The day after the fortress defense battle.
In the evening, outside the C Zone of Fortress 76 in the Middle Basin, the rhythmic sound of hammering echoed from Ling Tong's temporary supply station.
Wang Daolong had just finished a round of training and made significant progress in his cultivation, moving closer to the middle stage of the Gathering Spirit realm. Right now, he had enough crystal cores, and all he needed to do was continue to enhance his spiritual awareness, condense his soul, and refine his body. In less than half a month, he would reach the middle stage of the Gathering Spirit realm!
Given the current conditions, the best way to refine his body was, of course... forging.
Two large furnaces were roaring with flames, and a thick iron anvil and big hammer, made by high-precision machines, were busy forging a sword blank. Wang Jixuan was exploring ways to mass-produce the Demon-Breaking Dagger while also preparing a weapon for Ling Tong to protect herself.
After the battle, Wang Daolong had a direct understanding of the strength of the Blade Beasts' shells and a clearer view of human firepower, giving him a general idea of the weaknesses of both sides. He was also growing more confident in his combat ability since reaching the Golden Core realm.
"I wonder if that boy was encouraged by me. I certainly learned something from this experience... Having crystal cores feels great! No crystal cores? Not so great. As long as I'm alive, I can become an immortal. Living is the foundation of everything!"
Wang Daolong stopped hammering and wiped the sweat off his forehead with his arm. He wrapped the sword blank in spiritual energy and sent it to a nearby bucket of cold water.
With a sizzling sound, white mist rose in the workshop. Wang Jixuan let out a breath of stale air and examined the sword blank closely, shaking his head in dissatisfaction.
"The quality still isn't good enough; it needs more forging and spiritual infusion. This is a gift for Ling Tong, and it also serves to protect me, so it must be well-crafted. Plus, it subtly shows that I have greater value to that devilish commander, so he doesn't crumble under the pressure from the Thirteen Schools."
A voice announced in the workshop, "Battle Sister returning to the cabin."
Wang Jixuan turned to see four soldiers from the new guard salute simultaneously at the door. Ling Tong hurried in, and Wang Daolong, who had only put on gray three-quarter pants without a shirt, quickly raised his hammer to cover his chest.
Ling Tong looked down as she entered, her previously gloomy mood brightening significantly.
"How's it going?" Wang Jixuan asked.
"Let's talk inside; I'm hungry."
Ling Tong's mechanical arm projected a small screen, activating the supply station's protective shield and soundproofing device. Wang Jixuan raised an eyebrow, sensing that things she was dealing with weren't going smoothly.
...
Indeed, things weren't going well. Qin Qin had given her many instructions, including how to operate the nutrient chamber and amplifiers, and admitted to sending signals twice through Meng Caiyuan. But aside from that, there was nothing else to report.
The Spirit Energy Capital had announced that B-level spirit user Uncle Feng and his four subordinates had officially moved into the Spirit Energy House, and a special team was coming from the Spirit Energy Capital.
Fortunately, the laboratory in the Spirit Energy House at Fortress 76 had been cleared out by the military, and Qin Qin had already been sent to the front command center.
The boy named Meng Caiyuan had been temporarily moved to the medical center on the seventh floor of the fortress, and the military had yet to decide whether to detain him.
The situation outside the fortress was also grim. The Blade Beasts had been moving underground and had retreated to about two hundred kilometers away in the center of the Sarir Desert. The intensity of the fighting on the front lines had decreased, but more Blade Beasts were flooding toward the Middle Basin, with sightings of three king-level Blade Beasts appearing on the outskirts.
The war was trending toward further escalation, and the command center was evaluating whether to take the initiative to eliminate this group of Blade Beasts.
Wang Jixuan asked, "Can't we just use nuclear bombs to attack them?"
Sister Wan gently explained, "Do you know why they keep moving underground? It's to avoid nuclear bomb bombardments from the space fortress... The Blade Beasts will dig tunnels underground before marching in large numbers."
Sister Wan brought over some freshly heated food. Ling Tong looked noticeably happier, taking small bites of her food. Uncle Tai and Wan Xiao Qi were in the corner sorting gear, preparing for the next battle.
Wang Daolong muttered, "I can't shake the feeling that these Blade Beasts are underground for reasons beyond just avoiding nuclear attacks..."
"That boy wasn't lying," Ling Tong said, busy eating but giving Wang Jixuan a thumbs-up.
Wang Daolong raised an eyebrow, "I see. I'll go help him out later."
"Are you going to kill him?"
"No, his ability is rare; I want to save him."
Wang Jixuan held back a thought that almost slipped out. He had considered using a Soul Capturing Talisman to give the boy a new body, but whether the soul would match the body was a problem. Where would he find a fresh, uninjured body?
Would he go kill someone for that? That’s not what a righteous cultivator would do.
"I'm sorry," Ling Tong said, swallowing some meat porridge and looking up at Wang Jixuan. "I didn't know you had been sold before."
"Huh?" Wang Jixuan stared at Ling Tong.
Ling Tong murmured, "We woke that boy up. He was in pain but briefly mentioned his soul conversation with you. Only I, Zheng Shiduo, and Minister Zhou Meiying were present, so no need to worry about leaks."
"This kid really can't keep secrets."
Wang Jixuan wondered, "Why are you apologizing to me?"
"I always thought you were a natural optimist."
Ling Tong glanced at the food on her plate. "If you have anything on your mind, feel free to talk to me when I have time... It's my responsibility as an officer to care for the logistics team."
Wang Jixuan: ...
Why was the Daoist a bit touched?
He remembered something and ran to the corner, pulling out a piece of green Blade Beast thigh meat from the freezer and quickly heading to the outer workshop.
Sister Wan looked puzzled, "What is Xiao Wang doing with a piece of Blade Beast meat?"
"Huh?"
Ling Tong didn't understand but was starting to get used to it.
"Sister Wan, don't mind him. His nickname shouldn't be Black Storm; it should be... Incredible.
"Don't worry; he wouldn't roast Blade Beast meat to eat."
Sister Wan sighed in relief, "Maybe he needs it for forging the Demon-Breaking Dagger..."
Bang, bang, bang!
Outside, the sound of chopping frozen meat echoed. Wan Xiao Qi paused her work, curious to see what was happening.
Soon, Wan Xiao Qi let out a scream, "You can't roast it like that! It'll explode!"
Ling Tong dropped her chopsticks and rushed over.
As she arrived, she witnessed a miraculous scene:
Wang Jixuan, wearing thick gloves, was using a homemade iron skewer to thread pieces of green meat the size of longan, placing them beside the furnace and slowly turning them.
The meat made a sizzling sound.
White smoke wafted up, and Wang Jixuan blew gently, causing the smoke to swirl back into the meat.
The workshop filled with a rich meat aroma. In front of them, Wang Jixuan was relatively restrained, not using spiritual energy to manipulate the items, but instead reaching for several prepared seasonings and sprinkling them over the meat skewers one by one.
The meat aroma was now mixed with a hint of herbal fragrance.
Wan Xiao Qi swallowed hard.
Ling Tong frowned and tilted her head.
A few minutes later, the green meat pieces gradually developed a layer of char. Wang Jixuan pinched a piece and tossed it into his mouth, chewing a few times as pure spiritual energy flowed into his body.
Wang Jixuan calculated in his mind.
What looked like ordinary roasted meat was actually using air to harmonize the spiritual energy inside, purifying the faint remnants of soul resentment in the Blade Beast meat.
This would consume his own magical power.
But now, if he finished eating this skewered meat, he could not only replenish the magical power he had spent but also gain a nice "reward."
Spending time roasting Blade Beast meat was, overall, fifty percent more efficient than meditating to cultivate without crystal cores, making it very worthwhile.
It was just hard to digest.
Wang Daolong let out a satisfied sigh.
"Not bad."
Then, Wang Jixuan turned to the stunned group and held out the meat skewer towards them.
Uncle Tai's family was so scared they quickly stepped back.
Ling Tong stepped forward, curiously looking at the meat skewer. She tucked a playful strand of hair behind her ear, leaned in, instinctively closed her eyes, and opened her mouth slightly, glistening with moisture.
Wang Jixuan, who had just plucked a piece of meat, felt a bit awkward. He flicked his finger and skillfully sent it into Ling Tong's mouth.
Ling Tong bit down twice, opened her eyes to look at Wang Jixuan, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
"Delicious!"
"Nourishing, especially nourishing! Don't try it yourself; it can be dangerous."
Wang Jixuan smiled, "This food is great for strengthening your body and relieving the pressure in your head. Take it and eat."
"Can you hold it for me? I'm still a bit... not used to this kind of food."
"Sure," Wang Jixuan called out, "Come over here; I'll get you a plate..."
The two walked casually to the table.
Sister Wan glanced at Uncle Tai, and both of them gulped, slapping Wan Xiao Qi on the head, one on the left and one on the right.
"Dad! Mom! Why did you hit me?"
"Does it hurt?"
"It hurts!"
"This isn't a dream," Uncle Tai said, raising his hand to his forehead. "Teacher Wang is amazing! How did he do that? For so many years, trying to cook Blade Beast meat would result in minor explosions and release toxic substances. Animals that ate raw Blade Beast meat in experiments went mad."
Sister Wan muttered, "He shouldn't have directly fed Ling Tong like that earlier. He actually flicked it over... This is ridiculous!"
Wan Xiao Qi made a face and ran over to snag a taste of the Blade Beast meat.
Uncle Tai pondered for a moment, "Honey, do you think I should go get a senior nutritionist certificate? I could ride on the coattails of the paper on 'Methods for Consuming Blade Beast Meat.'"
Sister Wan: ...
At the dinner table, Wang Daolong, completely oblivious to the little matter of roasting Blade Beast meat, was already discussing the next steps with Ling Tong.
"Is it enough to eat? If not, I can roast a few more skewers."
"That's enough. I've had part of my stomach removed, so I can't eat too much. I'll eat more next time. I need to scout the Blade Beasts' movements and hunt for Blade Beast meat to help you get some crystal cores."
"Then the roasted meat is all yours... By the way, are there any particularly insulting gestures?"
"Middle finger?"
"That doesn't feel insulting enough."
"Thumb and index finger almost touching, with a gap of three millimeters, while the other three fingers are together."
"Eh? What does that mean?" Wang Jixuan asked, looking innocent.
Ling Tong: ...
She focused on eating.
...
Two hours later.
The quadcopter parked on the surface of the fortress hadn’t even shut down yet.
Uncle Feng and his four subordinates, along with over twenty spirit users who had been brought back, followed an old man as they quickly walked towards the elevator.
The defense soldiers watched the old man with slight hostility—he was a commissioner from the Spirit Energy Capital.
The old man was very thin, as if only skin wrapped around his bones, with several age spots on the back of his hands.
Although his spirit energy fluctuations were only slightly above Uncle Feng's, his status in the Spirit Energy Capital was far beyond what Uncle Feng could compare to.
The three spirit users he brought along were all fierce-looking and cold-eyed elites.
"Commissioner Wei," Uncle Feng smiled, "The signal for Meng Caiyuan's nutrient chamber is on the seventh floor of this fortress."
"Go directly. If we encounter any obstacles, knock them out immediately. Anyone who attacks us will be killed without mercy," the old man said calmly.
"I don't care what you did before.
"Let's treat this moment as the starting point for restoring our influence in the D5 war zone. If anyone messes up later, they can go find the Judgment Department."
The group of spirit users fell silent.
The elevator quickly descended, bringing the old man to the sixth floor of the fortress, then transferring to the central elevator for the seventh floor. They soon arrived at the central hospital on the seventh floor of the fortress.
Uncle Feng walked in front, ready to show his B-level spirit user status's strong pressure over ordinary people.
The security team members in front saluted simultaneously and shouted in unison, "Welcome, Commissioner Wei Linzheng from the Spirit Energy Capital!"
Uncle Feng was momentarily taken aback.
Wait, they weren't this friendly before! They were all so arrogant!
The old man smiled and nodded lightly to the security team members as he led his people into the central hospital.
After the security team members finished their salute, they turned to leave, and after a few steps, they began to run.
Meng Caiyuan's nutrient chamber was placed in a corner of a hospital room and was quickly found and surrounded by spirit users.
Wei Linzheng pushed through the crowd, holding a white handkerchief to his nose as he looked at the figure under a thick blanket inside the nutrient chamber.
Uncle Feng personally opened the nutrient chamber, and a spirit user stepped forward and yanked off the blanket, revealing a spring doll.
"Meng Caiyuan?!"
Uncle Feng shouted angrily, "He'll die if he leaves the nutrient chamber for too long! Find him immediately! Search every place with a medical point!"
Wei Linzheng didn't seem to care much about this.
The old man stared at the white paper taped to the spring doll's head, where a little figure wearing a black helmet was drawn... This little figure was vividly depicted, its hands raised in a middle finger, wobbling with the spring.
"Ha, childish."
Meanwhile, in Ling Tong's supply station.
Wang Jixuan's finger was pressed against the boy's forehead, gently pulling outward as black mist swirled from his fingertips and merged into the prepared Blade Beast frozen meat nearby.
(End of Chapter)