Chapter 331: Chapter 331: Turning the Tide
"Major General Ning, you’re here. According to reliable data, the poisonous miasma created by the Poison Abyss Beast can be purified by Purple Thunder. I was wondering if you might have a way to summon Purple Thunder to cleanse this area?"
"If you can purify this safe zone, Major General Ning, it will be recorded as a great merit for you," Admiral Yang encouraged, knowing full well how difficult the request was.
A troubled look crossed Ning Xuan’s face. Before she could speak, Liu Linfeng, who was beside her, couldn’t help but speak up. "Sirs, our Commander Ning has been in the Ninth Mining Zone fighting Thunder Beasts for over ten consecutive days. He’s already exhausted and is just forcing himself to stay on his feet. When we saw people takingover our defense sector, we thought they were reinforcements coming to help us. We never expected they were just bringing our commander here to do hard labor."
Liu Linfeng said agitatedly. Like Ning Xuan, he had also been fighting for more than ten days. His physical constitution was nowhere near as good as Ning Xuan’s; the dark circles under his eyes and his sheer exhaustion made him look a complete mess.
Yang Lei felt a bit guilty at the accusation, but the subordinate behind him was clearly displeased. "Insolent! How dare a mere captain speak to a general like that! As a soldier, following orders is your sworn duty..."
"Xiao Zhao, shut up." Seeing Ning Xuan frown, Yang Lei quickly cut his subordinate off.
"Yes, Sir." Xiao Zhao immediately fell silent.
"Major General Ning, I was acting on a recommendation from Dean Ding. I noted that due to your outstanding strength, you were promoted from an ordinary soldier to the commander of Zone 11 in just a few short months. I heard you are a Thunder Element Spirit Controller, and the poisonous miasma created by the Poison Abyss Beast is most vulnerable to Thunder Energy. I was wondering if you could solve this miasma problem."
Ning Xuan’s promotion to Commander of Zone 11 made her a high-ranking officer at the base. For a promotion to this rank, Admiral Yang would have certainly handled the relevant paperwork. However, the promotion system during wartime was based solely on military merit, not personal profiles. As long as one’s accumulated merits met the requirements, the promotion would be fast-tracked. Therefore, without looking at her detailed personal file, Yang Lei actually didn’t know much about Ning Xuan.
"I can. However, my soldiers have been fighting continuously for over ten days. They need to rest. I hope you won’t assign them any new tasks in the immediate future." Ning Xuan glanced at Liu Linfeng, her eyes filled with a mix of sympathy and guilt.
Liu Linfeng’s eyes immediately reddened. "Commander, you’re the one who needs rest the most! If you hadn’t always been looking out for us..."
"Alright. Xiao Zhao, immediately arrange for the soldiers of Zone 11 to enter the quarantine zone," Yang Lei readily agreed.
The temporary safe base wasn’t fully constructed yet; only a quarantine zone and a protection zone had been established. The quarantine zone, located in the center, was completely safe. The protection zone was only equipped with gas filtration devices and was less secure. Space in the quarantine zone was limited, so getting a chance to rest there was not easy.
"No, the one who needs rest the most is..." Liu Linfeng wanted to say more, but a look from Ning Xuan silenced him. She commanded, "Take everyone to the quarantine zone and rest."
"Yes, sir." Hearing the tone in Ning Xuan’s voice, Liu Linfeng didn’t dare speak again and immediately accepted the order.
From within the crowd, Yun Han looked at Ning Xuan, asking with his eyes if he could use his real strength in the upcoming battle.
Ning Xuan gestured back for him to play it by ear.
’In a situation as severe as today’s, I might have no choice but to go all out. Under the influence of the poisonous miasma, it’s easy for one’s spiritual power to collapse and Mutated Degree to become unstable. If it really gets to the point where soldiers’ spiritual power starts collapsing on a large scale, I’ll probably have to use my calming ability—the one unique to female Spirit Controllers. That would inevitably expose my true identity. And if my identity is exposed, there’s naturally no need for Yun Han to hide his anymore.’
After this period of fighting Thunder Beasts on the battlefield, Ning Xuan’s newly awakened Companion Spirit had completely solidified and stabilized. She had seen the kind of war scenes she’d wanted to witness. In truth, she no longer had any need to remain at this base. So, if a moment truly came where she needed to use her spiritual calming ability, she wouldn’t just stand by and watch people die.
Seeing that Ning Xuan did not refuse, Admiral Yang Lei personally led her toward the area contaminated by the poisonous miasma.
Passing through the final protective net, Ning Xuan saw a horrifying scene on the other side.
The sight before her made Ning Xuan’s pupils constrict. The once tall and towering trees were now shrouded in a purplish-black haze. The mist moved like living tentacles, squirming slowly through the air.
Ning Xuan noticed that the leaves on the outermost shrubs were already curling at the edges, and those that hadn’t curled yet were mottled with black spots.
"This poisonous miasma is spreading fast. An hour ago, it covered less than a quarter of its current area. If it keeps spreading, the entire Black Mountain Plain will be consumed by it." Admiral Yang’s voice came through his protective mask. He pointed to a faint warning line a hundred meters ahead. "When we just measured, the diffusion rate had tripled." As they went deeper, viscous, purplish-black dewdrops began to appear on the ground, and their boots would pull up long, thin strands of slime with every step.
"Admiral, you can’t go any further. The protective masks can’t block the infiltration of spiritual toxins. You..." the Admiral’s aide said worriedly.
"Admiral, the entire camp still needs you to oversee command. I can accompany Major General Ning inside," a Vice Admiral Level Officer suggested.
"Say no more. I..."
"Admiral, new Exotic Beasts have appeared at the spatial rift! They’ve reached the outer perimeter of the protective net. Please, go take a look!" a communications soldier hurried over to report.
"Admiral, go take care of it. We can handle things here," the general said.
Ning Xuan also indicated she had no objection.
"Major General Ning, we’re counting on you, then. I hope to hear good news from you," Admiral Yang said, looking at her with expectation.
"I will do my best. You can rest assured," Ning Xuan replied with a nod.
Ning Xuan and the accompanying team, all clad in full Biochemical Protective Suits, prepared to enter the zone contaminated by the poisonous miasma. A faint, sweet, and foul smell drifted through the air, perceptible even through their comprehensive gear. Ning Xuan could sense the tension in her escorts. Poison Abyss Beasts were still active within the contaminated zone. Their movements were restricted by the protective suits, and if a suit was breached in an attack, they would be in immediate danger.
Ning Xuan looked at the general. His surname was Lin, and he looked to be in his fifties. "General Lin, you don’t need to go any further. I can go on my own," Ning Xuan said.
Hearing this, a look of gratitude and admiration appeared on General Lin’s face, but he immediately refused. "How could I do that? Major General Ning, you’ve just come off the battlefield. I can’t let you face this danger alone."
