Dawn Fireworks [Requesting Guaranteed Monthly Votes]

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

It was fine. Nothing serious.

Black Shell merely had brain atrophy, and the few remaining "components" in his body were on the verge of collapse.

Wang Jixuan had thought he would need to notify Ling Tong and have her prepare a memorial service later for her biological grandfather.

Since he had previously considered how to extend Commander Fu Jian's lifespan, Wang Jixuan had long been prepared for this sort of situation.

He pulled out a blank talisman paper, bit his fingertip, squeezed out some blood, drew a talisman onto the paper, and stuck it to the top of Black Shell's head.

Black Shell's labored breathing immediately became much smoother.

Just a few soul-stabilizing methods.

Wang Jixuan looked up at Shen Qionglin. She had already opened the front visor of her helmet and was carefully observing Black Shell.

"A very elderly Half-Human Mech," Shen Qionglin analyzed simply. "His organs likely failed due to drug stimulation. He might be beyond saving."

"How is he beyond saving?"

Wang Jixuan solemnly made something up:

"Young lady, you've only picked up a little of a Spiritual Practitioner's skills, and you already think you know the answers to every problem in this world? That attitude of yours is the problem."

"All right," Shen Qionglin said, not arguing back.

Wang Jixuan swept the area with his spiritual sense. "You can have this corpse for your research, but you have to help kill the remaining A-Class Psionicists. Once you're done researching the crystal cores, give them to me."

"I accept this fair exchange."

Just then, the flying sword gave a soft hum and circled Wang Jixuan a few times.

Shen Qionglin stared at the flying sword. Behind her helmet, those bright eyes of hers... were practically glowing.

Still, she wisely chose not to ask anything.

Everything had to begin with building mutual trust. Only with mutual trust could they share more information with each other.

Wang Jixuan swept the battlefield with his spiritual sense and happened to see the Maid Group finish off the third Pseudo S-Class Psionicist. Peony, who had regained both hands, was already rushing this way.

"Go help them," Wang Jixuan urged Shen Qionglin. "Try to reduce our casualties. This is also a good chance for you to earn everyone's goodwill."

Shen Qionglin asked, "Do you need me to help you up? I can sense that you're very weak right now."

"No."

Wang Jixuan placed Black Shell on the ground and sent a message to Peony, telling her to come carry Black Shell away. He specifically instructed her:

"Tell them not to move Instructor Shell around carelessly. If the talisman on his head falls off, call me immediately.

"He'll wake up after some sleep. Once I have time to spare, I'll help him deal with his problem."

Peony quickly agreed from afar.

Watching Shen Qionglin put on her armor, Wang Jixuan had a sudden thought. A faint smile appeared on his lips as his hands formed a hand seal, and shallow ripples spread across the ground.

Right before Shen Qionglin's eyes, Wang Jixuan merged into the earth and vanished.

The genuine Earth Escape!

Shen Qionglin stood there without moving for several seconds. Then she turned and rushed toward a nearby combat zone, joining the Peak Maid Group in sweeping through the battlefield.

Daoist Wang, who had deliberately shown off his methods, appeared in a corner of the fortress's first level.

He found a quiet spot, plopped down, and let out a soft breath before smiling.

He had defeated enemies without using demonic arts!

The pride of being a Righteous Path Cultivator had finally returned, if only a little!

He swallowed a Blood Qi Pill, set up a Spirit Release Array, and rapidly absorbed spiritual energy.

There was no major problem on Black Shell's side.

Although the brain atrophy was indeed somewhat troublesome, his soul was temporarily unharmed. Wang Jixuan had already nourished Black Shell's brain with spiritual energy.

This condition was different from the Stagnant Qi caused by the cerebral stagnation Ling Tong and Deep Sea had suffered before.

Black Shell's condition had resulted from excessive drug use combined with the aging of his own organs, leaving him on the verge of death.

Wang Jixuan had made it sound easy, but there were actually only two conventional methods that could save Black Shell.

First, Black Shell could be directly refined as a treasure, allowing his soul to become a spirit body and continue fighting using Black Shell's body.

Second, medicine.

A single Longevity Pill would be enough to extend Black Shell's life normally, restore his brain to health, and, with some soul-stabilizing techniques, let him live for another decade or so without issue.

There were actually third and fourth methods as well...

For example, his soul could be carried by a crystal core, like Red Snake's, and then the crystal core could be installed into this mech body.

That would fall under some Unorthodox Methods.

Wang Jixuan had had no choice when his cultivation was low, but now that problems could be solved through normal methods...

He wanted to be a clean and upright Righteous Path Cultivator, lest he be held accountable by the Heavenly Realm after ascending in the future.

Mm, I should use these Unorthodox Methods as little as possible. But if there's truly no other choice and the situation is urgent, using them a little probably won't make the patriarchs blame me.

Wang Jixuan discovered once again today that he still knew far too little about Blade Beast Crystal Cores.

The unusual traits Jin Gu Gang had displayed had truly opened his eyes.

After giving it some thought, he decided to take the second path. It was proper and conventional, without any psychological burden.

Wang Jixuan had seen Black Shell's memories.

The old instructor was not a good person in the traditional sense. He was Fu Jian's follower, had helped Fu Jian eliminate many opponents, and had even killed other generals in the struggle for power.

But...

Wang Jixuan truly found it hard to judge.

He was merely a passerby in this mortal world, though he had now become involved far too deeply. It was naturally good to uphold justice, but he also had to consider how to leave when everything was over.

Daoist Wang clearly remembered that when he was young, his master had once told him a story...

At the time, his master had just established his foundation and descended the mountain to gain experience. He encountered bandits blocking the road and committing murder, so he rescued an entire family. Unexpectedly, one of the boys later became a great general of a nation.

When his master encountered that boy again, he had already formed his golden core, had the backing of a great sect, and was living freely between heaven and earth. Yet he saw that general order his Subordinate General to raise his blade and slaughter an entire city.

After recognizing the general, his master was troubled by it for a long time.

His master did not know whether his good deed back then had been right or wrong. Or perhaps good intentions themselves had no right or wrong, and cultivators simply should not become entangled in the karma of the mortal world.

Wang Jixuan then turned to look at the choice he currently faced.

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

As long as Black Shell continued living, he could protect more ordinary people. That alone was enough reason for Wang Jixuan to extend his life.

The rest has little to do with this poor Daoist.

Having made up his mind to refine pills to extend Black Shell's life, Wang Jixuan raised his head and looked at the flying sword circling around him.

He caught the flying sword, had it transform into a Sword Pellet, and returned it to his palm. A pleased smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.

Now this was what a magical artifact was supposed to be!

The proper way to use a flying sword was what he had demonstrated earlier:

[Give it enough mana, and the flying sword can unleash enough power. The higher the quality of the flying sword, the higher its maximum power, and the less mana it requires to unleash the same level of power.]

He was only in the Early Void Return Realm and had yet to reach the Core Formation Realm. His total mana was insufficient, while the spiritual energy in the air was too sparse. Using a flying sword to directly deal with an S-Class Psionicist was still too difficult.

But once his train of thought opened up...

A flying sword combined with the Water Control Art could deliver Potent Anesthetic into a Psionicist's body.

A flying sword combined with a little pure demonic qi could contaminate a Psionicist's soul and drive them mad.

So what if... he combined a flying sword with a nuclear bomb?

Hiss!

He could attach his mind to the flying sword and send it beyond the range of his spiritual sense, letting it drag a nuclear bomb into complex underground regions, deploy the bomb, then retreat.

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

The tiny figure of Daoist Wang's primordial soul slapped his forehead.

Brilliant!

Once his cultivation improved a little more and he could control a sword from a hundred miles away, he could absolutely give it a try!

Without any outside support, the surface garrison of Fortress No. 76 quickly completed the encirclement and suppression of this group of Beast God Faction Psionicists after Jin Gu Gang's death.

Those Psionicists did not choose to flee. They fought to the death.

They were very much like Blade Beasts.

After the last few Mimic Blade Beasts were cleared out, the entire Surface Camp fell silent at midnight.

Forces from the Outer Expansion Zone entered the Main Camp and assisted with rescue efforts and battlefield cleanup.

Zhou Zhengde did not sleep at all that night.

He could not sleep.

He was not officially registered as combat personnel. Only after the battle ended did Dongfang Zhenghong allow him to come to the surface, where he joined the soldiers and Autonomous Mechs in treating the wounded, gathering the bodies, and holding a hurried funeral for the fallen before dawn.

After the alarm was lifted, Wei Na also brought medical personnel from Middle City to provide support.

At dawn, on the edge of the Sari Desert.

With both hands in his pockets and bloodstains all over his body, Zhou Zhengde watched the rows of neatly arranged soldiers' corpses.

The soldiers' information had all been registered. The fortress would not mistreat their families and relatives.

This sort of thing had happened far too many times in the Fortress Era. No one knew whether they would be the next person lying there. Zhou Zhengde had become somewhat numb to the word death.

The flames were lit, and the accelerant burned fiercely.

Wei Na clasped her fingers together in a prayerful gesture.

Zhou Zhengde asked quietly, "Who are you praying to?"

"No one. I'm an atheist. I'm simply blessing the heroes who died in battle," Wei Na asked. "Was our border breached? Why was there fighting here?"

"Some information that can't be disclosed to you. All right, I only just received this news too... They were a group of human traitor Psionicists."

Zhou Zhengde watched the dancing flames.

"They call themselves the Beast God Faction. They treat the twelve Pillar-class Blade Beasts as the Twelve Beast Gods. They're the ones who have recently been causing trouble at the border.

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

"This time, we eliminated roughly one-tenth of their total numbers here and wiped out around thirty percent of their elite forces.

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

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

Wei Na placed her hands in the pockets of her white coat and spoke softly:

"Don't carry unnecessary anger. You're already middle-aged. This is a fight to the death, a struggle between civilizations. The civilization that survives to the end is the victor."

"I know. It's just..."

Zhou Zhengde sighed.

"I feel too stifled.

"They destroy things however they please, while we can only defend passively. They want to destroy, and so they destroy.

"We've already worked so hard just to survive... Sorry, I don't even know what I'm saying.

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

"All right, stop muttering. It only makes you sound powerless to change the situation."

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

"You're only a captain. In the future, you'll most likely become a politician. Whether Blade Beasts can be defeated is a matter for Human Civilization as a whole. You only need to do your own job well.

"But if you want to become a better captain, you need to forget that you're the Grandson of the Commander-in-Chief."

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

"Actually, you aren't. You've always been thinking about problems from that identity, rather than as the captain of the Enforcement Team or the Security Team. That's why people keep saying you're immature."

Wei Na glanced at Shen Qionglin, who was walking over, and gave Shen Qionglin's figure a few appraising looks.

Shen Qionglin had already removed her armor. She had also participated in rescue and treatment efforts afterward, completing several simple surgeries. At this moment, she too was watching the flames before dawn.

Wei Na said, "I won't disturb you... Your new girlfriend has a pretty good figure. She's just a little short."

"Uh, don't misunderstand. She isn't my new girlfriend. She's a rather impressive professor Wang Zheng recruited from the Psionic Capital."

"Wow, Wang Zheng's new girlfriend."

Zhou Zhengde's eyes suddenly lit up as he looked behind Wei Na. "Hm? When did Major Ling Tong get back?"

Wei Na's body instantly tensed. Her neck turned bit by bit like a rusted bearing, only for her to find nothing behind her.

She viciously kicked Zhou Zhengde, then turned and walked away.

Even in this setting, Zhou Zhengde did not dare bare his teeth in pain. He had to remain solemn right now.

Shen Qionglin walked over to Zhou Zhengde with her hands in her pockets and said quietly, "That is a very boring relationship dynamic."

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

Shen Qionglin asked in confusion, "Three times? Ex-girlfriend? Boring? That should only be twice."

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

"Oh. Then sorry."

"It's fine. Romance is the most insignificant thing in my life. I've already decided to devote my life to the future of Human Civilization."

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

Zhou Zhengde immediately said, "No, I'm only the captain of the local Security Team."

"Oh. Then I'll ask someone else."

"You can ask me too," Zhou Zhengde immediately abandoned his restraint. "What do you want to ask? He should be resting right now."

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

"No," Zhou Zhengde said softly. "He can prevent more people from lying among these flames before dawn. That is his value and contribution. He doesn't need to care about these forms and procedures."

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

Shen Qionglin took out a Data Device from her pocket and handed it to Zhou Zhengde.

"I finished processing Jin Gu Gang's corpse. This contains a detailed autopsy report and a general experimental report.

"I want to keep the crystal core in Jin Gu Gang's body for further research. There are some special structures inside it, and I need his approval.

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

Zhou Zhengde frowned in thought.

He keenly sensed that Shen Qionglin was now very interested in his best buddy, Wang Zheng.

It was just that Zhou Zhengde did not quite understand what aspect this interest lay in.

Though he really wanted to gossip about it, no matter how he looked at it, Shen Qionglin seemed like she wanted to dissect Wang Zheng... And she had come from the Psionic Capital, so he had to be on guard...

Suddenly, Zhou Zhengde heard Wang Jixuan's voice transmission:

"At eight in the morning, have Shen Qionglin come to the Seventh Floor. I'll show her around the fortress.

"She's a highly capable researcher. She'll most likely be useful to War Zone D5 in the future."

Zhou Zhengde immediately got an idea.

But he did not agree to Shen Qionglin directly. At that moment, he displayed a politician's shrewdness and told her:

"Wait for my news. You can go get some sleep. Once Wang Zheng gives permission, I'll notify you to come over."

"Oh."

Shen Qionglin answered softly and said nothing more.

The flames dancing endlessly here reflected in her pupils, and her astonishing memory brought to mind a list she had happened to glimpse earlier.

She had never been to the front lines before, and Iron Wall Fortress had always been stable. This was also her first time encountering the heavy human casualties caused by Psionicists.

"Why burn the corpses at dawn...?"

She murmured in confusion.

Not long after, Uncle Tai's workshop on the Seventh Floor of the Fortress.

Uncle Tai, along with two assistant associate professors and a Senior Engineer, operated construction machinery to place a man-height Bronze Cast Large Furnace in the corner of the workshop.

Wang Jixuan, who was sorting Spiritual Medicine nearby, narrowed his eyes slightly.

Treant Beta, whose scalp was swollen and aching, was playing video games with Shaman, thoroughly enjoying Wan Xiaoqi's equipment.

After the previous Furnace Explosion during pill refinement, Wang Jixuan had summed it up: the furnace had been too crude. The pills had undergone a Tier Advancement Phenomenon, and the furnace could not contain them.

So this time, he was going straight for the best large furnace they could make at this stage!

Besides refining a Longevity Pill for Black Shell, he also wanted to make some pills that could help the Half-Human Mech increase its strength. Black Shell would be the perfect test subject.

Medicine meets Qi to form an image; the Dao dwells in emptiness and accords with nature.

Swallowing a spiritual pill, one finally knows that fate is not dictated by Heaven!

Open the furnace. Refine the pills!

This time, there was no way he would cause another Furnace Explosion!