"This was arranged by the Command Center. I didn't know about it either."
"There's actually something you don't know?"
Lu Feng looked surprised.
Luo Lin might not know, but he could guess.
In the battle on the Sudali Plain, the eight legions from Tianlan Star had acted as bait, luring the Purple-eyed Earth-drilling Bull Lord out and drawing attacks from hundreds of thousands of Drill Bulls.
In the end, the 116th Legion of Jinzhou had been almost completely wiped out.
More than ninety percent of the 121st Legion from Tongzhou had been killed or wounded.
After paying such a heavy price, all they had received was an extra ten Star Source Stones each.
Clearly, the higher-ups had made this arrangement well in advance.
The only regiment commander from Tianlan Star who had joined the expedition, Zhang Zechuan, must have received even greater benefits.
How could those mighty figures, sitting high above them all, care about the casualties among the soldiers?
Lu Feng could only be grateful that he had survived two grave crises.
But he wouldn't remain cannon fodder for those powerful people forever.
He looked at the Star Source Stone in his hand. It was smaller than a pigeon's egg, yet contained vast amounts of Cosmic Energy. Closing his eyes, he began absorbing it with all his might.
The energy surged into his body and coursed through his meridians. Soon, the first Star Source Stone was completely drained.
Lu Feng took out a second one and continued absorbing it.
Then a third, a fourth...
As the energy accumulated, it filled his meridians before finally flowing into his Dantian, where it continued to build.
"Almost there!"
He could clearly feel an Innate Qi Sea about to form in his Dantian.
When he had used up the sixth Star Source Stone, a Qi Sea about one square meter in size finally took shape.
Lu Feng officially entered the Fourth Realm of Warriors: the Innate Realm!
The energy he absorbed afterward began turning into True Qi. It churned and surged through the Qi Sea, slowly expanding it.
But the process consumed vast amounts of Cosmic Energy, so progress was extremely slow.
A few days later, after all one hundred and ten Star Source Stones had been used up, the Qi Sea inside Lu Feng had expanded to the size of a pond, and his cultivation had stabilized at the third level of the Innate Realm.
He pushed open the door to his Living Quarters and found quite a few soldiers in the 115th Legion's quarters, already done cultivating and moving about.
After using up their Star Source Stones, everyone had improved their Martial Realm.
Those with the least talent had broken through one minor level, while the gifted had advanced by as many as three or four.
This was exactly why Warriors flocked to join Expedition Missions.
Although the risks were immense and they might even lose their lives, they could obtain large quantities of Star Source Stones and rapidly increase their strength in a short time. It was countless times faster than cultivating steadily on a Human Planet.
"You're out! Did you break through to the Meridian Condensing Realm?"
As soon as Lu Feng stepped out of his room, Hong Kun handed him a cup of complimentary coffee provided by the starship.
"Yeah."
Lu Feng nodded and took it, not mentioning that he had actually broken through to the Innate Realm.
"Uncle Hong, what about you? How many levels did you advance?"
"Me?" Hong Kun gave a bitter smile. "I haven't cultivated these past few days."
"You haven't cultivated? Why?" Lu Feng was taken aback.
Hong Kun had founded the Skyfire Club and spent more than a decade building up Military Merit. Hadn't he done all that to join an Expedition and seize the chance to improve his strength quickly?
"I'm already crippled. Why waste these Star Source Stones? Those resources... would be better given to that boy Tiejun. I hope he can go further on the Martial Path someday."
Lu Feng fell silent.
His good friend had died, and he had lost an arm. Hong Kun had clearly given up on his own Martial Path and placed his hopes in his son.
"Captain!"
At that moment, Gao Zhan walked into the quarters, and the members of the Chasing Wind Squad greeted him one after another.
Fang Qing, fully recovered, leaned against his side. But she had lost the spirited air she once carried, and her eyes were now filled with an unfamiliar, fearful confusion.
"What happened to Sister Fang Qing?" Lu Feng asked quietly.
Hong Kun sighed. "During that battle, the scales on the Multi-headed Python's tail pierced the back of her head and happened to sever the complex nerves responsible for memory. She lost her memory after leaving the treatment pod."
"She lost her memory?!"
"Fortunately, Captain Gao has stayed by her side the whole time. Miss Fang doesn't recognize anyone now, but she trusts only him. The moment she can't see Captain Gao, she gets nervous and scared. I think... it's not so bad. At least he hasn't lost the woman he loves."
"Can Sister Fang still fight at the Innate Realm level?"
"She's even lost her memory. How could she still fight? She's just an ordinary person now."
"..."
"The rest period will end in two days. Then we'll head to the southern hemisphere of Carro 9 Star to prepare for the southward relocation of the Starry Sky Station."
"Are we supposed to scout for a suitable location and clear out the Exotic Beasts in advance?"
"Exactly. We'll inevitably face another fierce battle. But this time, they probably won't use our Tianlan Star troops as bait again."
Everyone knew why the soldiers from Tianlan Star had received an extra ten Star Source Stones.
The next operation would surely need someone to serve as bait again, but it wouldn't be Tianlan Star's soldiers.
"But what we really need to guard against is a backstab from a treacherous bastard."
Lu Feng knew Hong Kun meant Zheng Yi.
If not for him, the Chasing Wind Squad wouldn't have ended up in such a state.
"The Night Owl Squad has also been assigned to the 115th Legion, so there's a good chance we'll be sent on a mission with them. Be very careful. Even if Zheng Yi doesn't dare come at you openly, he won't pass up any chance to attack you from behind."
Lu Feng had killed Zheng Tong's son. Zheng Yi would never let the matter go.
"Don't worry, Uncle Hong. I'll protect myself."
"Instead of spending all day watching out for that rat, you should find a few reliable allies." Hong Kun rose as he spoke. "I'll take you to meet someone."
He led Lu Feng toward the other end of the 115th Legion's Living Quarters.
"Who are we going to meet?"
"The captain of the Sky Wolf Squad. He's a Martial Arts Genius!"
"The Sky Wolf Squad? The first team to arrive as reinforcements during the outpost battle?"
Lu Feng remembered.
That day, when the Chasing Wind Squad had fought desperately against a horde of Giant Pythons thirty miles outside the outpost and nearly been cornered, the Sky Wolf Squad had been the first to arrive and rescue them.
Later, he'd heard that the captain was only twenty-eight, yet had already reached the Mid Innate Realm. He was hailed as the youngest Innate Realm Warrior in the Jinzhou Military Region.
And he came from a powerful family.
His father was the Jinzhou Military Region Commander, a powerhouse who had surpassed the Grandmaster Realm.
"How could someone like that know Uncle Hong? And why would he want to meet someone insignificant like me?"
Lu Feng wondered to himself.
The two soon reached the Observation Deck at the far end of the Living Quarters. A young man stood there, holding a stemmed glass and quietly admiring the scenery of Carro 9 Star.
"Captain Li," Hong Kun called from behind him.
Li Xiuwen turned at the sound of his voice. His gaze passed over Hong Kun and settled directly on Lu Feng.
He looked the boy up and down before asking, "You're Lu Feng?"
"Yes. A pleasure to meet you, Captain Li."
Lu Feng didn't know why the other man knew who he was, but he answered politely.
"So, how many levels have you advanced in the Third Realm?"
"What?"
Lu Feng froze, not expecting the other man's first question to be about his cultivation.
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