Inside the collection vault of Chief Zhang, there were two weapons he had seized a century ago from an alien martial artist whose Life Development Power exceeded one thousand.
For the past hundred years, many people had tried to obtain these two weapons, but Chief Zhang had refused them all.
It was rumored that even the town guardian, Xiao Cheng, had once visited Zhang Qifeng to seek a suitable weapon for his nephew, only to return empty-handed.
For this veteran who had crawled out of a pile of corpses a century ago, these two weapons were no less significant than medals issued by the Federal Government; in fact, they held even greater honor.
And now.
One of the two weapons that Zhang Qifeng had treasured for a hundred years had actually fallen into the hands of Qin Annian.
The crowd looked at one another, deep contemplation flashing in the depths of their eyes.
"It seems Chief Zhang thinks very highly of this young man!"
However.
As they watched the scene of Qin Annian fighting his way out of the Iron Rod Gang, they understood why Zhang Qifeng would feel that way.
"Extremely simple slaughter."
"He didn't even waste a single ounce of strength. No wonder he was able to take down Xu Laosan, Ge Qingwang, and hundreds of the gang's core members."
"He truly has the bearing of a grandmaster!"
As soon as these words were spoken, the entire scene fell silent.
A grandmaster who was about to turn nineteen?
Even those Martial Gods who dominated the galaxy and ascended to the throne of gods could not have become grandmasters at that age, could they?
A grandmaster is not only a master who has reached the pinnacle of their field but also one who blazes a new trail!
The number of grandmasters recorded in the history of the Federal Government could be counted on one hand, and even the least accomplished among them had become near-gods. They had all stepped into this realm only after their martial arts had been tempered by the passage of time.
"That is an exaggeration!"
Zhang Xiaoqian clenched her fists, her gaze fixed firmly on Han Xi.
She felt that everything had gone wrong for her this year; her luck had been terrible to the extreme!
It was one thing to be unable to compete with Han Xi, but now, was this damned Qin Annian going to oppose her as well?
"Peace Officer Qin, are you alright?"
Chen Qintao had someone treat the wounds on Lin Zi'ang and the young girl, his gaze sweeping over Qin Annian repeatedly.
His black combat suit was already soaked through with blood, reeking of a metallic scent that shocked even him.
He knew very well that this was because, to ensure every ounce of his strength was used for combat, Qin Annian had not spent any extra effort dodging the splashing blood.
"Do you want me to have the medical team come over?"
Looking at him from the outside, Chen Qintao could not tell if Qin Annian was injured.
"Just give me some energy bars."
Qin Annian's breathing was steady, though he was slightly exhausted. Especially now that the effects of the adrenaline were fading, the lactic acid buildup and torn muscle fibers caused by his excessive exertion left his entire body aching.
After taking the solid energy bars handed to him by Chen Qintao, he silently bit into them and chewed.
He did not ask what mission Chen Qintao and the others were here to execute, simply watching his Status Panel in silence.
Host: Qin Annian. Assistance Count: 3. Available Cultivation Techniques: None.
"Only three people?"
"Why so few?"
His chewing stopped, and Qin Annian's brows furrowed slightly.
"Among those modified martial artists just now, there were quite a few with a Life Development Power exceeding 15 points."
Based on the strongest opponent defeated by the host. Those with a Life Development Power lower than that are no longer counted as assistants.
The Status Panel responded to Qin Annian's confusion, which was a rare occurrence.
"I see."
"Sickle had a Life Development Power of 32 points."
"So, among the modified martial artists I killed in this alley afterward, only two met that condition?"
Qin Annian felt a bit of regret; Sickle shouldn't have jumped out so early.
"But those two modified martial artists in the alley whose Life Development Power exceeded Sickle's had combat capabilities far inferior to his."
"With 32 points of Life Development Power, after his modified organs operated at overload, his combat capability could break through to over two hundred points—an increase of nearly 6.25 times."
The combat power of an ordinary martial artist is generally only three to five times their Life Development Power, and Sickle is the most troublesome enemy Qin Annian has encountered so far.
If he had relied solely on the instincts of a grandmaster of fist techniques, he might not have been able to suppress and kill him so easily.
Chen Qintao left a spare combat suit for Qin Annian before leading his team to continue advancing toward the underground base of the Cultivation Holders Association.
Just as Qin Annian took off his blood-stained combat suit, the voice of the Supply Ship came through his tactical headset:
"Peace Officer Qin, Sky Net has been restored."
Immediately.
Qin Annian turned and walked into the nearby stairwell. By the time he emerged again, he had changed into a new combat suit and said to Lin Zi'ang, who was wrapped in bandages:
"Let's go."
"I'll take you all out."
The medical treatment provided by the Assault Team was wartime triage, meaning it was only intended to keep people alive.
If this kid wanted to continue his cultivation in the future, he couldn't afford to be left with any hidden injuries now.
Temporary Command Center.
The medical team members who had just been summoned reluctantly withdrew their gazes, ordering preparations to receive the wounded and contacting specialists at the Children's Hospital.
"Qin Annian will only be nineteen after his birthday this year, right?"
"He truly is a young man of great promise!"
"With Star-Shatterer in his hands, it seems Chief Zhang considers him one of his own."
"In another three to five years, his Life Development Power should be able to break through five hundred."
By that time.
Qin Annian would only be around twenty-two. While he might not compare to monsters with mysterious backgrounds like Han Xi, he would definitely be one of the most gifted geniuses native to Taiyu City!
"Qin Annian doesn't have a girlfriend yet, right? My niece just graduated from Martial Arts University this year; I'm going to set them up, so don't any of you try to compete with me."
A man in his thirties with a robust build spoke up.
He was the captain of the Operations Division's Assault Team, with a Life Development Power of 321.
"You know what kind of life Xiao Qin lived before; he never had the heart to look for a girlfriend."
To put it bluntly, Qin Annian was an orphan living hand-to-mouth; what girl would be willing to date him?
But who could have guessed that he would rise like a roc on the wind? Qin Annian had suddenly unlocked some hidden potential and transformed into a hot-blooded prodigy!
"Tsk!"
At this moment.
Zhang Xiaoqian muttered in a somewhat sarcastic tone:
"What kind of genius is that?"
"Director Han's husband is the real genius, isn't he? After all, even Director Han was willing to marry him."
Once these words were spoken, the experts who had been chatting felt a bit awkward.
Given Han Xi's standards, could the man she chose be anything less than exceptional? Could these two even be compared?
"You are correct; my husband is indeed a genius."
To everyone's surprise, Han Xi, who usually disdained engaging in verbal disputes with Zhang Xiaoqian, lifted her chin and looked directly at her:
"His talent far exceeds yours."
Hiss!
In an instant.
The air inside the Temporary Command Center seemed to freeze, and everyone stood as still as stone statues.
Just as Zhang Xiaoqian's eyes began to widen, her breathing grew rapid, and her aura began to surge.
Chief Zhang Qifeng appeared.
"What is the situation?"
"Have you advanced to the underground base yet?"
The deathly silence was broken, and the captain of the Intelligence and Technical Support Team hurriedly stood up to report:
"Reporting to the Chief!"
"The Assault Team led by Chen Qintao has already entered the underground passage!"
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