A Brand-New Journey

As night deepened, roaring campfires sprang to life throughout the Vanguard Camp. The soldiers sat around them, wiping down their weapons and tending their wounds. Though fatigue showed on their faces, they could not hide their joy after the victory. The air was filled with the aroma of roasting meat—the flesh of the alien beasts they had captured.

Fang Yan sat before his tent, watching the lively scene before him, yet his heart felt heavy. They had won the battle, but the price had been too high. Hundreds of soldiers had departed this world forever, their faces seeming to linger before his eyes. He took out a jug of wine, poured a cup, and spilled it onto the ground. "Brothers, rest in peace. I will lead everyone to fulfill our mission."

Zhao Hu and Li Gang walked over. Seeing Fang Yan's expression, they fell silent as well. Zhao Hu patted him on the shoulder. "Commander, don't blame yourself too much. War always comes at a price. Winning this battle was no easy feat."

Li Gang nodded too. "That's right, Commander. Not only have we driven back the alien army, but you've also broken through to the Martial King Third Layer and unlocked a new function. For us, these are all tremendous pieces of good news."

Fang Yan drew a deep breath, suppressing the emotions in his heart, and nodded. "You're right. This isn't the time for grief. We still have more important things to do. Though the alien army has been driven back, they certainly won't let the matter rest. We must recover our strength as quickly as possible and prepare for the next battle."

"Yes!" Zhao Hu and Li Gang answered in unison.

Fang Yan rose and looked at the soldiers around the campfires. "Pass down the order. Get a good rest tonight. At first light tomorrow, we'll break camp and set out to continue investigating the aliens' movements."

"Yes!"

Early the next morning, the Vanguard Camp broke camp and set out. After the great battle the previous day, the soldiers' morale had risen even higher, because they knew they were being led by a powerful commander. Fang Yan, meanwhile, studied the system's newly unlocked "Martial Skill Fusion" function as he marched.

He opened the system panel and checked the requirements for fusing martial skills. Fusing two martial skills required Experience Points, and the skills had to be of the same type—for example, both spear techniques or both fist techniques. At present, he knew the Prairie Fire Spear Technique for spears, and the Great Desolation Prison Heaven Finger and Five Finger Fist Heart Sword for fists.

"I'll try fusing the fist techniques first." Fang Yan made up his mind. He selected the Great Desolation Prison Heaven Finger and Five Finger Fist Heart Sword, then clicked the fusion button.

[Ping! Consume Experience Points to fuse Great Desolation Prison Heaven Finger and Five Finger Fist Heart Sword?]

"Yes!"

[Ping! Fusion commencing. Estimated time: 10 minutes.]

As the Experience Points were deducted, Fang Yan felt the power of the two martial skills intertwining and fusing within his body. A new power was gestating. Ten minutes later, the system's voice rang out again.

[Ping! Martial Skill fusion successful. Obtained new martial skill: Prison Heaven Sword Finger.]

Fang Yan immediately inspected the attributes of the Prison Heaven Sword Finger.

Prison Heaven Sword Finger: High-grade Earth-tier Martial Skill. Fuses finger force and Sword Qi into one, possessing boundless might. It can shoot sword-fingers through the air with astonishing penetrating power and can also imprison an enemy's movements. Proficiency: 0/.

"Wonderful! A High-grade Earth-tier Martial Skill!" Fang Yan was overjoyed. The might of the Prison Heaven Sword Finger was several times greater than that of the Great Desolation Prison Heaven Finger and Five Finger Fist Heart Sword used separately.

He could hardly wait to test the power of his new martial skill. Finding an open stretch of ground, he circulated his true qi and gathered it at his fingertips. With a flick of his finger, a sharp sword-finger shot out and struck a huge boulder in the distance.

"Boom!" The boulder was instantly blasted to pieces, leaving a bottomless pit in the ground. Moreover, the moment the sword-finger was released, the surrounding space seemed to freeze for an instant.

"It's too powerful!" Zhao Hu and Li Gang happened to be passing by. They could not help praising it when they saw the sight.

Fang Yan smiled. "This is the martial skill I just fused. It's called the Prison Heaven Sword Finger. With it, we'll have another sharp weapon against the aliens."

Just then, a scout came running over in a panic. "Commander! This is bad! We've discovered an alien city ahead!"

Fang Yan's heart sank. "An alien city? Take me there!"

He followed the scout to a highland and looked ahead. On the distant plain stood a gigantic city. Its walls were built from black boulders, rising dozens of zhang into the air and covered in savage bone spikes. Several alien soldiers stood at the gates, weapons in hand, warily watching their surroundings.

"It seems this is an important stronghold of the aliens." Fang Yan's voice turned solemn. He could sense many powerful auras within the city, including no shortage of experts at the mid and late stages of the Profound Connection Realm.

Zhao Hu furrowed his brow. "Commander, that city looks heavily defended. If we attack head-on, I'm afraid we'll pay a heavy price."

Li Gang nodded as well. "That's right, Commander. Besides, we don't know how many alien soldiers are inside. Attacking blindly would be too dangerous."

Fang Yan pondered for a moment before speaking. "Let's not alert the enemy yet. Zhao Hu, take a unit around to the rear of the city and investigate the situation. Li Gang, take a unit and hide around the city to monitor the aliens' movements. I'll lead the remaining men and stand by here. Report immediately if anything happens."

"Yes!" Zhao Hu and Li Gang accepted their orders and departed.

Fang Yan gazed at the distant alien city, a trace of coldness flashing through his eyes. He knew an even greater battle was about to begin. But this time, he had the Prison Heaven Sword Finger, along with the strength of the Martial King Third Layer. He was confident he could defeat the enemy.

"System, this time, we'll definitely win." He silently murmured it in his heart.

Just then, he sensed a powerful aura coming from within the city, as if someone had discovered them. His heart jolted, and he immediately ordered, "All troops, prepare for battle!"

The soldiers swiftly formed ranks, weapons in hand, standing ready for battle.

The gates of the alien city slowly opened, and a squad of alien soldiers charged out. At their head was an alien commander at the late stage of the Profound Connection Realm. He looked at Fang Yan and the others, his eyes brimming with killing intent. "Humans, you actually dared spy on our city. None of you will leave alive today!"

Fang Yan let out a cold laugh, finger force gathering in his hand. "Then come and see!"

A new great battle erupted once more.