receiving treatment.
But even with Cultivators possessing Healing Talents, the situation remained grim.
Including the local Cultivators from Australia and those from other countries, approximately four hundred thirty entered the Secret Realm, but the only survivors were Zhang Sheng and his four companions, along with one black Cultivator from France.
Such immense losses were unimaginable; every single one of them possessed considerable Talent.
This was not merely a loss for the nations, but a loss for Earth—a massive loss for all of humanity!
Just as Zhang Sheng and Rodi were fighting, several international self-media platforms suddenly released a shocking video message.
The moment this message was released, it instantly exploded across the entire network!
"By the time everyone sees this message, I must already be dead.
This is a sad thing, and perhaps I deserve it, but I absolutely do not want the person who killed me to get away with it.
Therefore, I choose to tell everyone everything in this manner.
No matter what curses I endure, I am dead anyway, so curse as much as you like!
I only hope that you do not take your anger out on my family or my country; they are all innocent.
I am the Australian Senator—Castro.
An American Cultivator named Alexander Rodi threatened my life and forced me to deliver twenty timed nuclear bombs into the open Secret Realm in Australia.
He was attempting to eliminate the elite Cultivators from all nations in one go!
I truly fear death, I had no choice; if I didn't comply, it was a dead end for me.
Most importantly, Rodi is an Awakened one with SSS-level Devour Talent; he can devour and absorb the Talents of others!
In his plan, even if someone managed to survive the twenty nuclear bombs, they would surely be barely hanging on, yet possess extraordinary Talent.
His other goal was to devour the survivors of the nuclear explosions to strengthen himself.
Alexander Rodi,
He is a lunatic!
A complete and utter madman!
He wants to devour all the top-tier Talent Awakened ones across the globe!
He must be dealt with quickly, or the consequences will be endless, endless!"
Towards the end, Castro in the video became increasingly hysterical.
Because he clearly knew that the maniacal Rodi would never let him off easily, yet his instinct for survival made him hope for a miracle.
He also knew clearly that if this video was seen by the world, it meant he had still failed to escape Rodi's clutches.
He was angry, he was hateful, yet powerless, only able to hope that someone could stop Rodi and kill Rodi.
Even when finally facing death, there was a trace of comfort in his heart.
This video spread rapidly across the global internet, while the USA claimed it was an AI-generated video and refused to acknowledge it.
But the truth could not be concealed; news that almost all Cultivators participating in the Secret Realm expedition had perished spread worldwide.
Russia even publicly stated that if the USA did not hand over Rodi, and if any Russian SSS-level Talent Awakened ones died by Rodi's hand, they would use nuclear weapons to wipe the USA off the map.
In response, the USA stated that Rodi had already disappeared and they were powerless to act, but if they found Rodi immediately, they would definitely hand him over to the International Court for trial right away.
Regarding this, Cultivators from all nations treated the USA's statement as nonsense, but they were completely helpless.
Because in response to Russia's nuclear threat, the USA also issued a relevant statement:
The total number of nuclear weapons secretly produced by the United States, including small nuclear bombs, exceeds eight thousand.
Nuclear-armed nations should not act rashly. If the USA suffers a nuclear attack, the entire world will be buried alongside it.
Such a vast quantity is enough to plough the Earth multiple times over.
Capital, China, First Cultivation University.
The large screen display in the underground hall was showing the complete sequence of the battle between Zhang Sheng and Alexander Rodi.
This included Rodi's actions of setting the trap to kill Cultivators worldwide, as well as his Awakened Devour Talent.
What shocked everyone was—
From beginning to end, the final layer of Zhang Sheng's protective shield was never broken.
Zhang Sheng's Smart Terminal recorded the entire process, from Zhang Sheng entering the Secret Realm until Rodi fled.
Once this incident occurred, the focus of all nations was directed entirely towards the Australian and US governments.
First, who exactly planned this tragedy?
Who provided the twenty nuclear bombs?
As for whether the Australian government was an accomplice, that was no longer important. What awaited them was astronomical compensation they could never afford.
Australia, which was already suffering from the Yao Beast disaster, simply gave up, stating they had no Spirit Pearls for compensation, only their wretched lives.
Australia's mineral resources were extremely rich. China proposed that Australia use its mineral resources as compensation, and this suggestion quickly gained unanimous approval.
Australia, in turn, claimed to be a victim, demanding that the USA must bear responsibility, hand over Alexander Rodi, and pay massive compensation.
At this time, another survivor of the conspiracy also spoke out publicly.
He was a French Cultivator who quietly fled the Australian continent during the battle between Zhang Sheng and Rodi.
"Devour Talent!"
"Zhang Sheng, I'll hand the video over to the higher-ups for processing right now!" Hou Wu opened his Smart Terminal and began operating it.
"These videos will be edited and processed before being sent to the governments of various countries," Hou Wu quickly explained.
The reason for the editing was simple: Zhang Sheng's true strength could not be exposed.
"Dean, if we allow this Alexander Rodi to continue devouring other top-tier Talent Awakened ones, no one will be able to deal with this lunatic!" Song Xian exclaimed quickly after watching the video.
Aside from being shocked by Rodi's Devour Talent, the other Sequence Members were also amazed by Zhang Sheng's astonishing combat power, which was capable of forcing Rodi, who possessed multiple Talents, to flee.
"Don't be impatient!"
"You've seen this person's abilities—he is capable of ascending to the skies and entering the sea. He won't be easy to catch."
"Now that this person is a public enemy, his subsequent actions will certainly be much more cautious!"
"This person possesses Transformation Techniques, and we still don't know exactly how he devours the Talents of others. You must be careful and must not leave the country! If you encounter an unknown situation, immediately activate your alarm."
Anyone could imagine the horror of the Devour Talent and its nearly infinite potential.
Rodi will become the nightmare of all Talent Awakened ones.
As the Dean expected, following China's release of video evidence, it was confirmed that Alexander Rodi was a Cultivator highly valued and trained by the USA.
The video had been edited to remove Zhang Sheng's spell-casting segments.
The USA could not deny Rodi's identity, but they stated that Rodi's actions were purely personal and unrelated to the USA, while also denying that the nuclear bombs originated from the USA.
Given the current situation, the Cultivators of all nations mostly felt helpless regarding this matter.
However, this served as a warning to all top-tier Talent Awakened ones globally: not only must they be wary of Yao Beasts, but they must also beware of Rodi.
Enthusiasm for expeditions into other countries' Secret Realms also waned. Who could be 100% sure that they weren't traps targeting foreign Cultivators?
For a time, panic spread everywhere.