"No need to rush," Zhao Rui said. "The troops need to rest and reorganize, and the wounded need treatment. Besides..."
He looked at Xu Wuyi. "Martial Artist Xu has fought two major battles back-to-back. His Power of Heart Image has been significantly depleted, so he also needs time to recover."
Xu Wuyi didn’t object.
Although he could still fight, he did indeed need time to get back into optimal condition.
He had yet to truly test his limits after achieving Great Success in his Golden Crow Burning Heart·Raging Fire. The upcoming battle could be even tougher.
"Three days." Zhao Rui held up three fingers. "In three days, we will assemble all available forces and launch a full-scale assault on the Feathered People’s main base. We’ll drive them out of the Quicksand Star Realm in one fell swoop."
"Alright," Xu Wuyi nodded.
Three days would be enough.
「Sandstone Base, underground Meditation Room.」
Xu Wuyi sat cross-legged, his eyes slightly closed.
He focused his Heart and Spirit and began to review the day’s battles.
The Wind Shadow Hunter Squad was strong, especially that Shadow Blade. His speed and assassination techniques were top-notch.
If Lei Hong and Ye Guanlan hadn’t tied down the squad leader and deputy leader, allowing him to take care of the other three first, the fight would have been much more troublesome.
’I’m still not strong enough,’ Xu Wuyi knew in his heart.
He’d managed to instantly kill Shadow Stab today through surprise and overwhelming speed. But if he encountered a true close-combat expert, his Spear Technique would need further refinement.
’Once I get back to the Federation, I have to find a chance to learn a proper, top-tier Spear Technique,’ Xu Wuyi decided.
As his power grew, a Spear Technique like the Shocking God Spear, which focused purely on spiritual attacks, was no longer enough to meet his combat needs.
But that was a matter for another time.
For now, he had to get back into peak condition and prepare for the general offensive in three days.
With a thought, the Dark Gold Mountain Body in his sea of consciousness began to slowly rotate.
At its peak, the Golden Crow Illusion spread its wings. The Flame runes on its feathers flowed endlessly as wisps of pure Power of Heart Image surged from the mountain body, circulating along an optimized path to nourish his over-expended source.
Time slipped by quietly during his meditation.
「Meanwhile, at the Feathered People’s main base.」
The atmosphere in the command hall could no longer be described as merely oppressive.
It was dead silent.
Only three Priests remained by the round table, the color drained from each of their faces.
In the Crystal before them, the final combat footage from Zone E-9 played on a loop: the Wind Shadow Hunter Squad being crushed, and twelve hundred elite soldiers being engulfed by Flame, with no survivors.
"The Wind Shadow Hunters... completely wiped out." The middle-aged Priest’s voice was as dry and rough as sandpaper.
The old Priest sat in the main seat, his pure black eyes devoid of any light.
He had lost.
He had lost utterly and completely.
He hadn’t just lost the battle; his judgment had failed him as well.
He had thought Xu Wuyi was a fragile Mage, that the Wind Shadow Hunters could execute a decapitation strike, that... they still had a chance.
But reality had dealt him a resounding slap in the face.
"High Priest... what... what do we do?" the young Priest asked, his voice trembling.
The old Priest was silent for so long that the other two thought he wasn’t going to answer.
"Pull back the defensive lines," he finally said, his voice hoarse. "Abandon all outlying strongholds. All forces are to withdraw to the main base. We’ll dig in."
"Dig in?" The middle-aged Priest was taken aback. "But... can we hold out? That Xu Wuyi’s Flame..."
"We hold, even if we can’t," the old Priest cut him off, a ruthless glint in his eyes. "We have no path of retreat."
"If the Quicksand Star Realm falls, our three subordinate planes will be exposed to the Federation’s might. When that happens, all of us will face a military tribunal."
He stood up, the wings on his back drooping listlessly.
"Pass down the order. Activate all of the main base’s defensive systems. Run the Energy Shield at full power. All Priests are to enter a wartime state. We... will defend to the death."
"Yes..." The two Priests lowered their heads, their voices filled with despair.
「Three days passed in a flash.」
Over two thousand Martial Artists had finished assembling in the plaza of Sandstone Base.
This was every soldier the Federation could muster in the Quicksand Star Realm. Among them were over sixty Innate Level combatants; they had practically sent everyone they had.
Xu Wuyi stood at the very front of the formation, flanked by Lei Hong and Ye Guanlan.
After three days of rest, he was back at his peak. The Power of Heart Image in his sea of consciousness was surging and abundant, even a bit more condensed than it was before the battles.
Zhao Rui walked to the front of the troops, his gaze sweeping over everyone.
"Everyone," his voice boomed across the plaza through a loudspeaker. "Over the past three days, the Feathered People have abandoned all their outlying strongholds and retreated to their main base to dig in. They are scared. They are terrified."
"Because they know that today, we will raze their nest to the ground and drive them completely out of the Quicksand Star Realm!"
The plaza fell silent, filled only with the sound of heavy breathing.
"For this battle, there are no tactics, no tricks," Zhao Rui’s voice suddenly rose. "Just a full-frontal assault! We will use the most direct method to crush their defensive lines and burn their fortress to ashes!"
"Martial Artist Xu will open a path for us, using his Flame to tear open the Feathered People’s defenses. And our job is to follow right behind him, charge in, and slaughter every last enemy!"
"Tell me, are you ready?!"
"KILL! KILL! KILL!"
An earth-shattering roar echoed through the plaza. The Qi and Blood of two thousand Martial Artists surged skyward, seeming to dim even the two dusky yellow suns in the sky for an instant.
Xu Wuyi tightened his grip on "Liaoyuan."
The dark gold shaft of the spear vibrated slightly, as if responding to its master’s will to fight.
"Move out."
Zhao Rui gave the order.
The army marched out.
Two thousand Martial Artists became a torrent, surging toward the direction of the Feathered People’s main base.
Yellow sand swirled across the Gobi Desert.
For Martial Artists advancing at full speed, eighty kilometers was a journey of merely half an hour.
At ten in the morning, the silhouette of the Feathered People’s main base appeared on the horizon.
It was a fortress built inside a colossal rock mountain. The mountain was three hundred meters high, its surface riddled with man-made tunnels and fortifications.
At this moment, the entire mountain was enveloped in a pale blue Energy Shield. The shield’s surface shimmered with iridescent light, a clear sign that it was operating at maximum capacity.
Dozens of floating watchtowers stood guard around the mountain, each manned by Feathered Priests and warriors, all ready for battle.
"The Energy Shield is extremely strong," Ye Guanlan said, looking at the detector in his hand. "I estimate it can withstand continuous attacks from a Quasi-Grandmaster. The Feathered People have thrown everything they have into this."
Lei Hong, with his War Axe slung over his shoulder, grinned. "No matter how tough the shield is, it has to be broken. Xu, it’s all on you."
Xu Wuyi nodded and stepped forward.
He walked alone toward the Feathered People’s main base, stopping five hundred meters from the shield.
This distance was at the very edge of his Heart Image’s sensory range.
But he didn’t need to get any closer.
Xu Wuyi closed his eyes, and the Dark Gold Mountain Body in his sea of consciousness began to tremble violently.
At its peak, the Golden Crow Illusion raised its head and let out a long cry. One by one, the Flame runes on its feathers lit up, as dazzling as stars.
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