Chapter 35: Aliens Are Ultraman

Having shaken off Gu Mingyu and the others, Zhang Kai soared past the astonished old fortune-teller and the young member of the Bone Gate, rushing out of the Qin Mausoleum’s underground palace. By now, night had fallen, and the stars blanketed the sky.

As soon as he entered the canyon, Zhang Kai noticed the warning light on his chest blinking, ticking steadily. At the same time, he felt the power of Ultraman within him rapidly waning.

To be honest, Zhang Kai had often complained about this design. Even with limitations, did Ultraman really need a little red light on his chest to warn him of low energy? Did Ultraman foresee he’d be battling monsters on Earth and deliberately grow this device? Couldn’t he sense his own energy levels? Why would he need a lightbulb to remind him? Surely this was just to amuse children.

And if the issue was energy, why not unleash his powers immediately upon entering the scene? Why indulge in fistfights first, only to feel satisfied after getting pummeled by monsters? No matter how much he grumbled, the setting was immutable.

After a brief contemplation, Zhang Kai decisively tilted his head upward and shot into the clouds. Since he had transformed, he might as well try to leave Earth—perhaps the energy issue would resolve itself.

He flew faster than the speed of sound, and in the blink of an eye, he was high above the ground, then piercing through the atmosphere into outer space. In that moment, Zhang Kai’s heart brimmed with joy. The sensation of breaking free from Earth’s gravity, standing untethered above the planet, was exhilarating beyond words.

Just then, the sunlight was swiftly absorbed by his Ultraman body, and he could feel the accumulation of photonic energy within. The little red light on his chest stopped flashing. Indeed, outside Earth, the Ultraman form could persist indefinitely.

Satisfied, Zhang Kai couldn’t help but complain once more. He recalled how hard Ultraman fought in the shows, some even getting defeated by monsters. It seemed so foolish. If energy ran low, he could simply fly out of Earth, soak up some sunlight, and return to battle. Why not avoid close combat altogether? Stay in the sky, unleash his abilities—biubiubiu—then dash out to recharge, repeat as needed. What monster could withstand such an assault?

Yes, unleash abilities! Zhang Kai’s gaze grew peculiar. While on Earth, though he could transform, Ultraman’s abilities were sealed; he could only rely on inner strength and martial arts. But now, outside the planet, he discovered Ultraman’s powers were unlocked and usable.

Perplexed, Zhang Kai looked back toward Earth. What was this restriction? Why were his abilities unusable on Earth, yet available upon leaving?

Puzzled, he glanced around and saw countless satellites orbiting Earth. At that moment, some seemed to be observing him. With a grim resolve, Zhang Kai extended his hand, blue light gathering along his arm, then fired a beam.

Composite Specium Ray.

In an instant, the ray swept across, obliterating all the satellites targeting him. As expected, Ultraman’s abilities functioned here, and the consumed energy was quickly replenished. As long as he wasn’t on Earth, he could fight without pause.

With a thought, Zhang Kai directed a beam toward Earth’s oceans. Yet, as the light entered the atmosphere, it suddenly dissipated, as if some mysterious force interfered. Clearly, Earth possessed defense mechanisms beyond his comprehension, perhaps related to the disappearance of spiritual energy. Maybe, when spiritual energy fully returned in the future, Earth would cease to restrict the presence of high-level energy.

After a moment’s silence, Zhang Kai turned, golden light shimmering on his body. The next instant, he vanished from the spot.

Tiga’s Special Move: Instant Transmission.

This was a state of flight as pure light, its speed rivaling that of light itself, hence the name "instant transmission." In this form, it took less than five minutes for Mars to appear before him.

In mere minutes, Zhang Kai crossed a span that would take Earth’s technology countless years, completing a solitary, rapid journey through the stars and arriving at Mars—the dream of Earth’s scientific community.

He hadn’t come merely out of curiosity, but with many ideas in mind. Now that he could transform into Ultraman, the starry sky was no longer an obstacle, and many concerns no longer troubled him.

For example, as a cultivator, he needed a secure base. Nowhere on Earth was safe, especially with the revival of spiritual energy, monsters and demons rampant, and endless problems. But if he established his base on Mars—well, even if someone discovered it, who could come bother him? The shortest distance was over fifty million kilometers; even the Great Sage would have to vault hundreds of times, exhausting himself.

Should powerful beings eventually traverse the void, he could simply relocate his base to another star system. With Ultraman’s speed, crossing galaxies would be trivial, even traversing universes would pose no problem. Let them try to catch him.

But that was a concern for the distant future. For now, Mars was ideal.

He also needed a safe environment for experiments inspired by movies and television. Mars was perfect—even if he summoned monsters or demons here, the impact would be minimal.

He had previously lacked the imagination; now, once his mind opened, countless ideas surged forth, waiting for Zhang Kai to verify them one by one.

He entered Mars’s surface zone directly. Mars had an atmosphere, though unlike Earth’s, it imposed far fewer restrictions on Ultraman—his transformed state could last much longer.

After sensing for a moment and confirming the environment posed little threat, Zhang Kai began orbiting Mars in search of a suitable location.

Flying around, he soon locked onto an area—a barren stretch of sprawling mountains. In the midst of the mountains lay a flat expanse several dozen kilometers wide, connected to the outside world by a single canyon.

It was perfect for a base. The mountains would shield against Mars’s environmental effects; as long as he constructed a sealed habitat, life inside would be feasible.

Of course, the lack of oxygen and other essentials posed no challenge for Zhang Kai. His tablet contained countless movies and television shows; whatever he needed, he could extract from there.

Upon landing, Zhang Kai released the goat he carried with him and began his research. This goat was the true form of the Chief of Changling Mountain. It appeared ordinary, but with careful inspection, its extraordinariness became evident.

First, although the goat’s energy had faded, its body retained warmth. Its fur gleamed with an unusual luster, and when Zhang Kai tugged, not a single hair came loose.

This was excellent. Once he acquired the divine position, its meat would be highly nourishing, and the hide could become a protective jacket; even the bones might prove useful. The Mountain Deity’s goat was truly a treasure.

Satisfied, Zhang Kai prepared to summon the Investiture of the Gods List. But in the next instant, he was dumbfounded.

He could sense the list’s presence, but could not summon it.

After some study, Zhang Kai was speechless. Was the Investiture of the Gods List unusable outside Earth? Was it working for Earth or for him?

Grumbling a few curses, Zhang Kai reluctantly abandoned the idea of acquiring the divine position—it would have to wait until his return to Earth.

Nevertheless, since he was here, he had to establish a base to facilitate future actions.

Ignoring the goat, Zhang Kai took out his tablet and began searching for resources.

But soon, his mood darkened. Away from Earth, his golden finger could not access his phone.

His cheat—could it really only be used on Earth?

Meanwhile, Zhang Kai was unaware that Earth itself had erupted in turmoil.

The uproar came from the upper echelons of several major nations, and from some scientists.

Dozens of satellites had been lost in an instant; no country was willing to bear such losses, as each satellite cost a fortune.

But what truly left the leaders and scientists stunned were the satellite photos.

One image depicted Tiga Ultraman.

If someone told them there were aliens, they would be skeptical. But if told the alien was Ultraman, they’d beat the messenger.

At that moment, anyone who saw the Ultraman photo had the same initial thought: the satellite had malfunctioned. The second thought: conspiracy.