Su Ming pulled out a cigarette from his gear and placed it in front of Barry. It was 'imported' from the Marvel Universe, a product of Wilson Enterprises, with a small black-and-yellow logo.
"Want to try this? These magical leaves can help you clear your mind and focus on the present."
"Uh, no thanks."
Barry opened one eye and quickly closed it again.
"Alright, take your time then. I think I understand what's happening now." Su Ming put the cigarette in his mouth, lowering his head to light it. "The Stasis Force lifted the curtain, revealing the invisible light beneath, which holds the power of regret and shame. This seems to be the enemy's second move."
"Hmm, so what are you planning to do about it?"
"Although I don't yet know who the enemy is, their plan is linear. The first step triggered the second step, and there are probably more steps after that. But if I can cut off the second step, the first step won't matter much. After all, the user of the Stasis Force is already dead, isn't he?"
Su Ming answered Barry calmly. He had some thoughts about this new Lantern Corps known as the Invisible Spectrum.
The predecessors who fought against the Green Lantern Corps once concluded a valuable lesson with their lives: if you want to take down a Lantern Corps, you must first destroy their Central Power Battery.
No matter what color ring a Lantern wore or how much power they could draw from within, in essence, they were like electrical appliances.
And the Central Power Battery was their main power source.
The nineteenth stratagem of the Thirty-Six Stratagems is "Remove the firewood from under the cauldron." Now that the enemy's headquarters had appeared in the universe, seemingly without much defense beyond some strange energy, it was time for a sneak attack. Anything less would be unworthy of his title as a tactical master.
If Barry could solve the Stasis Force, that would be great. If not, it was no big deal. Su Ming patted Barry's shoulder, signaling him to continue meditating while he went to check on the Green Lantern fool.
In the infirmary, Su Ming strolled in with a cigarette in his mouth. John was already hooked up to all kinds of tubes and wires, while a Black man with a T-shaped symbol on his face was examining him.
That was Mister Terrific, a renowned medical genius, considered the third smartest person in the DC Universe. The first was Batman, the second was Luthor, and the third was him.
However, Su Ming didn't agree with this ranking. He thought that Mister Terrific's position was mostly in the ranking of human scientists, and his intelligence during battle wasn't all that impressive.
All of his smarts were devoted to avoiding fights.
In the past, whenever Darkseid came, Mister Terrific was nowhere to be seen. When Brainiac invaded, he disappeared again. General Zod arrived, and again, Terrific was gone. Omega Four Gods came, and he vanished yet again.
Was he smart? Yes, indeed, as he emerged from numerous major crises unscathed. But it also meant he had little screen time.
The Justice League clearly understood what kind of person he was, which was why, though he was nominally a member of the League, his actual role was focused on logistics, research, and medical support.
His medical skills were indeed top-notch. He, along with Doctor Mid-Nite, could be considered the best human doctors, followed closely by Batman's butler, Alfred.
Currently, he was treating John. Judging by the equipment parameters nearby, it wouldn't take long for the Green Lantern to wake up.
Perhaps with Su Ming here to steady him, Barry wasn't in a rush to meditate. Instead, he wandered into the infirmary along with Su Ming.
With the others out on missions, everyone else was here now.
A few minutes later, the EEG showed a distinct spike—John had awakened.
"Mister Terrific? What's going on?" John scratched his curly short hair, his dark face full of confusion.
"We should be asking you that. You're the first person to smash through the new Hall of Justice's ceiling." Cyborg said grumpily, folding his metal arms as he stood by. "You were showing some very strange energy readings—a kind of light we've never seen before."
Diana stood next to Su Ming, rubbing her sore jaw in frustration. "You need to explain exactly what that was, John. Explain it now."
Lying on the bed, John gritted his teeth, rubbing the back of his head. Even with the advanced medical equipment of the Justice League, there was still a lump on the back of his head bigger than a loaf of bread.
He was silent for a moment, then sighed.
"...It was the Invisible Spectrum. Lanterns use the power of the spectrum, and the Invisible Spectrum controls its users."
"Great, another color for the Lantern Corps crayon box," Barry muttered. "There always seems to be an unknown Lantern Corps popping up."
"You weren't there, Barry. Many years ago, I was with the League on a planet called Xanshi, dealing with the 'Anti-Life Species.' I was teamed up with J'onn back then."
John turned over, avoiding the pillow pressing on the back of his head, and continued his story.
"J'onn was with me, but I thought he was afraid of fire... I considered him a burden, so I left him behind."
"I acted alone, too rashly, and in the end... the planet was destroyed. It was all my fault. Countless lives turned to ash."
John's tone became increasingly somber, his eyes filled with tears of regret. But his Green Lantern willpower allowed him to continue the story in this crucial moment, giving the League more information.
"Since then, I've searched the universe for a way to restore Xanshi. Eventually, I found... a book, older than the Book of Oa. It spoke of a spectrum beyond our known realm. It was a warning, and one person's mission was to ensure that knowledge never spread."
"Whose mission, John?" Wonder Woman pressed.
"Sinestro. He kept this secret. The Invisible Spectrum is a living ghost-galaxy Lantern Corps, powered by a sentient black sun as its battery. It's called 'Umbrax.'"
Struggling to sit up, John used his ring to project an irregular symbol made of four horizontal and three vertical lines.
"Umbrax travels through the universe in another phase, heading toward planets in self-destruct mode, often rogue worlds ejected from galaxies. It uses its power to form a Corps on those planets, then drags them into its own galaxy."
Aquaman stroked his beard, seeming to understand a bit. "So last month, when we broke the Source Wall, we let it in?"
Su Ming sighed. Did this even need to be asked? But now that they knew Umbrax had arrived at the edge of the solar system, he wanted to try destroying its battery.
John dismissed the projection and continued, "There's more. Sinestro's records say that the Invisible Spectrum is linked to six other unknown forces, all of which were sealed by the 'Cosmic Stillness.' So we need to control that thing first."
Su Ming looked at Barry, hooking an arm around his neck and whispering, "Alright, Barry, looks like you should keep meditating. Reverse the Speed Force and use it to close the door."