Chapter 267: Chapter 218: Leave No Survivors, a Warning to Others

Tokyo Tower Operation, temporary command headquarters.

"What?! You let him get away even after all that?! Baka! Are you all idiots?!"

The military commander in the headquarters got through to the front lines and unleashed a furious roar.

At that moment, all the various Japanese officials in the command headquarters were completely silent.

A real-time screen in the command center displayed live footage from the scene, so everyone present had witnessed Yi Beidou’s actions just moments before.

The image of his body, as if truly taking flight with outstretched wings, was deeply seared into their minds.

He had withstood the impact of a terrifying explosion at close range and leaped from the thirteenth floor without sustaining any injuries that would impair his movement. With a single charge, he had sent the soldiers of the first defensive line flying. All of it was simply unbelievable.

They had mobilized a massive number of troops and armaments, even plunging all of Tokyo into chaos, just to set up this encirclement. Yet, with a single leap, it had all come to nothing.

Everyone knew the problem wasn’t with their strategy. The individual they were facing was just too powerful.

"Contact the four Saint Realm masters in the helicopters immediately. Have them continue to track the target’s position. Activate all surveillance equipment and prepare for the next round of attacks."

Mr. Tengsen, seated at the head of the table, spoke with a calm expression.

"We just received a message from the four Saint Realm masters. They can no longer sense the target’s position!"

"Our surveillance methods are having limited effect. His disguise abilities are exceptional, and he moves between buildings too quickly. We don’t have enough manpower to cover every single building and corner on the streets!"

"Right now, we can only roughly track his trajectory, but he’ll likely shake us off completely very soon."

One of the officials in charge of intelligence and reconnaissance said, his face grim.

His physical constitution was unbelievable. He had gone through so many battles in a single day, yet his energy seemed inexhaustible. His stealth capabilities were equally terrifying; even the world’s most advanced detection equipment couldn’t track his presence.

Although he couldn’t directly confront firearms and an overwhelming modern army head-on, it was proving extremely difficult for that army to suppress him with superior numbers.

"The only option now is to immediately call in an airstrike. We can bombard a one-thousand, or even several-thousand-meter radius around his last known position and use sheer firepower to wipe everything in that area off the map."

"The buildings, the streets, and even... our own soldiers."

A military representative spoke up.

For a moment, everyone fell silent.

Although the orders from above were to succeed at any cost, if they actually did this, it was unlikely anyone here would escape the consequences.

This was Tokyo, the most prosperous city in Japan.

"And if I may be blunt, even then, it’s hard to say if we could actually kill him. There are too many buildings in the city, which provide natural cover. Given the physical resilience the target has shown, unless he’s hit directly by a missile, his chances of survival are extremely high. That is, unless we use more powerful, destructive weaponry."

"Perhaps engaging him in a conflict within the city was not a wise choice to begin with."

The military representative spoke again.

The silence deepened. Everyone knew in their hearts that the military representative was telling the truth.

Even Mr. Tengsen, seated at the head, fell silent for a moment.

But the die was cast. At this point, retreat was not an option for him.

Otherwise, he would not only be unable to answer to that esteemed person, but also to the high command of Japan.

"Keep searching. We can’t give up as long as there’s even a sliver of a chance. I refuse to believe he’s completely unscathed after so many fights and attacks. He might show a weakness at any moment."

Mr. Tengsen said in a heavy voice.

「Elsewhere.」

Somewhere outside the lockdown zone, an ordinary-looking young man with glasses stood in the shadows.

Suddenly, he felt a vibration at his waist. With a flick of his wrist, a cell phone was in his hand.

He checked the text message he had just received.

’So it didn’t succeed? Even a life-or-death battle with Tanaka Shoukichi wasn’t enough to fundamentally wound him?’

The young man with glasses shook his head slightly. He didn’t reply. With a light squeeze of his hand, the phone buckled with a CRUNCH.

He pinched out the SIM card and crushed it between two fingers, then casually tossed the mangled phone into the bushes by the road.

In truth, his actions had merely been a test.

If Yi Beidou had sustained significant injuries in his fight with Tanaka Shoukichi, he likely would have been unable to handle this latest attack and would have been killed.

But if he was still in peak condition, then it was a different story.

The young man with glasses wasn’t actually very surprised that Yi Beidou had managed it.

If it had been himself or one of the other Ancient Ones, they could have done something similar in their prime. As long as one wasn’t prepared to destroy half a city, a modern army posed little threat to them in an urban environment.

They were beings who truly transcended human society.

Unlike some ordinary Corpse Dissolving Immortals, the reason the Ancient Ones lived in the Hidden World wasn’t out of fear of secular armies. Rather, they were more concerned with the covetous eyes of their own kind.

After all, their Dao and Skill, their experience, and the collections they had amassed over long ages were all things of immense value.

And no matter how powerful an Ancient One was, they would inevitably grow old in one lifetime and eventually have to undergo Corpse Dissolution to be reborn.