A mixture of pale blue energy and dark golden flames transformed into a terrifying energy shockwave, radiating outward from the energy core.
The entire conversion station began to collapse.
Ceilings shattered, walls collapsed, and metal structures twisted and buckled.
The instant the shockwave hit, Xu Wuyi had already executed Quicksand Step to fall back, simultaneously creating an invisible barrier with his Gravity Field to deflect the majority of the impact.
By the time he rushed out of the conversion station, the structure behind him had completely collapsed into a pile of flaming wreckage.
On the surface of the sea, Tie Zhan and Lu Wenquan had already finished off the enemies on the perimeter and were waiting for him.
"All taken care of?" Tie Zhan grinned, his warhammer still stained with the blood of the Feathered People.
Xu Wuyi nodded. "The energy core is destroyed. The garrison has been wiped out."
"Nice!" Tie Zhan clapped him on the shoulder. "Ten minutes, right on the dot."
Lu Wenquan pushed up his glasses. The tactical tablet displayed the conversion station’s energy readings. "The blast was equivalent to three thousand tons of standard explosives. It will take the Feathered People at least a month to rebuild. The ’Tidal Surge Fortress’ energy supply will be strained, creating openings in their defensive line."
Han Mo’s voice came through the comms channel. "The extraction fleet has reached the designated coordinates. They’ve been sent to your tactical tablets. Evacuate immediately. Do not delay."
"Understood."
The trio didn’t linger. Their bodies transformed into three streaks of light as they sped toward the designated coordinates.
Five minutes later, they boarded a stealth warship hidden in a deep-sea canyon.
The warship’s captain was an old soldier with white hair, his epaulets displaying the rank of Commodore.
He saluted Xu Wuyi. "Martial Artist Xu, I am Captain Li Zhenguo of the Deep Diver. I’m under orders to escort you to the Rift Star Realm."
Xu Wuyi returned the salute. "Thank you, Captain Li."
"It’s my duty." Li Zhenguo smiled, then turned to give orders. "Close the hatch. Engage silent running. Target, jump point D-7."
The warship began to descend, quickly vanishing into the depths of the sea.
Through the porthole, Xu Wuyi watched the burning conversion station on the surface grow more and more distant, until it finally disappeared from his line of sight.
His final battle in the Tianshui Star Realm was over.
...
The Deep Diver was a medium-sized submersible warship, one hundred twenty meters long, and equipped with the Federation’s latest stealth and submersion technologies.
The warship’s interior was not spacious, but it was fully functional.
Xu Wuyi was assigned to a private cabin beside the captain’s quarters, while Tie Zhan and Lu Wenquan were in the one next door.
The jump required preparation, and it was estimated to take six hours before they could initiate it.
Xu Wuyi did not rest. Instead, he sat cross-legged on his bed and began to meditate.
The battle, though brief, had been demanding.
Especially at the end, when detonating the energy core, he had needed to precisely control the power of his Flame True Seal. It couldn’t be too weak, or it would fail to destroy the core, but it also couldn’t be too strong, lest it trigger a chain reaction that would engulf him as well.
He had used up about forty percent of his Power of Heart Image and needed to recover it as quickly as possible.
Within his sea of consciousness, the Dark Gold Mountain Body slowly rotated, absorbing Energy from the void. Atop its peak, the Golden Crow Illusion curled its wings, entering a semi-dormant state. The flame runes on its feathers flickered faintly, as if it were breathing.
An hour later, thirty percent of his Power of Heart Image had been restored.
’A shame I couldn’t achieve a breakthrough.’
Xu Wuyi murmured to himself.
He had hoped to advance his Quicksand Step to the Great Success Realm before leaving the Tianshui Star Realm. But breakthroughs in the realms of Martial Arts required a catalyst; they couldn’t be achieved through hard training alone.
’Perhaps the battles in the Rift Star Realm will bring new opportunities.’
A knock came from the cabin door.
"Come in."
The door slid open, and Tie Zhan walked in carrying two trays. On them were standard-issue military nutrient meals: high-energy protein blocks, synthetic vegetables, and nutrient paste.
"Time to eat." Tie Zhan placed a tray on the small table and sat down across from him. "Captain Li said it’s best to refuel before the jump, to avoid any physical discomfort."
Xu Wuyi took his tray and began to eat.
The nutrient meal was bland, but its high energy density could quickly restore one’s stamina.
Once a Martial Artist reached the Innate Realm, their need for food was greatly reduced. They could go for days without eating, and it wouldn’t affect their combat effectiveness. However, it was still necessary to replenish their energy after prolonged combat.
"Where’s Wenquan?" Xu Wuyi asked.
"On the bridge, discussing intel on the Rift Star Realm with Captain Li," Tie Zhan said, his words muffled by a mouthful of protein block. "He loves studying that stuff, so I just let him be."
Xu Wuyi nodded and continued eating.
They ate in silence for five minutes before Tie Zhan suddenly spoke up. "Kid, when we get to the Rift Star Realm, be careful."
Xu Wuyi looked up.
"The fighting in the Rift Star Realm is completely different from what you saw in Tianshui." Tie Zhan set down his utensils, his expression turning serious.
"There’s no sea, no open ground—just a labyrinth of subterranean rifts and caves. Fights often break out in confined spaces, so large-scale, crowd-clearing Martial Arts are much less effective."
"On top of that, the Feathered People have deployed more forces to the Rift Star Realm, including more powerful experts. Word is there are at least three Grandmaster Level Feathered People stationed there, and over thirty at the Sub-King Level."
Xu Wuyi listened in silence.
"Your Liaoyuan fire is suited for open-field combat," Tie Zhan continued, "but in confined spaces, it’s easy to cause friendly fire."
"And while your Gravity Manipulation isn’t restricted by terrain, the geological structures in the Rift Star Realm are unstable. Overusing your Gravity Field could trigger a cave-in and bury us all."
"I understand," Xu Wuyi said. "I’ll adjust my tactics."
The words had barely left Xu Wuyi’s mouth when the comms indicator light in the cabin began to flash a piercing red.
It wasn’t the standard green of standby mode or the yellow of a priority alert, but the blood-red that signified an emergency directive of the highest order.
All three of them stopped what they were doing.
Xu Wuyi set down his utensils. Tie Zhan shot to his feet. Lu Wenquan’s voice crackled over the comms, speaking twice as fast as usual. "The bridge just received a direct directive from Federation High Command. Encryption level: Top Secret. Captain Li is decoding it now."
"What’s going on?" Tie Zhan frowned.
"I don’t know." Lu Wenquan’s voice carried a rare gravity.
"The directive came directly from Xingjing General Command, bypassing all theater command systems. Captain Li said that in his forty years of service, he’s only seen an override directive of this level twice."
Xu Wuyi remained silent.
Two minutes later, the cabin door slid open.
Captain Li Zhenguo entered. The old, white-haired soldier’s face was grim, and he held a silver-white encrypted tablet in his hand.
Lu Wenquan was right behind him, his brow deeply furrowed behind his glasses.
"Martial Artist Xu, Grandmaster Tie Zhan." Li Zhenguo placed the tablet on the table and brought up the decrypted directive.
A light screen materialized, displaying just three short lines of text:
[EMERGENCY ORDER · DESIGNATION AX-7739]
The Deep Diver is to immediately abort its mission to the Rift Star Realm.
All hands to change course and return to Xingjing Harbor, Federation Territory.
Priority: Absolute Highest. Execution: Immediate.
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