Sigh, I can't get close. Not being able to "appreciate" the core of the Young King Bug up close makes Wang Jixuan feel a bit regretful.

Zhou Zhengde knows Wang Daolong well and didn't give him a chance to volunteer for the fight; he directly convinced Commander Dongfang Zhenghong. Three semi-human mechs are discussing strategies. Right now, they can only hope that Zheng Shiduo and a few Class C psychics can withstand the Young King Bug's mental interference. If Zheng Shiduo can't handle it, they'll have to attack from other directions, which would undoubtedly increase the casualties among regular soldiers.

Wang Jixuan really thinks he could give it a try. The process of this mission isn't complicated—just travel a bit, find the Young King Bug, press a button to launch a missile, and that expensive, specially made single-soldier missile with a mini tactical nuclear warhead can ignore interference and take out the Young King Bug. Unfortunately, now that his status has risen, they won't let him charge into battle.

Well, there are pros and cons to that. Besides coveting that big core, Wang Jixuan also wants to see that beast that once tried to kill him get blown up. It's not about revenge; it's just about wanting to see it happen.

If they won't let him go, that's fine; Wang Daolong can still play a role. He hears Lingtong's suggestion through his headset: "I'll try to charge in. You two control the drones to cover me. I have a new device inside my mech that can resist mental interference, but I can't guarantee how well it will perform."

Chishe quickly says, "I'll go! Tongtong, you just got injured!"

Lingtong retorts, "My logistics team has already treated me. I can now resist light mental interference."

"Use the extended cable, Type II Slashing Blade armor, and tie it directly to your armor."

Deep Sea doesn't waste words: "As long as we go around this thirty-meter-long winding rock crevice, we can enter that cavity and launch the anti-interference self-guided missile."

"Okay," Lingtong simply agrees.

Zheng Shiduo's voice comes through the assault team's communication channel: "I'll go with Sister Tong. I'll be responsible for launching the tactical nuclear missile while she provides cover. With this terrain, too many people can't spread out."

"Got it. How long will it take you to get there?"

"About half an hour more. I was busy exterminating bugs from another direction," Zheng Shiduo chuckles. "It's another day for the balanced psychics to show their skills."

Hearing this, Wang Jixuan makes a decision. He looks up and asks, "Commander, can we send something to the front line?"

Dongfang Zhenghong responds almost without thinking, "Of course."

"Good," Wang Jixuan sighs inwardly. He has indeed brought out a bit too much recently. But for the sake of protecting Lingtong... cough! Exorcising evil and protecting the people is a heavy responsibility that righteous cultivators cannot shirk!

"I spent my last life buried in cultivation, rarely coming down the mountain to uphold justice. In this life, I should make up for it. Who knows, it might weaken the power of the second heavenly tribulation."

Zhou Zhengde asks, "What do you want to send?"

"This."

Wang Jixuan pulls out a core version of the Eight Trigrams Disk that he prepared for himself from his backpack and quickly wraps it in black cloth. The material of this disk is from the outer bone of a Pterosaur, considered the best material he could get his hands on. Although it looks the same size as the one Lingtong wears, the restrictions inside are completely different, with a pure crystal core embedded in the center.

"Please deliver it to Lingtong."

Wang Daolong instructs: "Hand it to her, and I'll personally tell her how to use it."

Zhou Zhengde takes the black cloth and mutters, "How much new technology have you hidden?"

"This is the last piece for now."

Wang Jixuan answers honestly: "I won't joke around with this. I'll gradually bring out the tech products I can."

Dongfang Zhenghong immediately calls his guard.

About half an hour later, Lingtong receives the 【True Eight Trigrams Disk】, removes the one she was wearing from her combat suit, and replaces it with this one.

A few minutes later, Uncle Tai arrives at the command vehicle, bringing two holographic training helmets.

Wang Jixuan asks curiously, "What's this?"

Uncle Tai simply explains, "This is equipment provided by our logistics support team. Once you wear it, you can see the footage from Lingtong's helmet, which is equivalent to her perspective, and you can also see her status... The commander asked me to bring it to you. She was worried you might feel frustrated not being able to act, so she wanted you to feel a bit involved."

Wang Daolong: ...

Zhou Zhengde asks, "Then why are there two helmets?"

"Ah!" Uncle Tai laughs, "Captain Zheng heard about this and asked me to bring one for him too! He said he wanted Captain Zhou to wear it and feel involved as well!"

Every cell in Zhou Zhengde's body resists: "Can I say a curse? Tell him to get lost!"

"Uh, just a friendly reminder, cursing at him will make him excited."

"This is the command center; no chatting."

Wang Daolong simply reminds them and puts on the holographic helmet with interest.

Zhou Zhengde really wants to see the battlefield from a first-person perspective, but he feels a strong inner resistance. He likes women like Weina... the sexy kind.

...

The biggest challenge Lingtong and Zheng Shiduo face is that winding, rugged rock crevice. They have to endure strong mental interference, ordinary electromagnetic interference, and attacks from the Blade Beasts while crossing this narrow terrain to enter a huge underground cavity.

That is where the Young King Bug is currently trapped.

As long as Lingtong and Zheng Shiduo can charge into the underground cavity and release the self-guided missile equipped with a small tactical nuclear warhead, they will have completed the mission.

Because the nuclear explosion will create a strong electromagnetic pulse, and Lingtong's mechanical arm has too many precise components, in a way... retreating is more dangerous than attacking.

This requires Deep Sea, Chishe, and all parts of the battlefield to coordinate and cooperate fully.

Lingtong speaks calmly and lightly through Wang Jixuan's headset: "Slashing Blade Type II suit self-check complete, ready to engage."

"Mission objective updated. Enter designated area to release tactical nuclear weapons; both self-guided missiles are loaded properly."

At this moment, Wang Jixuan is sharing Lingtong's perspective and can see every action she takes to check her armor.

Standard and graceful.

Zhou Zhengde frowns while wearing the holographic helmet, watching Zheng Shiduo shaking his head and swaying his body, his face filled with disdain.

"Attention!"

Deep Sea, the older brother, gives a pre-battle reminder: "This mission is not the only option. We can also extend the combat time to reduce the cost of the operation. This attack is just a trial."

"Understood!"

"No problem!"

Zheng Shiduo howls: "Don't worry, everyone! As long as Lingtong gets a scratch, a handsome guy with a helmet will drop from the sky!"

Lingtong says, "Please be serious during battle."

Zheng Shiduo instantly shuts up, obediently holding a thick single-barrel launcher in his arms, and a pair of pure white wings spread out behind him.

Lingtong's armor is now equipped with an additional missile pod. She draws the large sword stuck in front of her with her left hand, while the right hand's destruction cannon begins to charge in advance, and the Eight Trigrams Disk inside her armor is activated.

She tentatively takes two steps forward.

Buzz—

An invisible shockwave rushes toward her! The Eight Trigrams Disk outside her combat suit glows brightly, and a light blue membrane envelops Lingtong's entire body, easily dissipating the shock.

She moves forward a few steps, her actions unaffected.

The electromagnetic pulse created by the Blade Beasts is like the mental interference caused by psychics; it exists but isn't concentrated. It's a capability that the Blade Beasts evolved during their war with humans.

In simple terms, Lingtong's mechanical arm and Slashing Blade Type II armor are both unaffected.

In the narrow passage ahead, small but powerful mid-tier assassin Blade Beasts quietly wait for the enemy to approach.

Deep Sea says, "We can fight. Confirm the retreat status of all units. Chishe is responsible for keeping the retreat route intact. Zheng, be careful not to let the extended cable get cut; you're too slow."

"Received," Zheng Shiduo replies simply, "This thing is really useful."

"Advance."

Lingtong softly says.

From Wang Jixuan's perspective:

The dark underground passage is suddenly illuminated by bright light, and suicide drones rush into the gaps of the solid rock layer.

The deafening sound of explosions fills the air.

Lingtong and Zheng Shiduo charge forward at the same time. Zheng Shiduo isn't participating in the fight; his task is to transport. Lingtong is slightly faster and rushes into the rock crevice passage first.

The right arm's destruction cannon fires!

The mouths of two mid-tier assassin Blade Beasts are simultaneously pierced!

The large sword slashes down, and the azure light bursts forth, shattering the two Blade Beasts that leap toward her.

Zheng Shiduo's eyes shine with green light, and scales grow on his skin, ready to unleash his unique skill—a taunt specifically for Blade Beasts.

Dozens of mid-tier Blade Beasts surge forward, and the passage ahead has several turns.

Deep Sea shouts, "You're charging too fast! Wait for the suicide drones to cover you!"

Lingtong immediately adjusts her battle pace, simply swinging the large sword, and her armor's power is more than sufficient.

At the boundary of the mental interference field, Chishe is drilling holes and stuffing high-explosive detonators into them.

In their wake, dozens of junction points have already been filled with detonators.

Deep Sea frowns at the field boundary, ready to rush in to save someone at any moment.

Zheng Shiduo screams, "Ah! That thing malfunctioned! Damn! This mental interference is so strong! I might not hold on!"

Wang Jixuan can't help but feel anxious.

—For Lingtong.

Lingtong suddenly shouts, "Zheng, retreat! I can complete the mission alone!"

"There's still twelve or thirteen meters left!" Zheng Shiduo grits his teeth, "I can do it!"

"Follow orders."

"Alright, Commander!"

Zheng Shiduo pulls on the rope at his waist, his body rapidly retreating, and the protective suit automatically deploys airbags, bouncing back and forth like a ball.

Lingtong no longer waits for the incoming suicide drones; all the firepower of her armor is set to engage, and explosive heads filled with mini-missiles appear on her armor's shoulders, legs, and back.

Her helmet has already activated multiple protections and oxygen supply functions.

She turns the last corner!

Following Lingtong's perspective, Wang Jixuan can't help but feel a chill run down his spine.

Ahead is a mass of mid-tier basic Blade Beasts, their bodies filling the last section of the rock crevice passage!

The Blade Beasts let out a simultaneous shriek!

Shockwaves rush toward Lingtong.

Sharp limbs shoot toward her.

Lingtong grips the large sword with her left hand, and the armor's forearm activates a plasma shield!

The azure light around her flickers, and her eyes behind the helmet are filled with determination as she steps forward!

Just as the Blade Beasts unleash their assault, the majority of her mini-missiles behind the shield are activated simultaneously.

All firepower engaged!

Lingtong's body is enveloped in thick smoke!

The narrow passage is almost filled with flames! The wall of Blade Beasts is riddled with holes!

And just then!

Lingtong's armor emits a butterfly-like light arc, her figure bursts through the smoke, and the destruction cannon in her left hand has completed charging, firing a level five destruction beam forward!

While her right hand holds the large sword, she accelerates with full thrust and swings forward, unleashing a surge of azure light!

The wall of Blade Beasts collapses!

They're coming!

Wang Jixuan instinctively stands up, and the scene before him suddenly becomes clear!

In the dark underground cavity, Blade Beasts cling to the walls, creating a unique, dense sense of fear under the night vision perspective.

A special Blade Beast, eight meters long and resembling a caterpillar, with all limbs regressed, is at the bottom of the cavity.

Surrounding it are hundreds of mid-tier Blade Beasts, constantly hacking at the solid rock layer with their knife-like limbs.

At that moment, green orbs of light burst forth from all directions, shooting toward Lingtong!

Lingtong remains calm; the left and right ammo bays mounted on her armor open simultaneously, and two missiles, as thick as adult arms, launch with fiery tails, locking onto the Young King Bug's life wave, shape image, and crystal core energy fluctuations, spiraling down in the cavity.

The rope hanging from Lingtong's waist suddenly jerks!

She is pulled backward at high speed, dodging a wave of light projectiles, using the momentum to turn, fully controlling the armor's rear thrusters, and maximizing the collision protection shield.

"Retreat! Retreat!"

Deep Sea keeps shouting. He has already picked up Zheng Shiduo and is waiting with Chishe at the end of the straight passage, nervously watching the entrance of the rock crevice.

Lingtong stumbles out.

Chishe and Deep Sea activate the thrusters on their mechs, and after Lingtong arrives, they each grab one of her mechanical arms, and the three-meter-high armor bursts forth with even greater thrust.

Boom!

At this moment, an explosion erupts behind them, destroying the passage.

But that's far from enough.

As they speed outward, the passage collapses one after another.

This is the best barrier against the nuclear explosion energy from the rock layer!

"Goo—"

Wang Jixuan suddenly hears a mournful cry.

He feels a powerful energy releasing underground, the desert layer waiting for the impact of this energy.

But the solid ground, the rock shell of this planet, gives no extra response to this tickling impact, only a slight tremor in the nearby area.

Zzi!

"Mission accomplished. Our team has evacuated, and the equipment needs maintenance," Lingtong's voice rings out, "Please confirm the target's survival status."

"Good!" Dongfang Zhenghong clenches his fist and shouts, and the command vehicle erupts in cheers.

Wang Jixuan removes the now non-functional holographic helmet, just about to respond to Zhou Zhengde, who is excitedly clenching his fist and growling, when he suddenly frowns.

He and Wu Man close their eyes simultaneously.

This time, there is no sound like a cooing dove, but they both see a huge vertical pupil slowly rising from underground, staring at them...

No, it's not staring at them.

It's staring in that direction, looking at the direction behind the command vehicle... the location of Fortress 76.

The vertical pupil slowly dissipates as it rises, and pure spiritual energy is released from the earth.

At that moment, Wang Jixuan and Wu Man both have a flash of realization in their hearts; that is the mental will conveyed by the Young King Bug, and this will is simple. In human language, it can be understood in just four words.

"Stop."

"Eliminate."

Stop? Stop what? What are they going to eliminate?

Suddenly, a lightning bolt seems to flash through the back of Wang Jixuan's head, and he suddenly looks up, realizing a question that has been bothering him for a long time.

In Fortress 76, the spiritual energy concentration in the lower city is higher than in the upper city, and the deeper you go, the higher the concentration!

The Black Fire Gang had conducted experiments on Blade Beast organs for Professor Zhuang, producing a large number of Blade Beast organs to supply the Wanli Gold Gang for their formula soil!

The Blade Beasts attacking the mine came from nowhere, with no markings, and seemed not to be from the border's Blade Beast group!

And Lingtong had mentioned... there must be a nest in the Sarir Desert, and the Young King Bug's first task is to establish a new clan. This is a common tactic for Blade Beast groups to break through human defenses; their task afterward is to find this nest and destroy it...

If, if this nest is in...

"Goo—"

Several much weaker sounds occur simultaneously, sub-level, not fully developed, relatively fixed in position, responding to the final command of the Young King Bug.

Stop breeding;

Eliminate humanity.

Wang Jixuan instinctively clenches his fist and rushes two steps in front of Dongfang Zhenghong.

"Listen to me!"

...

[Time until the fall of Fortress 76's lower city: 0 hours 03 minutes.]

(End of this chapter)