Chapter 320: You Want to Rebel?

Ning Yao's pistol has a unique shape, and its bullet speed is faster than the most advanced firearms of Huaxia Guo.

In the flash of a moment, Ning Jinli tilted her head.

The bullet skimmed past a half‑centimeter from her right cheek, missing her face directly but leaving a scorch mark on her right side.

At the moment she ducked the bullet, Ning Yao simultaneously flicked two three‑inch throwing knives with her other hand.

The two knives each targeted the heart area of Ning Shan and Ye Zhiqiu.

Ye Zhiqiu's martial skill is higher than Ning Shan's, and his reflexes are faster, so he unhesitatingly tackled Ning Shan.

Puff—

Ye Zhiqiu dodged the knife aimed at him, but to protect Ning Shan he used his body to block the knife headed for him.

Almost the whole blade drove into her right‑shoulder area on her back.

All of this happened far too quickly.

Ning Jinli didn't even have time to stop it.

Seeing Ning Yao about to strike again, Ning Jinli threw a punch.

Meanwhile, Lu Xingfeng rushed forward and used his mechanical arm to deploy an energy shield shaped like a shield.

Boom!

Lu Xingfeng and Ning Hai and his daughter were unharmed, but behind the three, where Ning Jinli's punch wave swept, tables and chairs were shattered and walls collapsed, leaving a wreck.

When they came to their senses, they found the area empty of people.

"When did Ning Jinli become this powerful?" Ning Yao exclaimed in surprise.

"Daughter! Why are you trying to kill Ning Shan's whole family?!" Ning Hai shouted angrily, "Who made you so reckless!"

Clack clack clack!!!

Special forces disguised as restaurant staff launched an attack.

A hail of bullets rained straight at the three of them.

However, the most advanced firearms in this world are no better than toys against the high‑tech that Ning Hai possesses.

In an instant, Lu Xingfeng expanded the energy shield into a sphere, enveloping himself and Ning Hai and his daughter from all sides; bullets could not penetrate.

Ning Hai barely gave the attack a second thought, merely glared at his daughter, "When we get back, you'll give me a proper explanation!"

With a casual swing of his mechanical arm, Lu Xingfeng's energy shield surged rapidly, forming a devastating shockwave that instantly leveled the entire small restaurant.

Almost simultaneously, a triangular craft flew over, opened its hatch automatically, and lifted the three inside, soaring back into the pyramid‑shaped mothership hovering in the sky.

The combat squad concealed near the restaurant never had time to launch an attack; the massive pyramid‑shaped craft had already vanished into the clouds.

The gap with the enemy's military technology was so vast that they could only stare in awe.

On the other side, Ning Jinli instantly opened a temporal‑spatial conduit and returned with her parents to the Huaxia Guo command center.

Ye Zhiqiu was taken to the operating room at once.

The surgery went smoothly; the knife had penetrated three inches into her back, but fortunately did not reach the heart, and with her internal skill protecting her, she can recover after some rest.

Ning Shan stayed with Ye Zhiqiu in the ward, and after Ning Jinli spent a while with her parents, she went to the conference room to see Shangguan Ying.

"Sister Ying, I'm sorry," Ning Jinli said remorsefully, "According to our plan, after I figured out the purpose of the Descending Sovereign, I should have captured him…"

Shangguan Ying gently patted Ning Jinli's shoulder, "It's okay, no one expected Ning Yao to suddenly strike your family; the fact that you and your parents made it back is already a good thing."

Ning Jinli's face was heavy with unshakable seriousness, "I never imagined the Descending Sovereign was Ning Hai, and even Ning Yao's skills have become that formidable."

Shangguan Ying said, "They have mastered temporal‑spatial traversal technology and, using the theory of temporal displacement, have advanced a full hundred years beyond us before returning to this world. Their troops' combat power and technological level far outstrip ours."

"Sister Ying… I…" Ning Jinli could barely hold back, her eyes reddening, tears welling, "The Number One world we've been trying to locate was destroyed by Ning Hai, and Xiao Qidi too…"

Shangguan Ying spread her arms and pulled Ning Jinli into an embrace.

Ning Jinli finally let out a sob.

She had once thought she must bring back those hundreds of research scientists and also see Xiao Qidi again.

But the hope she harbored in her heart was completely shattered…

Shangguan Ying gently patted her back, pondering as she said, "Perhaps the parallel world Ning Hai went to isn't the Number One world you think it is?"

Ning Jinli was startled, looked up, "But Lu Xingfeng is from the Number One world; if Ning Hai didn't go to the Number One world, how could the two be together?"

"I can't answer that either," Shangguan Ying continued, "But even if Ning Hai really went to the Number One world and has already ruled everything, plundered all its resources, I still believe Xiao Qidi is alive there."

Ning Jinli's pupils dilated, "Sister Ying, why do you say that?"

"He's not only alive, and someday in the future you'll definitely meet him again," Shangguan Ying asserted, "Just trust me."

Ning Jinli had thought the other was consoling her, but from the expression and tone it was clear they were stating something certain.

Moreover, Shangguan Ying had never told her a single falsehood.

Ning Jinli hurriedly wiped her tears, and hope reignited in her heart, "I believe, but why are you so certain, Sister Ying?"

"You'll understand later," Shangguan Ying helped her wipe away the tear marks, speaking softly, "Alright, let's pull ourselves together. Ning Hai can use the theory of temporal displacement, and we can use it too. Though it's fraught with uncertainty, it's our only hope. From now on, I'll do everything to hold back Ning Hai's assault, buying time for you and the Repair Plan Team's experiments. Jinli, let's give it our all."

"Mm!" Ning Jinli nodded vigorously.

——

Ning Hai, his daughter, and Lu Xingfeng returned to the massive flagship headquarters.

All three wore grim expressions, each lost in their own thoughts.

"Xingfeng, you go out first; I'll talk with Yao Yao," Ning Hai said as soon as he entered the hall, giving Lu Xingfeng a way out.

"Yes." Lu Xingfeng glanced at Ning Yao and hurried away.

Ning Hai slammed his cane to the ground, his anger flaring as he pointed at Ning Yao's nose and roared, "Speak! What on earth are you up to!"

Ning Yao, already over one hundred and thirty years old, had never heard a harsh word from her father since childhood, but today he scolded her repeatedly.

Her eyes reddened, she clenched her fists and gritted her teeth, "Dad, you weren't like this before."

Ning Hai was slightly taken aback, took a few deep breaths, and softened his tone, "I'm sorry… it's my fault for losing control. Yao Yao, tell me, what's wrong with you today?"

Ning Yao lowered her eyes, voice tinged with dissatisfaction, "Do you really just want to reconcile with the Ning Jinli family? I know you're old and starting to miss family ties, but Dad, you have me! I'll always be by your side— isn't that enough? You have me… isn't that enough?"

"Sigh..." Ning Hai let out a long breath, "Daughter, you will always be the most important person to me. But everyone has a day they die; I'm this old, even if I used the original world's medical means to heal my ailments, I wouldn't live much longer. By then, you'll have no one beside you. I want to seek reconciliation with the Ning Shan family—not just because I'm old and starting to miss family ties in my twilight years, but because I want, after I'm gone, for you to still have some blood relatives nearby. The Ning Shan family are good people; as long as they can forgive my past deeds, they won't abandon you."

"Do I need them to manage me?" Ning Yao refused to listen, shouting loudly, "I've long stopped considering them family! I don't need them either!"

"Daughter..." Ning Hai stretched out both hands.

Ning Yao slapped his hand away with a pa, "Dad, if you're still thinking about seeking them out, I'll cut off our father-daughter relationship!"

Having said that, she turned and walked away without looking back.

"Daughter... Yao Yao..." Ning Hai panicked, shouting at her back, "Ning Yao! Stop right there!"

Ning Yao's steps paused, but she still left the hall in a huff.

Ning Hai let out a muffled groan, covered his chest, and slumped to the ground; beneath the golden mask, blood slowly seeped out.

Ning Yao came to outside the hall, Lu Xingfeng said softly, "Yao Yao, I..."

"Shut up, I don't want to hear your explanations." Ning Yao glared back with a knife‑sharp gaze.

She was really angry today.

Her father disregarded her wishes, insisting on meeting the Ning Jinli family and trying to mend family ties.

Lu Xingfeng clearly still cared about Ye Zhiqiu, yet he kept deceiving her.

Moreover, her father and Lu Xingfeng also had a falling out over this family.

In the end, she thought that killing the three members of the Ning Jinli family would solve all problems, so she suddenly launched an attack.

Unfortunately, even that sudden sneak attack failed.

This made her even angrier.

"Yao Yao!" Lu Xingfeng grabbed Ning Yao's shoulders firmly, "I admit I still have an obsession with Ye Zhiqiu, but that's different from my feelings for you! I want revenge on her, to make her submit beneath my feet! As for you, I love you! Can't you understand?!"

"I don't need to understand!" Ning Yao snapped, "Anyway, you have another woman in your heart—no matter what kind of feeling, I can't tolerate it! Moreover, you deceived me! Let go of me!"

Lu Xingfeng's face flushed green then white, not knowing how else to explain, he could only continue the standoff without letting go.

Ning Yao, furious, sneered, "Between us it's over—stop clinging uselessly. My dad was right: people like you are only fit to be tools, not confidants. From now on, behave yourself and know your place! Otherwise I'll have you executed under the Descending Army's highest criminal law!"

Lu Xingfeng's pupils contracted sharply, "What… what are you saying? Your dad actually only sees me as a tool?"

"What else?" Ning Yao pried his hand open, "You think you're something? Get lost! Without my orders, don't ever show up in front of me again!"

Having said those heart‑cutting words, Ning Yao didn't glance at him again and strode away.

Lu Xingfeng's eyes turned crimson, killing intent surging uncontrollably within; seeing Ning Yao walk away, he shoved the hall door open and, filled with hostility, approached Ning Hai.

Ning Hai hunched over, slumped on the ground, until Lu Xingfeng stood before him for a while, then he came to, painfully lifted his head, reached out, and said, "Help me up…"

"How so, this tool of mine can still serve as a cane?" Lu Xingfeng crossed his arms, looking down coldly.

Ning Hai lifted his head, "What do you mean?"

"Nothing much," Lu Xingfeng said, a cold light flashing in his eyes, "You're old, starting to lose your wits, no longer fit to lead the Descending Army."

"Lu Xingfeng… are you planning a rebellion?" Ning Hai's tone also turned icy.

"Hahaha!" Lu Xingfeng laughed, "I originally thought that even if I stayed beneath you, being able to dominate a region on the Huaxia land of that world would be acceptable, but you've drained that world dry, turning it into a dead star—how could I still be a regional overlord?"

Ning Hai let out a mocking laugh, "You think you deserve to replace me? Kid, you simply lack the ability to rule the whole world."

"Whether I have the ability isn't for you to say!" Lu Xingfeng grew ever more enraged, directly gripping Ning Hai's face with his mechanical arm and hauling him up off the ground.

Crack—

A fine cracking sound rang out.

The golden mask made of special material shattered into pieces, continually falling from between Lu Xingfeng's fingers.

And Ning Hai's face, covered in twisted blood vessels and only a thin, semi‑transparent membrane of skin, was exposed to the air.

"Tsk tsk, you look like a ghost—really ugly!" Lu Xingfeng jeered while gradually increasing his force.

Having lost the protection of the special mask, Ning Hai's whole face felt as if cut by a knife, yet he still smiled and said, "Lu Xingfeng, your life was given by me, this arm choking me was given by me, the good life of over a hundred years was given by me—now you treat me like this… truly wolf‑hearted, dog‑lunged, pig‑dog… not worthy at all. I really never misjudged you from the start."

"Courting death!" Lu Xingfeng exploded in anger, his icy, hard fingertips slowly sinking into Ning Hai's forehead and cheeks.

Just as he was about to crush Ning Hai's skull to death, his mechanical arm suddenly slipped out of his control, instead slowly lowering Ning Hai down.

"What… what is happening!" Lu Xingfeng exclaimed in shock.

No matter how he struggled, the mechanical arm hung limp, not a single finger able to move.

"Heh… heh…" Ning Hai, seated on the ground, let out a hoarse laugh, "Didn't I say? Your mechanical arm is mine—I gave it to you. To guard against you, from the start I implanted a hidden crystal core in the arm, and each time I upgraded your mechanical arm, I also upgraded its control system."

"You old schemer!" Lu Xingfeng cursed, clenching his other hand into a fist and striking at Ning Hai.

But the next second, the mechanical arm clamped onto his real hand, preventing any further attack.

"You immortal old bastard!" Lu Xingfeng's face turned ashen, "Just how are you controlling my hand?!"

Ning Hai painfully lifted his right finger, lightly touched his own head, and said proudly:

"I've installed a matching crystal core here; with brainwaves I can send commands to your mechanical arm. Moreover, once I die, your mechanical arm will also drag you along. But looking at it now, there's no need to wait until my death."

As his words fell, Lu Xingfeng's mechanical arm crushed the wrist of his real hand, then tightened around his throat, and inside the mechanical arm a directional micro‑explosive powerful enough to blast him into mincemeat began to activate…