Wei Changkong's Breakthrough
Inside the patrol ship, Wei Changkong and the ten veterans stared blankly at the scene before them, even though they already had a general understanding of Chen Fan's strength.
But every time Chen Fan made a move, it seemed to be rethinking their understanding.
Those are two Eighth-Order Late Stage Nightfall Rippers, capable of fighting the former Garrison Envoy Zhao Xin Hong for a long time!
That's it... gone?
Vanished in the blink of an eye.
Just as waves of shock were surging through their hearts.
A calm and even voice rang clearly in the minds of Wei Changkong and the others through their Divine Thought.
There were still some who slipped through the net; leave no one alive.
Wei Changkong trembled violently, his unfocused gaze instantly refocusing and bursting forth with an unprecedentedly fervent light!
"Yes, Commander Chen!"
Wei Changkong slammed his fist on the control panel and roared into the ship's communication channel with all his might.
"All forces, attack! Engine power up to 120%! Leave no one alive!"
"Yes!"
Behind them, ten veterans seemed to awaken from a dream, letting out a roar in unison, their eyes bloodshot, their fighting spirit soaring to the sky.
Boom!!
The patrol ship's engines roared deafeningly, and the ship transformed into a streak of vengeful Stream of Light, rushing towards the terrified remnants of the Shadow Clan at a speed far exceeding its limits.
The battle ended quickly.
Without the Nightfall Rippers in command, the remaining Shadow Clan troops posed absolutely no threat to the veterans of the Thirteen Nodes.
With Wei Changkong, an Eighth-Level Mid Stage Martial Artist, added to the equation, it was as easy as taking candy from a baby.
The battle ended quickly.
As the patrol ship slowly returned and stopped in front of Chen Fan, the hatch on the bridge opened.
Wei Changkong led ten veterans out.
Chen Fan met their gazes but said nothing.
He simply and calmly extended his hand, handing over the two newly acquired Eighth-Order Late Stage cores.
"!!!"
Wei Changkong and the others instinctively took a half step back in unison.
"Commander Chen, this... this is absolutely unacceptable!"
Wei Changkong waved his hands repeatedly.
Such a treasure is beyond our... we dare not even lay a finger on it!
Are you kidding me!
This contains the essence of two Eighth-Order Late Stage powerhouses!
Any one of these items would be enough to significantly improve an Eighth-Level Mid Stage expert, and might even allow them to potentially reach the Eighth-Order Late Stage.
Faced with everyone's fear, Chen Fan finally managed a smile.
"The power of the Thirteenth Node is not solely due to my efforts."
"Gentlemen, you are heroes who have guarded the Human Race Frontier for decades, even centuries. The Merit Points and scars you bear are far greater than mine. This is what you deserve."
"Only when you become stronger can we truly defend this place and ensure that those petty villains never dare to set foot on our Human Race Territory again!"
These words were like a warm current flowing into Wei Changkong's heart.
Wei Changkong's eyes instantly reddened.
He abruptly took a step back and, in the cold Void, knelt down on one knee in front of Chen Fan!
Make a fist with your right hand and pound it hard on your left chest, near your heart.
"I, Wei Changkong, and all the warriors of the Thirteenth Node behind me!"
His voice was hoarse, yet firm as iron, resounding through the starry sky.
"We swear to follow Commander Chen to the death! We would gladly die a thousand deaths!"
"We swear to follow Commander Chen to the death! We would gladly die a thousand deaths!"
Behind him, ten veterans knelt on one knee in unison and swore an oath in equally hoarse voices.
At this moment, the hearts of the people are won over.
Chen Fan looked at them quietly and accepted the bow with composure.
He then stepped forward and personally helped Wei Changkong up, and then helped the other veterans up one by one.
"Rise, warriors of my Human Race! We kneel only to the fallen souls, not to our living comrades."
He shoved the two cores into Wei Changkong's hands without giving a chance to object.
"Go back immediately and go into seclusion to absorb the essence. I need you all, in your strongest form, to fight alongside me."
Seeing the burning hope and fighting spirit in everyone's eyes, Chen Fan knew that from this moment on, the foundation of the Thirteenth Garrison Node had been truly laid.
Two months have passed since the day the stars were stained with blood and the Shadow Clan emperors were beheaded.
The Thirteenth Garrison Node, a desolate cosmic ruin, is now filled with an unprecedented tranquility.
It was the calm before a volcanic eruption, the oppressive atmosphere before a storm.
Wei Changkong and the ten veterans have not shown their faces since obtaining the two late-stage cores that would drive any Eighth-Order expert mad. The eleven core Quiet Chamber at the deepest part of the node are tightly closed, isolating them from all other auras.
Chen Fan did not go into seclusion.
He simply sat quietly at the highest point of the Command Center each day, in the Commander's chair that belonged to the Garrison Envoy.
He would sometimes peruse Battle Reports from the past few centuries, and sometimes cast his gaze toward the unchanging, cold starry sky outside the porthole.
Unbeknownst to anyone, his boundless Divine Thought had already transformed into an invisible yet gentle Heaven-and-Earth Net, enveloping the entire guarding node.
On this day, Chen Fan put down his personal Optical Brain, his gaze piercing through the layers of Alloy walls, and looked towards the core Quiet Chamber.
Almost at the same moment his gaze fell upon it.
"Boom!!"
A powerful, suffocating aura suddenly erupted from one of the Quiet Chamber without warning!
The aura was powerful, like a Primordial Era behemoth awakening, and the energy fluctuations transformed into visible tides, sweeping wildly in all directions.
The roar of the laws even penetrated the shield of the Quiet Chamber, echoing clearly throughout the metal passageway of the entire node!
This is... the power unique to Eighth-Level Immortal Realm Late Stage expert!
"Snap! Snap!"
Almost simultaneously, the doors to the other ten Quiet Chamber burst open one after another.
Ten figures rushed out from within. They were stunned at first when they felt that familiar and terrifying pressure, but then their faces all showed ecstasy and awe from the depths of their souls.
"It's Old Wei!"
"He... he succeeded!"
"Eighth-Order Late Stage! Our Thirteenth Node has finally acquired its own Eighth-Order Late Stage!"
Everyone looked toward the source of that aura, their eyes burning with intense light.
Boom!
With a loud bang, the heavy gate of the core Quiet Chamber was blasted open from the inside by an immense force!
A figure strode out.
It was Wei Changkong!
At this moment, he was still physically imposing, but his entire demeanor had undergone a dramatic transformation.
His aura was as majestic as a mountain, his power perfectly contained within his body, and his eyes shone with a divine light, as if Stars were born and died within them.
He was already a genuine, well-established Eighth-Order Late Stage powerhouse!
Wei Changkong clenched his fists, feeling the surging power within him that seemed capable of tearing apart Stars in an instant. He was so excited that his face flushed red and his whole body trembled slightly.
Eighth-Order Late Stage!
This is a dreamlike realm that he has been trapped in for hundreds of years and has never been able to reach, even after countless life-and-death battles!