High Martial Arts: Enlightenment after Practices

Chapter 441: Chapter 441: Coming to a Close

His ability to seemingly ignite targets from afar, in particular, was nearly impossible to defend against.

Werewolves below the rank of Priest couldn’t last more than three seconds against him. Even an ordinary Priest would have a hard time resisting him without special defensive abilities.

His efficiency even began to surpass that of Team One, led by Tang Xiuqi.

Although Team One possessed greater overall strength, Tang Xiuqi’s style focused on overall strategy and Controlling the Scene, making him better suited for handling complex situations and large-scale conflicts.

When it came to clearing out these scattered infiltration units, however, Xu Wuyi’s "precision assassinations" were far more efficient.

On May 20th, Command compiled the combat results for Quick Response Team One over the past ten days.

Team One had defeated nine Werewolf units, killing eleven Priests and forty-seven War Generals.

Team Two had defeated twelve Werewolf units, killing fifteen Priests and fifty-three War Generals.

The comparison was stark.

"Good work, Deputy Xu." At the mission briefing, Tang Xiuqi’s tone was calm as he looked at the data. "Your Heart Phase Traits are certainly well-suited for this kind of cleanup operation."

"You give me too much credit, Captain Tang," Xu Wuyi said. "Team One shouldered most of the direct pressure, which allowed us to focus on cleanup."

He wasn’t just being polite.

The industrial zones and energy hubs that Team One was responsible for had indeed faced more intense attacks.

Several times, Xu Wuyi had sensed intense Energy fluctuations from a distance—that was Tang Xiuqi, engaged in battle.

"No need to be modest." Tang Xiuqi waved his hand dismissively. "The battlefield only cares about results. Your high efficiency lessens the pressure on the entire defensive line, and that’s a good thing."

He paused, then pulled up the latest combat zone map. "However, the frequency of attacks has started to decline since yesterday."

On the map, the red dots representing abnormal Energy fluctuations were clearly fewer and more scattered.

"The Celestial Wolf Civilization has realized these infiltration tactics have limited effect, so they’re starting to pull back," Tang Xiuqi said. "Command assesses that the attacks will decrease further over the next few days. We can adjust our rotation schedule and let the team members get more rest."

"Understood," Xu Wuyi nodded.

Sure enough, over the next two days, the number of attacks around Linjiang dropped significantly.

On May 22nd, Quick Response Team One only carried out three patrol missions, none of which encountered any enemies. On the other hand, the news from the front lines was growing more and more encouraging.

「Evening, in the standby area.」

Xu Wuyi sat in a chair, watching the combat reports scroll across the intelligence screen.

[Federation Calendar Year 2XXX, May 22nd. The Celestial Wolf Civilization’s seventh Divine Being, the "Ancestor of Blood Claws," has fallen on the Star Realm Battlefield. Slayer: Federation Grandmaster "Thunder Fist" Chen Fulong.]

[Number of remaining Celestial Wolf Civilization Divine Beings confirmed: Seven. All have retreated to the Celestial Wolf homeworld, entrenching themselves behind the Wolf God Mountain defense line.]

[The Federation Military has announced that the objectives for Phase One, "Operation Thunder," have been mostly achieved. The campaign will now transition to Phase Two, "Operation Attrition."]

"Attrition..." Xu Wuyi repeated the word under his breath.

It meant not rushing into a full-frontal assault, but slowly grinding them down, wearing out the remaining seven Divine Beings and the entire Celestial Wolf Civilization at the lowest possible cost.

"A very wise strategy." Tang Xiuqi had walked over at some point and was also looking at the text on the screen. "Those seven Divine Beings are the oldest and most powerful beings of the Celestial Wolf Civilization. If we were to launch a direct assault, we might have to sacrifice several Grandmasters. It’s not worth it."

"But if we drag this out, won’t there be unforeseen complications?" Xu Wuyi asked.

"There will definitely be complications, but they’ll be manageable," Tang Xiuqi said. "The Celestial Wolf Civilization’s outer strongholds have been cleared, and all their supply lines have been cut. They’re now trapped on their homeworld. Every day this drags on, they grow weaker. As for us... we have all the time in the world."

This was the confidence that came with being a great power.

The Federation’s territory was ten times vaster than that of the Celestial Wolf Civilization, its resources a hundred times more abundant, and its population over a thousand times larger.

In a war of attrition, the Celestial Wolf Civilization stood no chance.

"Our mission should be wrapping up soon, too," Tang Xiuqi said, looking at Xu Wuyi. "Once the defensive pressure on the homeworld eases, the quick response teams might be reassigned to the Star Realm Battlefield, or disbanded and returned to their original units."

Xu Wuyi nodded without a word.

He actually felt conflicted. On one hand, he truly wanted to go to the front lines and continue seeking revenge against the Celestial Wolf Civilization. On the other hand, the past half-month of high-intensity defensive combat had left him mentally and physically exhausted, and he needed time to recover.

More importantly, his parents were still in Linjiang. Even though Linjiang was very safe now, he still wanted to spend more time with them.

On May 25th, Command officially issued an order: The general alert level for Dongjiang Province was to be lowered. Quick Response Team One’s mission was concluded, and all members were to enter a period of rest and recuperation.

The settlement of merit points was also completed that same day.

An additional 10,800 merit points were deposited into Xu Wuyi’s personal account. It was slightly higher than he’d expected, but it truly couldn’t compare to his earnings on the Star Realm Battlefield.

"Merit points for domestic operations are never that high to begin with," Tang Xiuqi told the entire team before they disbanded. "But Command has taken note of your performance over the past half-month. All team members will receive an additional Third-Class Collective Merit, and individual commendations will be entered into your permanent records."

"Thank you, Captain Tang!"

The team members responded in unison, smiles on all their faces.

A Third-Class Collective Merit was a rare honor in peacetime. And while merit points were more valuable during wartime, this official recognition was still a welcome and gratifying reward.

After they were dismissed, Xu Wuyi didn’t leave Command immediately.

He first went to the equipment maintenance station to meticulously service his Meteor Iron Long Spear and combat suit before changing back into civilian clothes and walking out of the building.

The evening sun cast a warm, gentle light over the streets.

The martial law in Linjiang City had been lifted, and the streets were noticeably busier with pedestrians and vehicles. Roadside shops had reopened, and parks were once again filled with the sights of elderly people taking strolls and children playing.

An air of peace had returned to the city.

Xu Wuyi stood at the entrance of the command building and took a deep breath.

After half a month of tense combat, he could finally relax, and only now did he feel the exhaustion that had built up in his body.

It wasn’t a sharp, aching soreness, but a deep-seated weariness—a depletion that would take time to properly recover from.

He hailed a taxi.

"The Yunhai District, please."

As the car drove through familiar streets, Xu Wuyi leaned back against the seat, watching the scenery blur past the window.

Malls, schools, restaurants, cafes... the ordinary yet precious lives of normal people now held a different weight in his eyes.

Twenty minutes later, the car stopped at the entrance to the Yunhai District.

Xu Wuyi got out of the car and walked into the residential complex. The trees provided ample shade, the faint scent of flowers hung in the air, and a few elderly men were playing chess in a pavilion, creating a tranquil atmosphere.

He walked up to his family’s villa and rang the doorbell.

The door opened quickly. Mrs. Xu stood in the doorway wearing an apron. Her eyes lit up when she saw Xu Wuyi. "Ah Yi? You’re back so early today?"

"The mission’s over. I’m on leave for now," Xu Wuyi said as he stepped inside, catching the aroma of food from the kitchen. "Where’s Dad?"