"I can provide technology that will put you several eras ahead of the rest of the world."
Ian's voice echoed in the dead silent conference room. His terms were simple and crude.
"In return, I need your most elite soldiers. They must maintain absolute loyalty and possess wills of iron."
With a casual wave of his hand, a translucent chip flashing with complex optical circuits floated out of thin air and hovered above the conference table.
"This contains partial foundational theories for controllable nuclear fusion, spatial curvature engines, and strong artificial intelligence."
Everyone present stopped breathing for a moment.
They stared at the tiny chip as if looking at the key to a new era.
No one could refuse such a temptation.
The old man with a general's star on his shoulder slowly stood up. His gaze was as sharp as an eagle's, looking straight at Ian.
"The nation can satisfy your request."
"Follow me."
...
A more heavily guarded and secretive underground base.
The smell of iron and blood permeated the air.
Five figures stood quietly in the center of the massive training ground like five towering mountains.
They were just standing there, doing nothing.
But the iron-blooded aura forged from countless life-and-death struggles made the surrounding air feel viscous.
The Protectors of the Nation, Huaxia's most secretive and powerful trump card.
The five were Shangguan Lieyang, Tian Hu, Evil God, Evil Dragon, and Azure Dragon.
On Evil God's body, strands of lightning and fire true qi circulated on their own, emitting soft crackling sounds.
Tian Hu stood there, the sound of his surging vitality echoing faintly like ocean tides.
And the leader, Azure Dragon, had an aura as heavy as a mountain and as deep as an abyss, seeming to merge entirely with the earth itself.
Ian's gaze swept over the five, a satisfied look appearing on his face.
These were pure warriors, all possessing an incredibly strong foundation in martial arts.
Moreover, these few seemed to be characters from a certain Hong Kong comic. Had this world also merged with a Hong Kong comic?
He didn't waste any words.
With a thought, five clusters of light representing the origin powers of superheroes materialized out of thin air.
A streak of gold and red lightning that tore through space and time.
A ring radiating the emerald light of willpower.
An azure trident that seemed to condense the power of the entire ocean.
A pair of bracers engraved with divine runes, seemingly capable of withstanding any impact.
And a scepter containing the power of the gods, constantly crackling with leaping lightning.
"Accept them."
Ian's voice seemed to carry an unquestionable magic.
Without a shred of hesitation, the five men reached out almost instinctively, touching the divine power that belonged to them.
Boom—!
The moment the power flooded their bodies, the national defense martial art they cultivated, the Fourteen Ultimates, resonated miraculously with the vast divine power!
The golden Speed Force was frantically guided and absorbed by Evil God's lightning and fire true qi.
He threw his head back and let out a long howl, his entire body transforming into a streak of red-gold lightning and fire, leaving countless afterimages in the training ground.
It was no longer just pure speed, but the lightning of divine punishment containing the true intent of destruction!
Tian Hu grasped the trident. His Oceanic fist intent perfectly merged with the power of Aquaman.
He seemed to hear billions of tons of seawater roaring in his ears, his imposing aura rising steadily.
Shangguan Lieyang put on the Lantern Ring. His indestructible military will caused the emerald light to instantly surge.
The constructs formed from the light were no longer simple weapons, but wrathful Vajra guardians imbued with martial true intent!
The most astonishing transformation occurred in Azure Dragon.
The moment the lightning symbol merged into his body, he seemed to hear the calls of the ancient gods of the East.
The fire of Zhurong and the Vermilion Bird, the water of Gonggong and the Black Tortoise, the wood of Jumang and the Azure Dragon, the metal of Rushou and the White Tiger, the earth of Houtu and the Qilin!
These were not Western gods, but the most primordial Gods of the Five Elements from Huaxia's heritage!
"Divine Might!"
Azure Dragon let out a low roar, and brilliant golden divine power erupted from his body into the sky.
Through some profound connection, this power simultaneously poured into the bodies of the other four.
In this moment, the auras of the five seemed to form a brand new Pantheon centered around Huaxia martial arts.
Their power skyrocketed exponentially!
Afterward, Ian took out five new martial arts manuals—created by fusing their previous martial arts with the Sea Tiger martial arts—and distributed them to the five men.
...
A few days later.
A live global press conference was held in the capital of Huaxia.
The spokesperson stood on the stage, a massive holographic screen behind him.
His face bore irrepressible pride and honor.
"Next, please allow me to introduce to the world our true guardians."
As soon as he finished speaking, the screens of everyone across the globe abruptly switched feeds.
A streak of red-gold lightning circled the entire Earth in a short span of time, moving at a speed beyond the limits of human vision.
Finally, Evil God's figure emerged from the lightning.
In space, an out-of-control communications satellite was plummeting rapidly toward the surface.
Evil Dragon's figure flashed past from below. With just a gentle push, he sent the multi-ton steel construct back into its designated orbit.
The Mariana Trench.
Tian Hu, holding the trident, stood in the ten-thousand-meter deep sea. He simply tapped the trident lightly.
In the next second, a terrifying tsunami capable of swallowing an aircraft carrier fleet surged into the sky, only to be smoothed out by a wave of his hand.
The peak of Mount Everest.
Azure Dragon looked up at the sky and spat out two words.
"Divine Might!"
The sky changed colors as lightning converged into a dragon, roaring deafeningly as it coiled around him.
The Huaxia spokesperson announced to the world in a booming voice.
"From this day forward, the 'Huaxia Justice League' is officially established!"
"We will dedicate ourselves to maintaining our nation's peace and protecting the future of Huaxia's citizens!"
...
Vought Tower, top floor.
Homelander smiled as he watched the five figures on the screen.
The power they displayed—every single one of them was no weaker than his Seven.
In fact, they were stronger.
The smile on his face slowly vanished, replaced by madness.
This wasn't a challenge; it was naked humiliation.
That mysterious Asian man had ruthlessly stepped on his face and then used him as a stepping stone to step onto the world stage.
'What does he... take me for?'
'A... stepping stone?!'
Mad jealousy and icy killing intent ignited in Homelander's azure eyes.
Crack—
He crushed the special alloy conference table in front of him with a single press of his hand.
Sizzle—!
Two terrifying beams of scarlet heat vision shot out of his eyes uncontrollably.
They pierced through the entire floor's floor-to-ceiling windows, along with the wall behind them.
Cold wind poured into the dead silent conference room.
Ashley was so terrified her body went stiff, forgetting even to breathe.
But Homelander suddenly calmed down.
He turned his head, a bizarre, hair-raising smile resurfacing on his face.
"Ashley."
His voice was terrifyingly calm.
"Take me to 'Basement Level One'."
"Let me see that newly captured natural Supe."
...
Meanwhile.
Somewhere in Huaxia.
Ian stretched his back. He had already sensed Homelander's emotional fluctuations.
He felt it was time to find some other entertainment.
His gaze seemed to pierce through endless space, locking onto a certain small town in the American Midwest.
There, a girl whose heart was still full of sunshine and purity, dreaming of becoming a true hero, was praying for her future.
Annie, codename: Starlight.
Ian's figure flashed, vanishing from his spot.
...
Vought Tower, a secret elevator was descending rapidly.
Finally, it stopped at a floor that had never been revealed to the public—Basement Level One.
The security here was extreme. The air was thick with the smell of disinfectant and a faint, ominous stench of rot.
In the very center of the floor was a massive cold room built from special alloy several meters thick.
Through a small observation window, one could see a pale white interior.
And in the center of that pale whiteness.
A gaunt figure was secured to a metal bed by countless tubes and restraint straps.
On his face, a blood-red, cross-shaped blister was prominently displayed!
The blister seemed to be a living creature, throbbing faintly.