Dawn Fireworks

Chapter 186: Dawn Fireworks [Seeking guaranteed monthly votes~]

After a brief check of the old instructor's condition, Wang Jixuan breathed a sigh of relief.

It's nothing serious, no major problem.

Black Shell's issue was simply brain atrophy, with its remaining 'components' on the verge of collapse.

He had initially thought he'd need to notify Ling Tong to prepare a memorial service for his biological grandfather.

Having previously considered how to extend Commander Fu Jian's lifespan, Wang Jixuan was already prepared for this kind of situation.

He pulled out a blank Talisman Paper, bit his finger, squeezed out some blood, and drew a Talisman on it, then placed it on Black Shell's head.

Black Shell's rapid breathing immediately smoothed out considerably.

It was just a minor Soul Solidification technique.

Wang Jixuan looked up at Shen Qionglin, who had already opened her helmet's visor to examine Black Shell closely.

"A very aged Half-Human Mech," Shen Qionglin analyzed simply. "His organ failure is likely due to drug stimulation. He might not be salvageable."

"Why wouldn't he be salvageable?"

Wang Jixuan pontificated with mock seriousness:

"You young girl, you've only learned a bit of a Spiritual Practitioner's skills and already think you know the answers to all the world's problems? Your attitude is the issue here."

"Alright then," Shen Qionglin didn't argue.

Wang Jixuan's Spiritual Sense scanned the surroundings. "You can study this body, but you need to help me take down the remaining A-Class Psionicists. And when you're done researching the Crystal Cores, you have to give them to me."

"I accept this fair exchange model."

Just then, his Flying Sword vibrated gently, circling Wang Jixuan a few times.

Shen Qionglin looked at the Flying Sword, and the bright eyes behind her helmet... sparkled.

However, she was smart enough not to pry.

Everything required building mutual trust first; only with trust could they share more information.

Wang Jixuan's Spiritual Sense swept across the entire area, just in time to see the Maid Group finishing off the third Pseudo S-Class Psionicist. Peony, who had already recovered her hands, was rushing over.

"Hurry and help them," Wang Jixuan urged Shen Qionglin. "Minimize our casualties. This is also a good opportunity for you to gain everyone's favor."

Shen Qionglin asked, "Don't you need me to help you? I can sense you're very weak right now."

"No need."

Wang Jixuan placed Black Shell on the ground and transmitted a message to Peony to come and move him. He specifically instructed Peony:

"Tell them not to disturb Instructor Shell. If the Talisman on his head falls off, call me immediately.

He'll wake up after a nap. Once I'm free, I'll help him resolve his troubles."

Peony quickly agreed from a distance.

Wang Jixuan looked at Shen Qionglin, now clad in her Armor. A thought flickered through his mind, a smile touched his lips, and he formed a hand seal. Shallow ripples appeared on the ground.

In front of Shen Qionglin, Wang Jixuan merged into the ground and vanished.

Genuine Earth Escape!

Shen Qionglin stood there for a few seconds, then turned and charged towards the nearby combat zone, cooperating with the Peak Maid Group to sweep the battlefield.

Daoist Wang, who had deliberately shown off his abilities, appeared in a corner on the first floor of the fortress.

He found a quiet area, sat down with a plop, and let out a soft sigh, a smile on his face.

He could defeat his enemies without using Demonic Cultivation!

His honor as a Righteous Path Cultivator had finally returned a little!

He swallowed a Blood Qi Pill, set up the Spirit Release Array, and quickly absorbed Spiritual Energy.

Black Shell's situation wasn't too dire.

While brain atrophy was indeed tricky, his soul was temporarily safe. Wang Jixuan had already nourished Black Shell's brain with Spiritual Energy.

This condition was different from the Stagnant Qi causing Cerebral Stagnation in Ling Tong and Deep Sea previously.

Black Shell's state was due to excessive drug use combined with his own organ aging, leading him to the brink of death.

Wang Jixuan had spoken lightly, but in reality, there were only two conventional ways to save Black Shell.

First, refine Black Shell directly into a treasure, turning his soul into a spiritual entity and allowing him to continue fighting in Black Shell's body.

Second, use pills.

A single Longevity Pill would allow Black Shell to naturally extend his lifespan, restore his brain health, and with the aid of Soul Solidification techniques, he could live for over a decade without issue.

Actually, there were third and fourth methods...

For instance, having a Crystal Core bear the soul, similar to Red Snake, and then loading that Crystal Core into this Mech body.

Those would be considered some Unorthodox Methods.

Wang Jixuan had no choice when his cultivation was low before, but now that he could solve the problem using normal methods, then...

He wanted to be a pure and innocent Righteous Path Cultivator, to avoid being held accountable by the Heavenly Realm after his Ascension.

Hmm, I should try to use these Unorthodox Methods as little as possible, but if it's absolutely necessary and the situation is urgent, the Ancestral Master probably won't blame me for using them a little.

Wang Jixuan discovered today that his understanding of Blade Beast Crystal Cores was still too limited.

The peculiar phenomenon displayed by Jin Gu Gang truly broadened his horizons.

After a moment of thought, he decided to take the second path. It was the more conventional approach and wouldn't cause him any psychological burden.

Wang Jixuan had seen Black Shell's memories.

This old instructor wasn't a good person in the traditional sense. He was a follower of Fu Jian, helping him eliminate many rivals. He had also killed other generals to seize power.

But...

Wang Jixuan found it difficult to pass judgment.

He was merely a passerby in the vast mortal world, and now he had become too deeply involved. While it was good to be able to act chivalrously, he also needed to figure out how to "leave without a trace after the deed is done."

Daoist Wang clearly remembered a story his Master had told him in his youth...

At that time, his Master had just reached Foundation Establishment and was traveling down the mountain when he encountered bandits blocking the road and committing violence. His Master intervened and saved an old couple and their family. Little did he know that one of the young men in the family would later become a great general of a nation.

When his Master encountered this general again, his own cultivation had already formed a Golden Core. With the backing of a major Sect, he was living a carefree life. He then witnessed the general order his subordinates to slaughter an entire city.

After recognizing the general, his Master was troubled for a long time.

His Master didn't know if his act of kindness back then was right or wrong. Or perhaps, good intentions themselves were neither right nor wrong, and cultivators should not get entangled in the karma of the mortal world.

Wang Jixuan shifted his thoughts to the choice he was currently facing.

The problem he encountered was entirely different from the one his Master had faced.

As long as Black Shell continued to live, he could protect more ordinary people. For this reason alone, Wang Jixuan could act to extend his life.

Other matters have little to do with this humble Daoist.

Having made up his mind to refine a Longevity Pill for Black Shell, Wang Jixuan looked up at the Flying Swords circling around him.

He took a Flying Sword, transformed it into a Sword Pellet, and retracted it into his palm, a hint of a pleased smile appearing on his lips.

This is what a Magic Tool should be!

The proper use of a Flying Sword was exactly as he had demonstrated before:

[Given enough Magic Power, a Flying Sword can unleash sufficient power. The higher the quality of the Flying Sword, the higher its power ceiling, and the less Magic Power is needed to achieve the same level of power.]

He was currently only in the Early Void Return Realm, not yet having reached the Core Formation Realm. His own Magic Power reserves were insufficient, and the Spiritual Energy in the air was scarce. Directly using a Flying Sword to deal with an S-Class Psionicist was still too much of a stretch.

But once his mind opened up...

A Flying Sword combined with the Water Control Art could deliver a Potent Anesthetic into the Psionicist's body;

A Flying Sword combined with a bit of pure Demonic Qi could corrupt the Psionicist's soul and drive them mad;

Then what if a Flying Sword was combined with a Nuclear Bomb?

Hiss!

He could entrust his mind to the Flying Sword, have it fly beyond his Spiritual Sense range, let the Flying Sword drag a Nuclear Bomb into the complex Underground Area, deploy the bomb, and then retreat.

There would be no need to worry about electromagnetic interference. The only trouble would be the Blade Beasts blocking the way.

The small figure of Daoist Wang's Primordial Soul slapped its forehead.

Brilliant!

When his cultivation is a bit higher and he can control his sword for a hundred miles, he can definitely try this!

Without external support, the ground defense forces of Fortress No. 76 quickly completed the encirclement and annihilation of this group of Beast God Faction Psionicists after Jin Gu Gang's death.

These Psionicists did not choose to flee but fought to the death.

They were very much like Blade Beasts.

After clearing out the last few Mimic Blade Beasts, the entire surface military camp fell silent at midnight.

Troops from the Outer Expansion Zone moved into the Main Camp to assist with rescue and battlefield cleanup operations.

Zhou Zhengde did not sleep at all that night.

He couldn't sleep.

He was not a regular combatant. After the war ended, Dongfang Zhenghong allowed him to come to the surface. He worked alongside the soldiers and Autonomous Mechs to rescue the wounded, clean up bodies, and hold a hasty funeral for the fallen before dawn.

After the alarm was lifted, Wei Na also arrived with medical personnel from Midtown to provide support.

At dawn, on the edge of the Sari Desert.

Zhou Zhengde stood with his hands in his pockets, his body covered in bloodstains, gazing at the neatly arranged rows of fallen soldiers' bodies.

The information for all the soldiers had been registered. The Fortress would not fail their families and relatives.

Such events had happened too many times in the Fortress era. No one knew if they would be the next one lying there. Zhou Zhengde had become somewhat numb to the word "death."

Flames were ignited, and accelerant burned fiercely.

Wei Na clasped her hands together in prayer.

"Who are you praying to?" Zhou Zhengde asked softly.

"No one, I'm an atheist. I'm just offering a blessing to the fallen heroes," Wei Na replied. "Has our border been breached? Why is there fighting here?"

"Some information I can't disclose to you. Well, it's also what I just got... a group of traitorous psionicists."

Zhou Zhengde watched the flickering flames.

"They call themselves the Beast God Faction. They treat the Twelve Pillars-class Blade Beasts as the Twelve Beast Gods, and they've been causing trouble on the border recently.

"After the Brain-Eating Worms were discovered, they broke away from the Psionic Capital's system and defected directly to the Blade Beasts.

"We eliminated about a tenth of their total numbers here, and about thirty percent of their elites.

"The Blade Beasts have also modified them, making them even more destructive."

"You really shouldn't be telling me this."

Wei Na tucked her hands into her white coat and said softly, "Don't get overly angry. You're already middle-aged. This is a fight to the death, a civilizational struggle. The civilization that survives in the end will be the victor."

"I know, I just..."

Zhou Zhengde sighed.

"It's just so stifling.

"They're destroying things wantonly, and we can only defend passively. They want to destroy, so they destroy.

"We're trying so hard to survive... Sorry, I don't even know what I'm rambling about.

"But if I can, I will spend my entire life making them pay. I will make them pay, I will..."

"Alright, stop moping. It only makes you feel powerless, like you can't change the situation."

Wei Na patted Zhou Zhengde's elbow with her right hand.

"You're just a captain, and you'll likely be a politician in the future. Whether the Blade Beasts can be defeated is a matter for human civilization as a whole. Just do your job.

"However, if you want to become a better captain, you need to forget that you're the Commander-in-Chief's grandson."

Zhou Zhengde said helplessly, "I'm trying my best to forget."

"You're not, really. You've always been thinking from that perspective, not as a captain of the Enforcement Team or the Security Team. That's why people always say you're immature."

Wei Na glanced at Shen Qionglin, who was walking towards them, and took in her figure.

Shen Qionglin had already taken off her armor. She had also participated in the rescue and treatment efforts, completing a few simple surgeries. At this moment, she was also watching the pre-dawn flames.

Wei Na said, "I won't disturb you... Your new girlfriend has a great figure, though she's not very tall."

"Uh, don't misunderstand. She's not my new girlfriend. She's a pretty formidable professor that Wang Zheng poached from the Psionic Capital."

"Wow, Wang Zheng's new girlfriend."

Zhou Zhengde's eyes lit up as he looked behind Wei Na. "Huh? Major Ling Tong is back?"

Wei Na's body instantly tensed. Her neck turned like a rusty hinge, and as she slowly looked back, she found only empty space behind her.

She kicked Zhou Zhengde hard and turned away.

Zhou Zhengde didn't dare to grin in such a setting; he had to maintain a solemn demeanor.

Shen Qionglin walked up to Zhou Zhengde with her hands in her pockets and said softly, "A very uninteresting way for a couple to interact."

Zhou Zhengde's mouth twitched. "You've hurt me three times with one sentence."

Shen Qionglin looked confused. "Three times? Ex-girlfriend? Uninteresting? That should only be two."

"She said that before, when we broke up."

"Oh, my apologies then."

"It's fine. Romance is just the most trivial matter in my life. I've decided to dedicate my life to the future of human civilization."

"I want to see Wang Zheng," Shen Qionglin said. "You should have received my medical report. You're Fu Jian's grandson? No wonder you're one of his best friends."

Zhou Zhengde immediately replied, "No, I'm just a captain in the local security team."

"Oh, then I'll ask someone else."

"You can ask me," Zhou Zhengde instantly dropped his pretense. "What do you want to ask? He should be resting right now."

Shen Qionglin asked strangely, "Doesn't he need to be here for the memorial service?"

"No," Zhou Zhengde said softly. "His value and contribution lie in preventing more people from ending up in these pre-dawn flames. He doesn't need to worry about formalities and procedures."

"Ask him how I can quickly gain his trust."

Shen Qionglin took out a data chip from her pocket and handed it to Zhou Zhengde.

"I've finished processing Jin Gu Gang's body. This contains the detailed autopsy report and general experimental report.

"I'd like to keep the Crystal Core from Jin Gu Gang's body for further research. It has some unique structures, and I'll need his approval for that.

"Also, does he still take students? I heard people call him Teacher Wang. If he does, what are the criteria?"

Zhou Zhengde frowned in thought.

He keenly sensed that Shen Qionglin was currently very interested in his good friend Wang Zheng.

It's just that Zhou Zhengde didn't quite understand what kind of interest it was.

Although he really wanted to gossip, no matter how he looked at it, Shen Qionglin seemed like she wanted to dissect Wang Zheng... She was also from the Psionic Capital, so he had to be wary of that...

Suddenly, Zhou Zhengde heard Wang Jixuan's telepathic message:

"At 8 AM, have Shen Qionglin come to the seventh floor. I'll show her around inside the fortress.

"She's a very capable researcher and will likely be useful to War Zone D5 in the future."

Zhou Zhengde immediately had an idea.

But he didn't directly agree to Shen Qionglin. At this moment, he showed the shrewdness of a politician and said to Shen Qionglin:

"Wait for my news later. You can go get some sleep. If Wang Zheng agrees, I'll notify you to come over."

"Oh."

Shen Qionglin responded without saying much.

The flames flickering around were reflected in her pupils. Her astonishing memory made her recall a list she had inadvertently glimpsed before.

She had never been to the front lines, and Iron Wall Fortress had always been stable. This was her first time experiencing the heavy casualties humans suffered against psionicists.

"Why burn the bodies at dawn..."

She murmured in confusion.

A short while later, on the seventh floor of the fortress, in Uncle Tai's studio.

Uncle Tai, along with two assistant associate professors and senior engineers, controlled engineering machinery to place a bronze cast furnace, as tall as a person, in a corner of the studio.

Wang Jixuan, who was organizing spiritual medicine nearby, narrowed his eyes slightly.

Treant Beta, with a swollen and painful scalp, was playing video games with Shaman, enjoying Wan Xiaoqi's equipment.

After the furnace explosion last time during alchemy, Wang Jixuan had summarized that the main issue was the crude furnace; it couldn't contain the pill's tier advancement phenomenon.

So this time, he directly brought out the top-tier furnace that could be made at this stage!

Besides refining a longevity pill for Black Shell, he also wanted to create some pills that could enhance the strength of the Half-Human Mechs. He planned to use Black Shell as a test subject.

Medicine meets Qi to form an image, the Dao resides in the void, harmonizing with nature.

Swallowing a spiritual pill, then one knows their fate is not dictated by heaven!

Open the furnace, refine the pills!

This time, he absolutely would not let the furnace explode!