Colonel! Return to Shu Capital!

"Next."

"Test True Qi Projection."

Su Qingxue suddenly spoke, breaking the silence.

The most terrifying thing about a Second-Tier Martial Artist was not their physical body, but their true qi attacks, free from the restrictions of close combat.

Upon hearing Su Qingxue's words,

Old Li promptly had several thirty-centimeter-thick homogeneous steel plates wheeled in.

They were specialized steel plates used to test the power of armor-piercing rounds.

Lin Yuan stood ten meters away.

He mobilized the viscous Heavenly Dipper True Qi within his body.

A stream of pale cyan energy began to gather wildly around his right fist.

Then,

Lin Yuan punched through the air.

That highly compressed mass of cyan true qi shot from his fist, transforming into a translucent fist imprint the size of a watermelon.

"Boom!"

The true qi fist imprint slammed into the first steel plate.

The thirty-centimeter-thick steel plate was torn apart instantly, as if it were made of paper.

The fist imprint did not lose momentum, piercing through three steel plates in succession before finally exploding against the fourth.

Old Li hurried over to inspect them.

The first three steel plates each had a massive hole in them.

The fourth steel plate had been blasted completely out of shape and was deeply embedded in the wall behind it.

"This power... is already comparable to a high-explosive artillery shell!"

Old Li's face flushed red with excitement.

Nie Dingguo did not hesitate at all and turned to leave.

"Seal all the data and classify it as top secret!"

"I'm reporting to my superiors immediately!"

Three days later.

In Conference Room Two of the base,

Nie Dingguo handed Lin Yuan a red-headed document.

"Take a look."

"These are the orders that just came down from above."

Lin Yuan accepted the document and quickly scanned it.

He had been exceptionally promoted to colonel.

He was also being transferred from the Northwest Military Region immediately, to be stationed at the Southwest Military Region near Shu Capital.

"Shu Capital?"

Lin Yuan looked up.

A sharp glint flashed through his eyes.

"According to the intelligence provided by Instructor Su,"

"Seven days after the Spiritual Energy Revival, the first wave of the global Beast Tide will erupt."

"And in the mountains outside Shu Capital, a Peak Second-Order Ironclad Mad Ape will appear."

"It is currently the Ferocious Beast with the greatest known threat level."

"In all of Dragon Country, only you have the ability to deal with it alone."

"So, the higher-ups have decided to send you back to defend it."

Nie Dingguo nodded and pointed to a red dot on the map.

He walked over to Lin Yuan and gave his shoulder a firm pat.

"Guarantee the completion of the mission!"

Lin Yuan immediately stood at attention and saluted.

His home was in Shu Capital.

His parents and younger sister were all there.

Even if the higher-ups had not sent him, he would have found a way to rush back.

Now that he could lead troops there openly and legitimately, it suited him perfectly.

"But remember this."

"Your talent is far too important. You are a strategic nuclear weapon of the nation."

"You cannot remain tied to Shu Capital forever."

"After you deal with that Ironclad Mad Ape and repel the first Beast Tide,"

"there will definitely be new deployments from above. You must be ready at all times."

Nie Dingguo looked solemn.

"Understood!"

Lin Yuan answered loudly.

After the meeting ended,

Su Qingxue sought out Lin Yuan alone.

The two walked side by side through the base's underground passageway.

"Congratulations, Colonel."

Su Qingxue made a rare joke.

"It's all thanks to the instructor's excellent teaching."

Lin Yuan smiled and spoke with some gratitude.

He was genuinely grateful to Su Qingxue.

If it had not been for Su Qingxue,

he might still have been delivering food through the streets and alleys of Shu Capital.

"I came to find you because there is something very important I need to tell you."

At that moment,

Su Qingxue looked at Lin Yuan seriously.

Seeing this,

Lin Yuan put away his smile and became serious as well.

"There is still one month until spiritual energy fully revives."

"When spiritual energy completely descends, Blue Star will experience a rare Spiritual Energy Tide."

"This tide will last for roughly an hour."

"During that hour, the concentration of spiritual energy in the air will reach an unimaginably terrifying peak."

"Whether human or animal, anyone bathed in the tide will undergo a cleansing and strengthening of the body."

Su Qingxue paused.

A trace of regret flashed in her eyes.

In her previous life, she had understood none of this.

When the tide erupted, she had been hiding in her room asleep, missing the greatest opportunity of all.

"You are currently at the Early Second Tier."

"If you can seize the opportunity of this tide and circulate the Heavenly Dipper Qi Refining Formula with all your strength,"

"your power will absolutely undergo explosive growth."

Su Qingxue stared into Lin Yuan's eyes.

This intelligence had long since been reported to the upper ranks.

Military regions across the country were all preparing for the Spiritual Energy Tide.

And that was precisely why

Lin Yuan had been transferred to the Southwest Military Region.

Everyone believed that Lin Yuan would break through his realm once more during the Spiritual Energy Tide.

And after breaking through, Lin Yuan would absolutely be able to handle that Peak Second-Order Ferocious Beast.

However,

knowing was one thing.

Su Qingxue still wanted to remind Lin Yuan once again.

Because Lin Yuan's talent was too exceptional, and he was too important to Dragon Country.

If Lin Yuan missed this opportunity,

it would be an enormous loss for all of Dragon Country.

"Instructor."

"Don't worry. I won't forget!"

Lin Yuan nodded solemnly.

To protect everything he cared about,

he would definitely raise his strength like mad during the Spiritual Energy Tide.

Only then

could he kill that Peak Second-Order Ironclad Mad Ape.

The next morning.

The roar of helicopter rotors echoed over Northwest Base.

Nie Dingguo handed several small booklets and a black holster to Lin Yuan.

"Your identification, firearms permit, and your sidearm."

"Though I doubt that, with your current strength, you'll need any of this."

Lin Yuan accepted the pistol and smoothly tucked it into his waistband.

"Better safe than sorry."

Nie Dingguo burst into laughter.

"All right."

"There are only fifteen days left until the New Year."

"The higher-ups have specially approved twenty days of leave for you."

"Go back to Shu Capital first and spend the New Year properly with your family."

Then,

Nie Dingguo's smile faded, and his tone turned grave.

"However,"

"you must report to the Southwest Military Region on the fifth day of the New Year."

"Because according to projections, the ninth day of the New Year will be the day spiritual energy fully revives."

"The first hard battle will depend entirely on you."

At those words,

Lin Yuan stood at attention and saluted.

Without any unnecessary words, he turned and boarded the helicopter.

The rotors whipped up a fierce wind.

Through the window, Lin Yuan watched the base below gradually shrink away.

He touched the officer's ID in his pocket.

Five months ago, he had been a food delivery rider struggling to make a living.

Now, he had become the strongest force carrying the life and death of an entire city on his shoulders.

Lin Yuan closed his eyes.

The faces of his parents and younger sister surfaced in his mind.

"Don't worry."

"I absolutely won't let any harm come to you."

"..."

Several hours later.

Shu Capital, military family residential compound.

It was a villa district with an excellent environment.

Soldiers armed with loaded guns stood guard around its perimeter.

Ever since Lin Yuan had been specially recruited,

his parents and younger sister had been settled here.

Dressed in casual clothes and carrying a simple travel bag,

Lin Yuan showed his identification and entered the compound without issue.

Shu Capital in the depths of winter carried a damp chill.

But with true qi circulating within his body, Lin Yuan did not feel cold at all.

He walked to the door of Villa No. 3 and rang the bell.

"Coming, coming!"

Hurried footsteps sounded from inside.

The front door was yanked open.

Lin Xiaoxiao was wearing cartoon pajamas, still holding half an apple.

When she saw who was outside, the apple fell straight to the floor.

"Brother?"

Lin Xiaoxiao screamed.

In an instant.

A chair crashed to the floor inside.

Mother Lin, still wearing an apron and holding a spatula, rushed out in a panic.

Father Lin sprang up from the couch, even his reading glasses slipping crooked.

"Lin Yuan?"

Mother Lin's eyes reddened at once.

Looking at his family, Lin Yuan felt his throat tighten too.

"Dad, Mom, Xiaoxiao."

"I'm back."