Midnight, South Bank Fortress.
The military command center convened an emergency meeting.
"Sharp Blade Squad has been out of contact for an hour. All twenty-three Martial Artists in the squad have lost contact. We are still trying to reestablish communication from the vehicle."
Inside the conference room, an elderly man responsible for wilderness reconnaissance said, "Sharp Blade Squad has six Intermediate Battle Generals, four Junior Battle Generals, and thirteen High-level Warriors. What do you all think we should do?"
"Maintain contact efforts. Immediately dispatch forty armed helicopters loaded with armor-piercing rounds and conduct a radiating search outward from Sharp Blade Squad's mission location,
while mobilizing communications satellites to closely survey that area. Sharp Blade Squad must be found, dead or alive."
A deep, powerful voice, like clashing metal and stone, came from the center of the conference room.
The speaker was none other than Xu Yong of Shan City.
This middle-aged commander had sword-like brows, and his uniform was immaculate without a single crease. He stared straight ahead, radiating an air of iron and blood.
Simply sitting there, he gave off the imposing feeling of an immovable mountain.
Deputy Chief of General Staff of Great Xia's nine secret forces.
Beyond that, he was also Great Xia's eighth Intermediate War God, a peak powerhouse ranked within the top hundred of the War God Ranking.
"I agree!"
"Agreed!"
"I agree as well. Sharp Blade Squad is the elite of the Iron Dragon Army. We absolutely cannot abandon them lightly."
The moment War God Xu Yong spoke, everyone present unanimously agreed.
Over the past year or so, they had endured countless beast horde assaults because of their unity and their refusal to abandon one another.
Had they not upheld such beliefs, these shelter fortresses and cities would not have survived until now.
"Commander Xu, should we mobilize Rocket Projectiles and carpet-bomb that area?" a combat staff officer asked.
"No!"
Xu Yong rejected the suggestion outright. "Before we have any news of Sharp Blade Squad, no one is permitted to act recklessly."
"What if there is a beast horde gathered there? We could strike first—"
"There are no what-ifs! I said no one is allowed to attack!!"
Everyone: "..."
The conference room fell silent.
Everyone looked at the Intermediate War God powerhouse, knowing full well how domineering his temper was.
Not to mention that Sharp Blade Squad consisted of elite Martial Artists Xu Yong had personally trained.
Even if it had been any other squad of Martial Artists with their fate unknown, he would not have rashly ordered a bombardment.
"Then should we deploy reconnaissance aircraft and bombers carrying munitions for aerial scouting?"
"No need. Bring my personal aircraft here directly. We depart in an hour!" Xu Yong said coldly.
He looked at the combat screen before him, mentally preparing for the worst.
"No. That area has suspected Lord-level Monster activity. You cannot put yourself in danger," a staff officer tried to stop him.
Xu Yong frowned slightly. "Am I Shan City's highest commander, or are you?"
"..."
Seeing the atmosphere fall silent once more, Xu Yong said, "That Silver Moon Giant Wolf has only recently entered the Mid-tier Lord level. Its strength is far below mine,
as long as I remain wary of the surrounding beast hordes, I will be perfectly fine."
"Besides, that area is only a few hundred kilometers from Shelter No. 057. At my speed, I can get there quickly."
"Commander Xu, I'll go with you."
A crisp, forceful female voice rang out in the conference room.
Everyone raised their heads in unison. It was the female War God seated to Xu Yong's left.
Mu Bingyao, one of Great Xia's seventeen Primary War Gods.
Having been roused in the middle of the night, she had only had time to throw on a windbreaker. Beneath it was a thin, fitted white V-neck T-shirt that accentuated her already ample bust.
Her gaze swept across everyone present, and her full, rosy lips parted slightly. "With Commander Xu and me investigating together, what do you still have to worry about?"
Only after this female War God spoke did everyone finally breathe a sigh of relief.
"No, Bingyao, you need to stay behind and command the overall situation at all times!" Xu Yong shook his head, rejecting Mu Bingyao's suggestion.
"There will be no danger if I head into the Wilderness Area alone. Besides, several main regiments under our nine secret forces are stationed there. If we cannot advance, we can fall back and defend."
"Fine, then I won't force the issue!"
A faint smile rose on Mu Bingyao's lips. Her voice was clear yet not delicate,
carrying a trace of softness amid its pleasant tone. It sounded full and powerful, every word sharply articulated, giving the impression of abundant energy.
"Since no one has any objections, let me lay out a few points."
"First, before I leave, every shelter and fortress in Shan City will enter a state of alert."
The middle-aged man rose to his feet and spoke word by word.
"Commander Xu, I request that all reconnaissance units under my Dark Eagle Army be deployed," said a middle-aged officer. As the Dark Eagle Army's Deputy Army Commander, he naturally bore that responsibility.
"No. Your reconnaissance forces will continue monitoring beast horde activity within three hundred kilometers of Shan City and provide real-time intelligence for the Martial Artists."
Xu Yong looked at the Deputy Army Commander and said earnestly, "Your intelligence is critical. There must be no negligence."
"Understood!" the Deputy Army Commander nodded.
Seeing that no one had anything else to say, Xu Yong began issuing orders.
"As the vanguard of our military district, Sharp Blade Squad is followed by the Iron Dragon Army's War Dragon Regiment, the Blood Wolf Army's Owl Wolf Regiment, and six armored regiments under the Dark Eagle Army,
these eight reinforced regiments are crucial to whether we can establish a defensive line deep in the Wilderness Area and successfully relieve pressure on Shan City and the surrounding fortresses. There can be absolutely no negligence."
"Immediately contact every Martial Artist from the Longblade, White Leaf, Azure Wolf, Dragon Claw, and Dragon Breath squads that entered the Wilderness Area alongside Sharp Blade Squad. Temporarily abandon all reconnaissance and search missions, withdraw and join the follow-up forces, establish a defensive line on the spot, and await further orders!"
"Finally, steel roadblocks and high-voltage power grids must be erected in front of the positions. Special steel anti-vehicle barricades and trenches... must also be deployed one by one."
"The Rocket Force, Army Aviation Regiment, logistics, medical units... all personnel must take their positions and be ready for a major battle at any moment..."
"..."
In the silent hall, only Xu Yong's voice could be heard.
Along with the scratching of pens across paper.
As Xu Yong spoke, the intelligence staff officer seated behind him rapidly wrote everything down.
The others listened with unwavering concentration.
Because every order concerned Shan City's safety.
There was no room for the slightest mistake.
"That is all for now."
"Yes!" The staff officers immediately accepted their orders and withdrew.
A heavy silence filled the hall.
Everyone stared fixedly at Xu Yong without saying a word.
"Now that we have finished discussing Sharp Blade Squad, let us move on to other important matters!"
Swish!
At those words, every attendee raised their heads and stared directly at Xu Yong.
"Tong Wei, you go first."
Under Xu Yong's gaze, Director Qi of the Shan City Intelligence Office stood up.
He held a black folder in his hand, filled with the latest intelligence—
"According to reports, traces of Lord Monsters have been discovered in the mountains along the border between Shan City and E Province. It is not limited to that location. There have also been signs of Lord-level Monsters appearing where Shan City borders Chuan, Yun, and Guizhou..."
"Dragon King, deputy commander of the Night Mercenary Group, and Strategist Chen Xuan are leading one hundred and six War Generals through the Wilderness Area to clear out monsters. They will arrive at South Bank Fortress in the coming days..."
"In addition, Ma Qingfeng, the High-level War God and commander of the Capital Garrison Force, is communicating with Great Xia's eight military districts. He is preparing to gather forces for the second Magic City Counterattack, seemingly to prepare for the establishment of future base cities..."
"..."
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