Yun Mo Tian

"I..." Lu Feng hesitated.

Hong Kun stepped forward and answered for him. "Lu Feng just broke through to the Meridian Condensing Realm."

"Not bad." Li Xiuwen nodded slightly. "To reach the Third Realm Warrior at eighteen is certainly worthy of being called a genius. His cultivation speed is even a bit faster than mine was back then."

As it turned out, ever since the battle at the outpost, the Chasing Wind Squad and the Sky Wolf Squad had grown familiar with each other.

Over the past few days, the soldiers from both squads had often exchanged insights on martial arts.

While Fang Qing was recovering from her injuries, Li Xiuwen had even visited her personally and comforted Gao Zhan.

The two squads had grown increasingly close.

When Hong Kun, a seasoned hand, learned that Captain Li was only twenty-eight and already a Mid Innate Realm expert—and that his father was the Jinzhou Military Region Commander—he took the initiative to strike up a conversation.

But Li Xiuwen looked down on club Warriors like him, and there was even a hint of mockery in his words.

A civilian Warrior who had barely reached the Early Innate Realm in his forties thought he could curry favor with the Jinzhou Military Region's Number One Genius?

Seeing the guy look down on him naturally left Hong Kun feeling rather annoyed.

So you're a genius. You're amazing!

But are you as amazing as Lu Feng from our club?

So he embellished the story about how Lu Feng had reached Copper Skin Realm Perfection at just eighteen and was now pushing for the Meridian Condensing Realm.

Li Xiuwen's first reaction was, of course, disbelief.

A student who had just graduated from high school could get into Martial Arts University by reaching Copper Skin Realm Perfection.

Those with better talent might break through to the second or third level of the Iron Bone Realm.

Even he, the Jinzhou Military Region's Number One Genius, had only reached the Sixth Level of Iron Bone Realm when he graduated from Martial High School.

After four years at Martial Arts University, he had reached Peak Meridian Condensing Realm.

After graduating, he joined the Military Region and formed the Sky Wolf Squad.

This "Spirit Slaughter" operation was already his second Expedition Mission.

And just a few days ago, he had broken through to the Seventh Layer of the Innate Realm.

In the Jinzhou Military Region—and even across the entire Tianlan Star—his life story was the stuff of legend for young people.

An Elder had once declared that he was very likely to reach the Grandmaster Realm before turning thirty.

He would become the youngest Martial Arts Grandmaster in Tianlan Star's history!

Of course, Li Xiuwen's achievements were also tied to his background.

With his father serving as the Jinzhou Military Region Commander, the cultivation resources available to him were on an entirely different level from those of ordinary Warriors.

With achievements like his, Li Xiuwen had always been proud, choosing to associate only with young Warriors of exceptional talent.

People like Gao Zhan, for instance.

When he heard Hong Kun say that someone had reached Copper Skin Realm Perfection at eighteen, he assumed the man was bragging and couldn't be bothered to pay attention.

Seeing that Li Xiuwen didn't believe him, Hong Kun left him with a single remark and turned to go.

"If Captain Li doesn't believe me, he can ask anyone from the Chasing Wind Squad."

Li Xiuwen had been stunned for a long time.

Always convinced that he was the most talented person around, he finally couldn't resist sending his squadmates to ask people from the Chasing Wind Squad.

Everyone said it was true. The person in question was Lu Feng!

A high school graduate with not only exceptional Martial Talent, but also an innate ability to tame beasts.

That was why he had been allowed to take part in this "Spirit Slaughter" Expedition Mission despite not yet reaching the Meridian Condensing Realm.

Even so, Li Xiuwen still refused to believe it.

He went to find Hong Kun and demanded to meet the young man even more astonishing than himself.

But for the past few days, Lu Feng had shut himself away in a small room to cultivate.

He had just come out today, and Hong Kun had immediately brought him over.

Li Xiuwen stepped forward and put a hand on Lu Feng's shoulder, intending to check his true cultivation level.

A Warrior's cultivation couldn't be determined with the naked eye, but by making physical contact and using True Qi to sense the energy fluctuations inside the other person's body, one could determine their realm.

As soon as a wisp of True Qi seeped from Li Xiuwen's palm, Lu Feng quickly drew back, watching him warily.

Li Xiuwen hurriedly explained with a smile, "Don't be nervous. I just want to check whether you, a young man of eighteen, really have broken through to the Meridian Condensing Realm."

Although the gesture was extremely impolite, Li Xiuwen was simply too curious.

Since Lu Feng wasn't willing, Li Xiuwen couldn't very well force the issue.

"Captain Li! I really have broken through to the Meridian Condensing Realm. But I'm not that impressive, because I'll be turning twenty soon. I'm not eighteen."

When he left Tianlan Star, he had indeed just turned eighteen.

But nearly two years had passed since then.

In another two months, Lu Feng would turn twenty.

Still, reaching the Meridian Condensing Realm at twenty was pretty astonishing!

But hearing him say that seemed to put Li Xiuwen more at ease.

After all, he himself had been under twenty when he reached the Third Realm at Martial Arts University.

"I heard you're currently a club Warrior and haven't officially joined the military?"

"Yeah!"

"Then would you be willing to join my Sky Wolf Squad? I can make you a full-fledged soldier right away."

"No need!" Lu Feng rejected him without a second thought.

"Do you know who I really am?"

Hong Kun immediately leaned close to Lu Feng's ear and quietly explained, "Captain Li's father is the Grand Commander of the Jinzhou Military Region!"

Lu Feng's face showed clear surprise at that.

But he still shook his head. "Really, there's no need!"

After being turned down repeatedly, Li Xiuwen grew annoyed.

The kid had talent, sure, but he was a bit thickheaded.

Without powerful backing, no matter how great his Martial Talent was, he wouldn't get very far.

"If that's the case, then so be it."

After saying that, Li Xiuwen turned and left.

Hong Kun looked at Li Xiuwen's retreating figure, then at Lu Feng, feeling as if a cat were scratching at his heart.

"Xiao Feng! This was such a good opportunity. Why did you..."

If Lu Feng joined the Sky Wolf Squad, setting aside what kind of martial arts resources he might receive in the future, Zheng Yi wouldn't dare keep scheming behind his back.

But Hong Kun wasn't Lu Feng's Elder, so he couldn't make the decision for him. Naturally, he didn't feel right saying more.

Two days later.

Eight starships set off, carrying everyone five or six thousand kilometers south to the southern hemisphere of Planet Caro 9.

They established a new Temporary Starry Sky Station on a plateau in the southern hemisphere.

Fortunately, the plateau, which covered more than 800,000 square kilometers and had been named "Yun Mo Tian" by humanity, was not home to large numbers of aggressive Exotic Beasts.

The only creatures there were "Six-legged Birds," a little larger than humans and about two meters tall.

As their name suggested, these birds had six legs but no feathers or wings. Their bodies were covered in knobby muscles, and the claws on their feet were as hard as Blue Dai Alloy. They could dig through the plateau's hard soil to search for food.

But they were docile by nature. Whenever they encountered danger, they fled at once—and they were extremely fast, with a top speed approaching 300 kilometers per hour.

When humanity arrived, they encountered no danger, so no campaign to exterminate Exotic Beasts broke out.

Without a battle, there was no need for bait like the kind used on the Sudali Plain, which meant fewer people would die.

But for Lu Feng, the Yun Mo Tian Plateau was an excellent place.

Those docile Six-legged Birds would soon become an energy source for his Chest Imprint.