Chapter 451: Chapter 451: Vice Minister
He paused, then picked up a palm-sized silver metal box from a nearby instrument table and handed it to Xu Wuyi.
"A small gift from the research institute. Inside are three Special Effect Mental Recovery Potions. It’s a special version supplied by the institute, with virtually no side effects. You can’t buy it on the market."
"Use them after overexerting your Power of Heart Image. They’ll speed up your recovery and prevent underlying damage to your foundation. The energy environment in the Flowing Sand Star Realm isn’t exactly friendly. It’s better to be prepared."
Xu Wuyi took the metal box. It was cool to the touch and had some weight to it. He didn’t refuse, accepting it formally. "Thank you, Senior Brother Ye."
"Don’t thank me." Ye Guanlan waved his hand. "Your own performance earned this extra investment from the institute. Remember, come back alive. Your data and growth trajectory are, in themselves, a highly valuable research subject."
His words were as direct as ever, even carrying the cold rationality of a researcher, but Xu Wuyi could hear the underlying concern in them.
"I will." Xu Wuyi smiled. "When I get back, maybe I’ll have reached Perfection in *Golden Crow Burning Heart*. I’ll come find you for optimizations then, Senior Brother."
Ye Guanlan’s mouth twitched almost imperceptibly. "I’ll look forward to it, then. Go on. The shuttle to pick you up should already be at the landing pad."
"The Flowing Sand Star Realm... be careful of the Feathered People’s ’Wind Whisper Priests.’ They specialize in Stealth and curses, a type that your Liaoyuan Fire will have trouble dealing with."
"Understood."
Xu Wuyi turned and left the laboratory.
Walking down the silent corridor of the research institute, he took one last look back at this technological sanctuary hidden in the heart of the mountain.
In one month, he had obtained a sharper sword here.
Now, it was time to use this sword to cut through the thorns and flames that lay ahead.
...
「The next morning, at the research institute’s private landing pad.」
A small, sleek, high-speed shuttle had already started up, its rear thrusters flickering with a faint blue light.
Xu Wuyi said a brief farewell to Ye Guanlan and a few other researchers he knew who had come to see him off, then boarded the shuttle.
The hatch closed. The shuttle vibrated slightly, then lifted gracefully from the ground, breaking through the optical camouflage layer above the institute and vanishing into the sea of clouds high above.
Outside the viewport, the Earth rapidly receded as cities, mountains, and rivers dwindled in size.
Xu Wuyi leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes.
In his sea of consciousness, the Dark Gold Mountain Body stood motionless. At its peak, the Golden Crow Illusion seemed to sense his mood and stretched its burning wings.
’The Flowing Sand Star Realm.’
’The Feathered People Civilization.’
’The 16th Rapid Response Cluster.’
’A new battlefield lies ahead.’
...
The shuttle didn’t fly directly to the dimensional passage for the Flowing Sand Star Realm. Instead, it landed at a military restricted zone in the suburbs of Xingjing City.
As Xu Wuyi walked down the ramp, an officer with the rank of major on his shoulder was already waiting by the tarmac. The man stood ramrod straight with a resolute face. Upon seeing Xu Wuyi, he gave a crisp salute.
"Martial Artist Xu, please come with me. Minister Feng wishes to see you."
’Minister Feng?’
Xu Wuyi’s heart skipped a beat. ’To be called ’Minister’ by a major, and to be intercepted for a meeting right before I head to the Flowing Sand Star Realm... it could only be one of the true bigwigs from the Military Department.’
He didn’t ask any questions, just nodded. "Please lead the way."
The two rode an internal transit vehicle, passed through layers of security checkpoints, and entered a plain, gray building.
Inside, the corridors were wide and bright. There weren’t many people coming and going, but each one had a profound aura and moved with swift steps. They were clearly all Martial Artists with high levels of Cultivation.
The major stopped before a dark red wooden door and knocked three times.
"Come in." A voice, aged yet full of vigor, came from within.
The major pushed the door open, stepped aside to let Xu Wuyi enter, and then remained outside, gently pulling the door closed.
It was a rather spacious office with simple furnishings.
One wall was a massive Star Map, marking the real-time status of the Federation’s various fronts. Another wall was taken up by a floor-to-ceiling bookshelf filled with paper books and file boxes.
Behind the desk sat an old man in a dark blue military service uniform.
He looked to be around seventy, his hair graying but impeccably combed.
His face was chiseled, his eyes deep-set. They were as calm as an old well, yet at times they flashed with the sharpness of a hawk.
The most striking feature was the general’s stars on his epaulets—four golden stars.
Vice Minister of the Federation Military Department, a four-star general, a Grandmaster Level Martial Artist.
Xu Wuyi immediately recognized the man.
Feng Zhuohua, one of the four Vice Ministers of the Military Department, was in charge of frontline combat deployment and special talent development. He held immense prestige within the military.
"Minister Feng." Xu Wuyi stood at attention and saluted.
Feng Zhuohua put down the document in his hand and looked up at him. His gaze wasn’t fierce, but it had a piercing, scrutinizing quality, as if it could see right through a person.
After a few seconds, he gave a slight nod.
"Sit."
Xu Wuyi sat in the chair across from the desk, his back straight.
"Do you know why I wanted to see you?" Feng Zhuohua got straight to the point.
"Please enlighten me, Minister."
"Two things." Feng Zhuohua leaned back in his chair, folding his hands on the desk. "First, that old fellow Flame Venerable came to see me before he left."
Xu Wuyi was taken aback.
’Senior Flame Venerable... went to the front lines?’
"He went to the ’Molten Abyss’ front. Things have been restless there recently. Several Fire Attribute alien civilizations are showing signs of a joint counterattack, so they need him to hold the line," Feng Zhuohua said calmly.
"Before he left, he asked me to look after you. His exact words were—’That kid’s a good seedling, but he’s a real troublemaker. Don’t let him charge headfirst into a deathtrap.’"
Xu Wuyi was silent.
’Senior Flame Venerable seems casual, but he’s actually very considerate. By entrusting me to him, he truly sees me as one of his own juniors.’
"So, according to Flame Venerable’s wishes," Feng Zhuohua continued, "I should have transferred you to a relatively safe secondary front, or had you stay behind to continue your training."
"After all, you’re still young. For someone who hasn’t even graduated to reach your level... the Federation hasn’t seen the likes of you in decades. Your death would be a great loss."
He paused, observing Xu Wuyi’s expression.
Xu Wuyi’s expression was calm. He just listened quietly.
"But your transfer orders were personally approved by Qiao Tongyu and sent directly to the First Personnel Deployment Division." Feng Zhuohua’s tone shifted. "That kid from the Qiao Family gave me a heads-up, said you insisted on going to the Flowing Sand Star Realm yourself. So, the second reason I’m seeing you is to confirm your intentions."
He leaned forward slightly, his gaze landing on Xu Wuyi’s face like a physical weight.
"Xu Wuyi, I am now asking you in my capacity as a Vice Minister of the Military Department: Are you aware of the dangers of the Flowing Sand Star Realm? Are you volunteering to go to this battlefield? If you change your mind right now, I can transfer you to the ’Greenwood Realm’ or the ’Bedrock Defense Line.’ They are relatively safe, and the rate at which you can accumulate merits isn’t slow either."
The office fell silent.
The faint shouts from a distant Training Ground could be heard outside the window, making the silence within the room feel even deeper.
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