The training ground fell silent once more.
Jiang Wuming, leading Xia Xueqin and others, stood on the training ground, gazing at the large screen, awaiting the arrival of the enemy.
Under the sunlight, fear and despair had vanished from the faces of Xia Xueqin and the others upon learning of the enemy's strength. All that remained was a resolute will to face death.
When Jiang Wuming spoke of fighting desperately and holding their ground, they had but one thought: to fight with their lives, to block the enemy with their flesh and blood, until death!
In Jiang Wuming's words: Blood battle to the death!
Why fight to the death?
For Jiang Wuming, perhaps it was to bring his comrades back to the base of the Battle Dragon Squad alive, perhaps to protect friends and family like Xia Xueqin, perhaps to protect those students, perhaps it was the responsibility he carried after joining the Military Department and the Guardian Squad, perhaps it was to fulfill the oath he had once made.
However, in reality, when Jiang Wuming uttered these four words, he hadn't thought about why; he had simply said them.
It felt like the pioneers of old, holding their heads as urinals on the battlefield, fighting the enemy without questioning why.
It felt like a person needing to eat when hungry, to drink when thirsty – an instinct!
But at this particular moment, a figure emerged in Jiang Wuming's mind.
Li Lianyi.
The youth had previously told Qi Wufu that he had only one regret in this life.
But now, he suddenly felt that if he were to truly die here, he would have two regrets.
Besides the one he had told Qi Wufu, the other regret was Li Lianyi.
He had broken off his engagement with the girl, but he still owed her two promises that had yet to be fulfilled.
One was to take the girl to meet his master, so she could discuss medicine with him.
The second was to walk with the girl until the day victory was achieved in the war.
"If I owe anyone in this life, it should be her, shouldn't it?"
The girl's figure appeared, and the youth silently asked himself in his heart. Then, he closed his eyes slightly, casting aside the杂念 (miscellaneous thoughts) to the heavens, and adjusted himself to his optimal state.
At the same time,
Hanghu, War God Pharmaceutical Research Institute.
Li Lianyi had returned to her office and sat at her desk, her eyes slightly red as she looked at the image of the youth on the screen.
Due to the angle, she couldn't see the youth's face, nor did she know his expression at this moment. She could only see his proud and aloof figure.
"Buzz… Buzz…"
Then, the sound of her phone vibrating broke the silence in the office.
Li Lianyi snapped back to attention, immediately grabbed her phone from the desk, glanced at the caller ID, and answered it directly: "Grandpa, did you find out? What is the strength of the latest three extraterrestrial enemies that have descended?"
"I just asked Qi Wufu. Of those three extraterrestrial enemies, two are at the ninth stage of the Three-Star War God, and one is at the second stage of the Four-Star War God." Li Guyi said with a low tone.
"Four… Four-Star War God second stage…"
Hearing Li Guyi's words, Li Lianyi's body trembled violently, and she instantly lost focus, murmuring to herself. Then, she suddenly came to her senses, abandoning her usual calmness and composure, and asked emotionally:
"Grandpa, did you also ask Grandpa Qi if Jiang Wuming and the others have a chance to win?"
"I asked."
"What did Grandpa Qi say?"
"He didn't say anything."
"Whoosh—"
Hearing Li Guyi's words again, Li Lianyi's body trembled once more. Her hand shook, and the phone slipped directly from her grasp, falling onto the desk.
However, she didn't pick up the phone or say anything more to Li Guyi. Instead, she stood there with a pale face, motionless.
Because she knew: Qi Wufu saying nothing meant there was no hope.
"Lianyi, are you alright?"
The call had not been interrupted, and Li Guyi's voice came from the phone receiver again. He was worried that Li Lianyi could not accept this cruel blow.
"Grandpa, I'm fine. I'll hang up for now. I'm going to continue watching him fight."
Li Lianyi took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and then suddenly calmed down. She then picked up her phone, replied to Li Guyi, and ended the call. She turned off her phone, sat at her desk, propped her chin with her hands, and quietly watched the youth on the screen.
…
Military Department Headquarters.
After finishing the call with Li Guyi, Qi Wufu returned to the command center.
Swish, swish, swish…
Instantly, almost everyone's gaze turned to him.
However, this time, no one asked him how he viewed the upcoming battle.
Because, after learning of the strength of the three enemies, they already had the answer in their hearts: this battle was without suspense; Jiang Wuming and the others were doomed.
Qi Wufu said nothing, merely walked silently to the control desk and fixed his gaze on the screen.
…
Eastern Domain Legion Combat Command Center, a dead silence.
Qin Yuanzheng stood as straight as a gun before the control desk, his brows furrowed as he stared at the screen, not uttering a word.
The control desk had many screens, each displaying a different image.
On one of the screens was Qin Yuanzheng's once-proud son – Qin Linhai.
After Qin Linhai broke through to the War God realm, the Qin family became a story of double War Gods in the Military Department.
On the screen was also his grandson, whom he had once hated for not living up to expectations but later took pride in – Qin Xiaozhi.
Today, his son and grandson would essentially die on the battlefield together.
However—
Before the battle began, he did not look at his son or grandson.
Yes.
Although he knew this might be the last time he saw his son and grandson, he, like Zhu Shengxian and others, only stared at the central screen.
The image on the screen was the youth's back.
Even though logic told them that there was no hope of winning this upcoming battle, they still harbored a flicker of hope in the youth!
The youth had created miracles time and time again.
If a miracle were to happen today, it would surely originate from the youth!
Under their gaze and anticipation, the figures of the three extraterrestrial enemies became clear on the large screen.
The leader was a middle-aged man wearing a purple robe. He held no weapon and appeared extraordinary.
He possessed the martial cultivation of a second-stage Four-Star War God!
And this was even after being suppressed and weakened by the world's rules!
The two extraterrestrial enemies, both at the ninth stage of the Three-Star War God, stood on the left and right of the purple-robed middle-aged man, half a step behind.
Both wore golden armor and golden helmets, but their physiques differed greatly.
The middle-aged man to the right rear of the purple-robed man was burly, tall, and mighty, carrying two axes; the middle-aged man to the left rear held a large black bow, with several arrows on his back.
As the figures of the three extraterrestrial enemies became clear, whether it was Jiang Wuming and the others on the training ground, or Qin Linhai, Ren Xiaoyao, and others at the edge of the training ground, their gazes all turned to the three of them.
At the same time, the three extraterrestrial enemies simultaneously turned their attention to Jiang Wuming.
Like the red-armored warrior at the beginning, the three recognized Jiang Wuming immediately.
Unlike those red-armored warriors, the three showed no excitement or joy upon seeing Jiang Wuming. All they had was confusion.
Because they, too, could sense the strength of Jiang Wuming and the others through their aura, even through the screen!
In terms of displayed strength, Jiang Wuming and the others were far inferior to the second batch of red-armored warriors, yet they had annihilated those red-armored warriors!
This left them utterly bewildered!
Immediately, before they could find an answer in their minds, the large screen began to fluctuate with intense energy once more.
After the fluctuation, the three extraterrestrial enemies walked out of the screen and onto the training ground.
"Clang!"
At the same moment, a sound echoed on the training ground.
At the forefront of the formation, the youth drew his saber first.
Clang, clang, clang…
Following that, several crisp sounds rang out almost simultaneously.
Xia Xueqin drew her sword, and the others quickly unsheathed their combat knives.
"Heh… Truly overestimating yourselves. I alone will shoot you all to death!"
Seeing this, the golden-armored warrior holding the black bow let out a cold laugh, directly drew an arrow, and fully drew the bowstring.
Whoosh!
Instantly, a sharp whistling sound cut through the air.
An arrow, enveloped in golden true qi, shot out like a golden streak of light, whistling towards Jiang Wuming with lightning speed!
…