Huai Mie, Huai Kong

Jiang Xiaoyu was exceptionally gifted and brilliant. The Five Absolute Divine Arts were a perfect fit for him. He had been sensible from a young age, knowing that everything else was fleeting, and only martial arts could be his reliance. Therefore, he trained with extraordinary diligence, and in the end, his hard work paid off. His martial arts skills were a blend of the best from various families.

"Be careful!" Jiang Xiaoyu called out softly and lunged at Huai Mie.

Huai Mie twisted his body and brought his palms up, chopping down.

Unexpectedly, Jiang Xiaoyu had anticipated this. He slightly curled his fingers, channeling his internal energy into them. A beam of energy condensed at his fingertips, slicing towards Huai Mie's wrist like a blade.

Huai Mie combined his Left Empty Yuan Hand and Right Broken Yuan Hand, attacking and defending simultaneously. Not only did he block Jiang Xiaoyu's moves, but he also subtly gained the upper hand.

However, Jiang Xiaoyu's lunge contained three hidden follow-up changes, each one surprising. The strangeness of his moves was truly unmatched in the world.

With no other recourse, Huai Mie rolled on the ground like a monkey, covering a distance of two zhang. This evasive maneuver was not a conventional martial art but something he had improvised on the spot.

Unexpectedly, Jiang Xiaoyu spun his body and suddenly began circling Huai Mie.

In an instant, Huai Mie felt like Jiang Xiaoyu's figure was everywhere—front, back, left, and right. It was even more formidable than the renowned Eight Trigram Body-Moving Palm.

This was the core of the Five Absolute Divine Arts: the "Attack," "Defense," "Illusion," "Metal," and "Heart" absolutes, specifically the Absolute Offense and Absolute Illusion!

The Absolute Offense was for attacking, making every strike irresistible. The Absolute Illusion was a movement technique, making one's form as elusive as a ghost.

Huai Mie felt as if he were facing a great enemy, not daring to relax for a moment. He employed his Empty Yuan Hand and Broken Yuan Hand to their fullest, seven parts defense and three parts offense, barely maintaining a stalemate.

In the blink of an eye, they had exchanged over thirty moves within the confined space of the Armory Tower. Their energy was contained, minimizing any noise, yet they were still discovered.

The newcomer was no older than seventeen or eighteen, tall and well-built, with hair as black as ink, eyebrows like flying swords, and a nose carved like a knife. His eyes, imbued with the essence of heaven and earth, were devoid of any impurities, clear yet unfathomably deep. His skin was as lustrous as jade, a stark contrast to his forged attire.

"Big Brother!" the newcomer shouted, his right hand glowing with a strange metallic sheen. He brought down a palm strike, and a fierce heat instantly enveloped Jiang Xiaoyu.

This was the Iron Refining Hand, one of the ten arduous and unique martial arts of the jianghu!

The Iron Refining Hand was divided into five moves: Earth Shattering Mad Thunder, Fire Controlling Sky Devourer, Water Extinguishing Void Flame, Wood Severing Dry Gang, and Metal Transforming Yuan Art. Each level progressed sequentially. The newcomer was using the first move, Earth Shattering Mad Thunder.

Jiang Xiaoyu remained calm in the face of danger. He used his Left Absolute Defense to block all the incoming attacks. In an instant, he switched between offense and defense with both hands, attacking and defending simultaneously. Without offense or defense, he repelled the newcomer.

"Stop, little brother, we were just sparring!"

"That's enough, Little Fish!"

Both Huai Mie and Qin Shuang called out to stop them. Huai Mie's fight with Jiang Xiaoyu could no longer continue.

Qin Shuang looked at the newcomer and asked Huai Mie, "Is he your brother?"

Huai Mie nodded but remained silent, a hint of regret on his face. He had intended to combine his Broken Yuan Hand and Empty Yuan Hand, along with his own insights, to create a new ultimate skill, the Primordial Seven Strikes. However, due to the confined space of the Armory Tower, he hadn't dared to unleash it. Falling at a disadvantage in this battle left him somewhat unwilling.

"Brother Huai Mie, there's no need for regret. There will be plenty of opportunities for us to spar in the future. My squad still has openings, and if your brother is willing, he can join us too!" Qin Shuang understood Huai Mie's feelings and spoke words that brought him solace.

Huai Mie was overjoyed. Not only had he found a path forward for himself, but he could also explore the Yu Unit (Camp) Divine Department and bring his brother along. "Thank you, Squad Leader. My brother's name is Huai Kong, and he's also a member of the Iron Department."

"Good, I've noted it. When the transfer orders come through, you can bring my saber with you."

"Understood."

Jiang Xiaoyu stepped forward and patted Huai Mie's shoulder. "Brother Huai, fighting you has helped me resolve many martial arts doubts I had. I've benefited greatly. Let's spar more often in the future and improve together."

"Haha, alright, Brother Jiang. Next time, we'll fight in the training grounds, and I'll let you experience my Primordial Seven Strikes." Huai Mie was in high spirits and responded with a hearty laugh.

Huai Kong stood aside, vaguely guessing what had happened. He knew that after his elder brother had mastered his martial arts, he had been eager to explore other departments of the Dragon Guard. Now that his wish had come true, Huai Kong was happy for him.

Leaving the Flood Unit (Camp) Iron Department, Qin Shuang felt relaxed, even though he hadn't received his saber as planned. With Jiang Xiaoyu, Ding Ning, Xiao Gao, Cheng Lingsu, Guo Jing, Yang Kang, Kou Zhong, Xu Ziling, Heng Feijing, Huai Mie, and Huai Kong, there were exactly eleven people. His squad was successfully assembled—a core force he could rely on for future missions and battles.

The position of Section Leader required someone who was already a Squad Leader. Among the eleven, only Ding Ning met this requirement. Qin Shuang had initially intended for Jiang Xiaoyu and Cheng Lingsu to be Squad Leaders. However, Cheng Lingsu had clearly refused. Among the remaining individuals, Gao Jian Fei had the closest relationship with Qin Shuang. But Xiao Gao's impatient nature and tendency to act on impulse made him less suitable for leading a team alone. Therefore, among the rest, Yang Kang, who was both intelligent and brave, was undoubtedly the most suitable candidate.

The confirmed roster for the first squad was: Section Leader Ding Ning; Squad Leader Jiang Xiaoyu, with members Kou Zhong, Xu Ziling, Huai Mie, and Huai Kong; Squad Leader Yang Kang, with members Guo Jing, Cheng Lingsu, Gao Jian Fei, and Heng Feijing.

The Fire Division of the Mysterious Unit (Camp) worked more efficiently than expected. On the morning of the third day, Yang Yuncong summoned Qin Shuang, who was still resting at home, to the Dragon Guard Yamen.

"This is your appointment letter as a Dragon Guard Squad Leader. You can collect your new token and equipment from the Flood Unit (Camp) later," Yang Yuncong said, then handed Qin Shuang four stacks of paper. "These are the personnel lists and profiles for the other four squads. Take a look, and if you have any issues, you can raise them now."

Qin Shuang picked up the first stack of paper. Section Leader Mu Wan Qing, Squad Leader Li Wenxiu, with members Zhong Ling, Mei Jiangxue, Chen Xuanshuang, and Fang Zhaonan; Squad Leader Mo Wen, with members Jing Lei, Cheng Feng, Beitang Zilong, and Situ Shuiling.

Out of the eleven members in this squad, eight were women!

It wasn't that Qin Shuang had any prejudice against women; after all, he had personally invited Cheng Lingsu. However, when he saw that the Section Leader was his senior sister, Mu Wan Qing, he knew that this entire squad had been arranged by his mother, Qin Hongmian.

Mo Wen was twenty, Li Wenxiu and Beitang Zilong were nineteen, Mu Wan Qing and Situ Shuiling were eighteen, Mei Jiangxue and Chen Xuanshuang were seventeen, and Zhong Ling was sixteen. Qin Shuang wanted to ask his mother why she had arranged so many young women. Had she arranged all the young women from the Star Department of the Cosmos Unit (Camp) of the Dragon Guard?

Of course, Qin Shuang didn't dare to object to his mother's arrangements. He would go home and ask her for clarification later.