My Apocalypse System Arrives 10 Years Early

After all, Li Xiang’s power was increasing rapidly. The last time he came to Japan, he was only Tier Eight, but now he was already Tier Twelve.

The twelve Spiritual Power Vortexes in his body were like twelve engines, and the Superpower Rune endowed those engines with more Attributes.

His Extreme Speed had now increased to Mach 14, his strength had risen to 260,000 kilograms, his Earth Vein Perception Ability had expanded to a radius of about 26 kilometers, and the sheer amount of Spiritual Power within him far surpassed what it was before.

At an Extreme Speed of Mach 14, he could cover 4.76 kilometers in a second, or 285.6 kilometers in a minute. He could maintain this speed for about forty-eight minutes, meaning he could cover 13,700 kilometers in a single dash.

The Earth’s circumference is only about 40,000 kilometers. Three dashes would be enough to circle the globe.

In his previous life, this would have been unimaginable.

Li Xiang had spent three days plundering back and forth across Japan, and his haul was three times larger than his last trip. He felt it was time to stop. If he kept fleeceing them, Japan’s prices would skyrocket, and it might even trigger a major economic crisis. This was just right, leaving them a foundation to recover on, which was conducive to sustainable development (harvesting).

Ever since the collapse of the Bretton Woods system in 1971, the US Dollar has not been pegged to gold, but to oil. This began the harvesting cycle of US Dollar hegemony.

For decades, the Beautiful Country has used the US Dollar to harvest the globe. Especially after 1992, when the world’s other superpower collapsed, the Beautiful Country ushered in a truly unipolar world order. It dominated the modern era, acting with impunity, and the satisfaction it got from harvesting other nations was immeasurable.

Li Xiang was now truly experiencing the pleasure of being the Beautiful Country. The Beautiful Country still needed to use methods like US Dollar hegemony (cyclical interest rate hikes and cuts, dollar tides), currency manipulation, peddling US debt, risk shifting, financial sanctions, long-arm jurisdiction, and military deterrence. Li Xiang, however, had directly mastered the essence of "zero-dollar shopping." It was more direct, and more satisfying, than what the Beautiful Country did.

He believed that if the Beautiful Country had his abilities, it would be even more ruthless!

After committing his "crime," Li Xiang didn’t leave. Instead, he went to "Xue Xun’s House."

Dusk gilded the eaves’ Bronze Wind Chime with a golden edge. When Li Xiang materialized in the courtyard, Chiba Yuki was kneeling in the entryway, polishing a celadon vase, not far from where he had appeared.

The hem of Chiba Yuki’s dark green kimono trailed like a peacock’s tail feathers. A pearl hairpin in her hair swayed gently with her polishing motions, glowing with a soft luster. The moment she saw Li Xiang’s figure, a light flickered in the kimono-clad beauty’s eyes, overflowing with endless joy.

"Master, you really came?" Chiba Yuki’s delicate body trembled with excitement. For the past few days, she had noticed the news and online discussions in the country and knew in her heart that her master had arrived.

Only her master possessed such power, capable of stirring up such enormous waves in the country.

She figured her master would surely come to her place to rest, so she had hung up the "Closed Today" wooden plaque early and given all her employees the day off.

However, she had left it up for two days, and her master still hadn’t come. She had grown quite worried, afraid that Li Xiang had forgotten her and wouldn’t come to see her anymore.

Today, Li Xiang had finally appeared. How could she not be overjoyed?

The beautiful young woman shuffled forward a few steps on her knees, stopping before Li Xiang. She couldn’t help but reach out a slender hand to caress his Armor. "Asatsuyu said she heard Mount Fuji singing and thought Godfather must be coming. And sure enough, Master appeared."

"Since when did you become such a sweet-talker?" Li Xiang chuckled, gently stroking Chiba Yuki’s pretty face and her lovely hair.

Chiba Yuki closed her eyes and looked up, an expression of pure bliss on her face.

The Alarm Deer Bamboo Tube under the corridor suddenly made a "CLACK," startling a red-crowned crane that had just landed on the upturned eaves and shattering the tender moment between the two.

"Mama is saying strange things again." Asatsuyu, wearing a cherry-blossom pink yukata, peeked out from around the corner of the hallway. A flame dancing at the tip of her hair illuminated the small face of Yukigiri behind her, which was covered in a frost of Ice Crystals. The two six—no, now seven-year-old girls suddenly fell silent, because Li Xiang smiled at them and, with a flick of his wrist, produced two succulent, ruby-red strawberry Spirit Fruits.

Chiba Yuki clapped her hands, and twelve paper lanterns lit up one after another. "Quick, thank your Godfather."

"Thank you, Godfather." "Thank you, Godfather."

The Twin Gouyu spoke in unison and happily pounced on him. Li Xiang scooped one up in each arm. The two little girls, as delicate and perfect as carved jade, planted a kiss on his left and right cheeks respectively.

"Good girls," Li Xiang said, clearly delighted. He kissed each of them back.

Chiba Yuki stood up, the sash of her kimono accentuating her ample curves. She turned her head toward the kitchen and called out softly, "Aoi Monshou, Red Wisdom, our esteemed guest has arrived."

The hot spring inn was closed to the public, awaiting Li Xiang’s arrival. The two kitchen helpers had also been given time off, so Chiba Yuki had her two Shikigami prepare the food instead.

Aoi Monshou had been dormant for a long time but had now recovered and was summoned by Chiba Yuki once more.

Red Wisdom, on the other hand, was a master of the Fire Superpower, its control over heat absolutely perfect. With these two Shikigami working together, their culinary skills far surpassed those of an ordinary Sushi Chef.

Soon, the table was filled with all sorts of exquisite dishes.

Twelve gold-lacquered bamboo lanterns swayed gently in the evening breeze, casting silhouettes of cherry blossoms onto the bluestone path.

Li Xiang sat cross-legged before a low table made of hinoki wood. Yukigiri was using a pair of tweezers formed from Ice Crystals to place the last dried cherry blossom petal next to the salmon sashimi. A flame dancing on Asatsuyu’s fingertip seared the botan shrimp, giving it an amber-colored pattern.

"Already helping to garnish the plates at such a young age?" Li Xiang smiled and gently pinched their tender little cheeks.