Feng Zhuohua stared at him for a few seconds, then suddenly smiled.
"Good. That confidence is what I like to see."
He took a silver Token from a drawer and pushed it across to Xu Wuyi.
"This grants you temporary command authority over the 17th Division. During the mission, you can mobilize an armored battalion to support you. Additionally, the military will send two Quasi-Grandmasters to accompany you, responsible for perimeter security and intelligence support."
"Who?"
"You know them." Feng Zhuohua smiled. "Tie Zhan and Lu Wenquan. They just rotated back from a frontline Star Realm, so they happen to be available."
Xu Wuyi nodded. He had fought alongside Tie Zhan and Lu Wenquan many times. They knew each other well, which would make for smoother cooperation.
"When do we leave?"
"Eight o'clock tomorrow morning, from the Third Spaceport. A private transport will take you to the front lines." Feng Zhuohua stood up, walked over to Xu Wuyi, and clapped him on the shoulder.
"Kid, remember, the mission is important, but your life is more important. The Federation can't afford to lose a genius like you. If you run into danger, retreat when you have to. Don't be reckless."
Xu Wuyi also stood and gave a solemn salute.
"Understood."
...
The next morning, at Xingjing's Third Military Spaceport.
The sky was just beginning to lighten, and the morning mist had not yet dispersed.
Three dark gray VTOL transport ships were parked on a dedicated landing pad, their engines running at low power, emitting a dull hum.
Xu Wuyi was dressed in black combat fatigues, a military tactical backpack on his back. His Liaoyuan Long Spear was in a custom-made bag, slung horizontally across his back.
He stood in front of the aircraft's fuselage, watching the liaison officer from the 17th Armored Division mark the latest suspected location of an Alien Insect Nest on the map.
"Martial Artist Xu, this is the latest data from the frontline reconnaissance units."
The liaison officer was a lieutenant in his early thirties named Zhou Kai. A scar ran down his face from his brow bone to his jaw, a memento from a battle with the Celestial Wolf Civilization.
"The alien insects' range of activity has expanded by another fifteen percent compared to three days ago. There may be more than twenty nests."
Xu Wuyi took the tactical tablet, which displayed a 3D topographical map of the X-24 Star Domain.
Hills, canyons, and networks of underground caves were covered in different colored markers. Red represented confirmed Alien Insect Nests, orange represented suspected ones, and yellow marked areas of high alien insect activity.
"Where are the main forces of the 17th Division?" he asked.
"Here, and here." Zhou Kai pointed to two blue markers on the map.
"Forward Base 3 and Resource Point 7. Division command has ordered us to prioritize clearing the nests around these two areas to ensure the supply lines remain open."
Xu Wuyi nodded, his gaze sweeping over the map.
The X-24 Star Domain was about the size of a medium-sized Federation province. Eight thousand square kilometers wasn't enormous, but the complex terrain made searching it a hassle.
What was even trickier was the extensive, interconnected system of underground caves, which meant the alien insects could emerge from anywhere at any time.
"Martial Artist Xu."
A familiar voice came from behind him.
Xu Wuyi turned to see Tie Zhan and Lu Wenquan walking over, side by side. Tie Zhan was in his signature dark red heavy armor, a warhammer slung over his shoulder, a wide grin on his face.
Lu Wenquan, meanwhile, wore a dark blue tactical suit. His gaze behind his glasses was as calm as ever, and he carried a silver-white equipment case.
"Master Tie, Master Lu," Xu Wuyi greeted them.
"None of that 'Master' business. You're the mission commander now." Tie Zhan clapped him on the shoulder with enough force to make an ordinary person stagger. "Minister Feng said you're in charge of this mission. The two of us are here to assist."
Lu Wenquan pushed up his glasses. "To be precise, we're responsible for security and intelligence support. The Feathered People won't show up openly. They specialize in stealth and surprise attacks."
"Let's board." Zhou Kai glanced at the time. "Estimated flight time is four hours. We can discuss tactics in detail on the way."
The four of them boarded the middle transport ship.
The cabin was spacious. Besides the pilot and two crew members, it was piled with special equipment and supplies.
The hatch closed, and the engine's thrust suddenly increased. The transport ship ascended vertically, then adjusted its course and sped toward the coordinates of the Star Realm jump point.
Inside the cabin, the four of them gathered around a tactical table.
Zhou Kai pulled up a holographic image of the X-24 Star Domain.
The image showed a desolate, grayish-brown surface riddled with gullies and caves. Occasionally, some dark red, moss-like plants could be seen—native life to this Star Domain, and one of the food sources for the alien insects.
"The Alien Insect Nests are usually built thirty to fifty meters underground." Zhou Kai pointed to several raised landforms in the image. "They alter the geological structure, reinforcing the nest with a secreted biological mucus. Conventional earth-penetrating bombs have a hard time destroying them completely."
"Which is why they need Martial Artists," Tie Zhan said, crossing his arms. "Use external force to directly collapse the underground structure, or use high heat to melt the core."
"My Returning Ruins Seal is suitable for area suppression," Xu Wuyi said. "I can also use Water Drop to directly destroy the nest's core."
Lu Wenquan brought up an analysis report from the research institute. "The core of an Alien Insect Nest is a type of biological energy aggregate. Its structure is fragile, but it's protected by multiple layers of biological tissue."
"As long as the core is destroyed, the entire nest will become inactive, and the surrounding alien insects will lose their command structure, reverting to disorganized beasts."
"What about the parts with medicinal value?" Xu Wuyi asked.
"The nest's biological mucus and the core's remains." Zhou Kai opened a list.
"The mucus can be refined into a high-efficiency healing agent, and the core's remains are the main ingredient for making a Spiritual Stability Potion. The recovery value of a single, complete nest is equivalent to fifty million Federation Coins."
Tie Zhan let out a whistle. "No wonder the Feathered People have their eyes on it."
"It's not just about the money," Lu Wenquan said, his expression serious. "These materials are very useful for certain forbidden research conducted by their Priest Corps. The Blood Sacrifice Divine Hall has been trying to create controllable bioweapons, and the structure of the Alien Insect Nests is of great reference value to them."
Xu Wuyi was silent for a moment.
"So, we not only have to clear out the nests, but we also have to try to recover them as intact as possible?"
"The higher-ups' directive is to prioritize destruction to ensure the area is secure," Zhou Kai said. "But if conditions permit, we can attempt to recover the core. The 17th Division will send a specialized recovery team to follow us."
"Understood." Xu Wuyi nodded. "Then we'll proceed as planned. First, we clear the nests around Base 3 to secure the supply line, then we push deeper."
"And the Feathered People?" Tie Zhan asked. "What if they interfere?"
"Then we fight," Xu Wuyi said calmly. "The mission proceeds as usual. If they dare to interfere, we'll clear them out too."
Tie Zhan grinned. "Now that's more like it."
Lu Wenquan pushed up his glasses and said nothing, but his fingers were swiping rapidly across the tactical tablet as he began planning response scenarios for a potential ambush.
The four-hour flight passed quickly amidst their tactical discussion.
When the transport ship passed through the jump point and entered the X-24 Star Domain, the view outside the porthole changed abruptly.
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