James Lone had always believed that qi could only flow within the body. Now, he discovered that his mental heavy sword could conduct qi and even fire it like bullets!

Was this an inherent ability of the mental weapon, or did it gain this extra effect after integrating with forged metal?

Without hesitation, James took out another steel rebar and began the process of quenching once more, crafting another needle and merging it into the heavy sword.

A surge of inspiration struck him as qi blasted forth from the sword again!

Pfft! Another deep hole appeared in the wall.

James could feel the qi moving through the sword more smoothly this time, with decreased energy loss.

He thought to himself, "So, quenching metal enhances qi conduction!"

After some experimentation, he started to grasp the parameters of his sword qi. Its effective range was about 15 meters. The power was tremendous, capable of penetrating 20 centimeters of concrete—stronger than a sniper rifle. The only downside was that it consumed a lot of qi; he could only use it around twenty times. Fortunately, he could replenish his qi just by breathing, with a more rapid recovery through his breathing techniques.

After an hour of practicing sword qi, James took out the Earth and Stone Transformation fruit and began to eat.

After swallowing a dozen or so, he delightedly found himself upgraded to three stars! Ding! Earth and Stone Transformation upgraded to 3 stars... Ecstatic, he realized it was indeed a willpower-based ability!

He continued eating: Ding! Earth and Stone Transformation upgraded to 4 stars... Ding! Earth and Stone Transformation upgraded to 5 stars...

At that point, James felt extremely queasy and couldn't eat another bite. He figured the Earth and Stone Transformation ability wasn't purely will-based. While he had a reasonable adaptability, it didn't match the full compatibility of pure willpower abilities.

Earth and Stone Transformation: 5 stars. You can freely change the shape of earth and stone and enhance their solidity; the higher your willpower, the greater the enhancement and the faster the modification speed. You can quickly alter terrain!

Quickly change terrain?

Intrigued, James made a sudden movement, causing a spike to jut up from a floorboard, piercing through the solar water heater above it.

He felt a wave of fatigue wash over him; the energy drain was significant.

He conducted a few more experiments and finally confirmed that the quicker the terrain modification, the more solid the ground, the greater the energy consumption. In contrast, as long as the speed was slow and the ground was soft, energy expenditure remained minimal. If he used this ability to flatten land, he felt he could maintain it for two or three hours.

With newfound confidence about their upcoming journey, James believed that even the worst-bombarded roads could be swiftly leveled out, allowing their vehicles to pass through!

As the calm night faded into morning, he was relieved that the tentacle monsters hadn't converged near Sunshine Garden Tower.

In the midst of the women's anxiety, the bombarding time approached.

At 7:50 AM, James stood on the balcony with all the women, gazing toward the distance. Among the other buildings in Sunshine Garden Tower, many survivors came to their balconies, watching the far-off horizon.

Everyone noticed James Lone and his group of women standing together, feelings of both envy and jealousy brewing in their hearts.

Simultaneously, countless people across New York City peered into the sky, filled with a mix of anticipation and confusion. This bombardment would determine the fate of countless lives. Many still hadn't decided whether to leave or stay.

April Jones shrank back behind James, her voice trembling, "Master, what if the army overshoots?"

James gave her a reassuring pat on the head, "Don't worry; the nearest escape route to us is over 500 meters away. With modern artillery accuracy, it's impossible to misfire that much—unless the military does it on purpose."

Lulia Smith chimed in with concern, "What if there are collateral damages? Some survivors might not get the message. If they linger near the escape route, they're bound to get bombed, right?"

James responded coolly, "Collateral damage is inevitable. In peaceful times, military forces that harm civilians face severe consequences—could get some higher-ups kicked out. But this isn't peacetime. In this world... who cares about the lives of ordinary people? If they die, so be it."

The women fell silent, realizing the harsh truth: Indeed! What officer in peaceful times would dare bomb New York City? What happens if people die? What about the fires that would ensue?

Times had changed, and lives were now mere "trivial matters."

The brutal reality of the apocalypse weighed heavily on their minds; when the military showed indifference to ordinary lives, what could anyone rely on?

At 8 o'clock sharp, the sky was eerily quiet. The women kept glancing at the clock.

"Could the bombardment be canceled?"

Just a few tense seconds later, a dense and sharp sound of cannonfire pierced the silence.

It felt as though countless fiery meteors were falling from the sky. Swish! Swish! Swish!

The shells plummeted into the purple mist. Instantly, a massive roar erupted from within it! Boom! Boom! Boom!

The distant fog shook violently. The soaring flames illuminated the mist, turning it a fiery red.

Shell after shell rained down, seeming endless. Boom! Boom! Buildings crumbled, trees toppled, and beasts fled as humans cried out in panic.

New York City, which had been silent for so long, suddenly erupted into chaos. Swarms of mutated birds took off in fright, darkening the sky with their multitude, screeching in terrified disarray.

James Lone and the women watched the magnificent spectacle unfold before them.

No living creature could withstand the might of artillery. The thunderous roars echoed like a furious shout from human civilization, asserting their dominion over the earth amidst the purple mist.

Shirley Inr Won cried out in anger, "So the shells are this powerful! Why didn't they bombard us before, causing so many deaths?"

What a brainless woman! James Lone scoffed. "Modern weapons, while potent, also place a massive strain on logistics. The purple mist and evolved plants have severed transportation lines; in reality, the army's logistics have collapsed. After the shelling, how will they resupply?"

Shirley fell silent, stumped. Monroe Anne shot Shirley a triumphant glance. Dumb as a rock!

...

"The army really did bombard us!" "They've gone mad! They actually dared to bomb New York City! The commanders should face a military tribunal!" "Stop wasting breath; should we leave or not?" "Of course we should! If everyone leaves, those left will be far too few for us to survive!" "I'm definitely not leaving! Who knows what those soldiers are thinking! They might just capture us for labor!" "I plan to leave; I can't stand eating tasteless shepherd's purse anymore. At least the military might have food!" "Who knows? They might drag us in as laborers!" "Staying with the military is likely a better chance at survival than here!"

Amid countless anxieties, the bombardment continued for 24 hours, causing all the mutated creatures in New York City to tremble and scatter. Many survivors scarcely managed to sleep.

After 24 hours, the bombardment came to a timely halt.

Unexpectedly, fires erupted throughout New York City! Survivors found themselves unable to approach the escape routes within such a brief span.

...

The National Guard base had descended into chaos. Bruce Scott was utterly at a loss. He realized they had no contingency plan for a widespread fire!

What were they to do now? Feeling helpless, Bruce seethed with impotent rage. If he failed his first major operation as commander, his standing would take a tremendous hit.

Fortunately, a sudden downpour saved Bruce Scott's plans. The rain fell for an entire day, extinguishing virtually all the fires across New York City.

With a day's delay, the escape plan resumed execution!