Cosmic Demon

Chapter 304 With your rank, you have no right to command me.

"Gentlemen...you are all the backbone of the army!"

Lieutenant General Luo Zhenjiang's voice echoed in the somber conference hall, carrying a steely weight.

He surveyed the officers who were about to enter the maze and carry out their mission, his weathered eyes swirling with complex emotions that were hard to describe.

If it weren't for the tense situation on the western front, which required keeping up with the progress on the eastern front and completing the "pincer encirclement" tactic assigned by the Governor-General's Office.

Luo Zhenjiang was extremely reluctant to commit all of the western front's top combat forces in an attempt to break through the maze!
The lieutenant general took a deep breath, and in the quiet conference room, such a sound was unusually clear.

Then, he spoke slowly, his words carrying not only a firm command but also the solemnity and entrustment of a veteran:

“Each of you is the sharpest blade and the strongest shield on the western front of my Eastern Xia.”

Many of them will have the opportunity to join the warband and make their mark, eventually entering the Eastern Xia military headquarters...

But if the maze remains unbroken, Hengzhou is in grave danger!

"Unless the 'Mother of All Knowledge' is eliminated, there will be no progress on the Western Front!"

Lieutenant General Luo Zhenjiang suddenly raised his right hand, his five fingers pressed together like a knife, and pressed it heavily and slowly against his temple.

He treated this standard military salute with the weight of a mountain.

"You are going here not for personal merit or military rank, but for the millions of people of Hengzhou!"

His voice suddenly rose, like the clash of metal, exuding a resolute determination and an unquestionable entrustment.

"I, Luo Zhenjiang, on behalf of all the people of Hengzhou, thank you for your courage and sacrifice!"

The moment the word "thank you" was uttered, it sounded like a heavy hammer striking down, resounding and powerful.

Luo Zhenjiang maintained a salute, his head slightly lowered.

This is the greatest gratitude that the lieutenant general, a pillar of the western front, can express to every officer who participated in Operation Breakthrough.

Inside the conference hall, the air was thick with tension, and a silent yet surging emotion stirred within everyone.

The three leading colonel-level officers stood out, and Shi Zhanlin suddenly straightened his back and said in a deep voice:
"Serving the country, defending the borders, and protecting our homeland is the duty of soldiers!"

The others echoed this sentiment.

Luo Zhenjiang didn't do much "pre-battle mobilization," lowered his salute, and began announcing the group assignments:
"The First Sharp Knife Team, led by Colonel Shi Zhanlin, is responsible for the 'Red Ridge' assault point. Members include Major Zhao Feng, Captain Li Rui, and Captain Chen Gang..."

One by one, names were read out, and the officers whose names were called had solemn eyes, showing no fear.

The second elite team, led by Lieutenant Colonel Yuan Jiu, is responsible for the 'Turbid Current' assault point. Its members include Major Lin Zhen and Captain Sun Haitao…

"The Third Sharp Knife Team, led by Lieutenant Colonel Gu Xiaomeng, is responsible for the 'Rift Valley' entry point. The members are as follows: Major Wang Hui, Lieutenant Qin Shi...

After the list was read aloud, the atmosphere in the meeting room became tense, like a bowstring taut.

Three elite squads comprise the strongest combat force currently available on the western front.

The members who participated in the operation were at least at the peak of the fifth dan level.

They will be the main force in tearing open the core of the maze!
"Is that bald guy named Wang Hui?"

Qin Shi noticed that when his name was called out, the bald major suddenly turned around and quickly locked onto him.

The other person's eyes held a hint of scrutiny and subtle rejection, clearly indicating a lack of friendliness.

But this is normal.

Judging solely from military rank and professional level, I am in the role of "holding back".

Given his status as a first-class combat hero, he cannot be ignored. At that time, some resources may need to be allocated to ensure his personal safety.

"They've been treated like frontline celebrities who've come here to gain prestige."

Qin Shi's lips twitched, keenly aware of this.

But he offered no explanation; words are powerless, only concrete actions can change prejudice and stereotypes.

The military reveres the strong, especially on the front lines!

Qin Shi believed that there would always be an opportunity to "show his skills".

After the group work concluded, Lieutenant General Luo Zhenjiang reiterated the perilous nature of the mission and the determination required.

The meeting ended in a heavy and oppressive atmosphere.

The heavy alloy door slid open, and the officers filed out.

Wang Hui, carrying the rank of major, deliberately slowed down and walked alongside Qin Shi.

"Ha, Lieutenant Qin, what a coincidence!"

This bald major was extremely tall and burly, like a door panel, making the upright Qin Shi appear thin.

The other person glanced sideways at the rank of lieutenant on Qin Shi's shoulder and said in a seemingly friendly manner:
"You're lucky to be following Lieutenant Colonel Gu. Lieutenant Colonel Gu always values ​​fairness. If it were Colonel Shi, he might have forced you to stay put to avoid having to share the strategic resources of the elite team."

Qin Shi did not respond; his steps were steady, without the slightest pause or quickening.

The situation inside Ironthorn Fortress is quite complex, with resource allocation being the root of the conflict.

The first team led by Shi Zhanlin had already fought several tough battles with the second team commanded by Yuan Jiu, and had escaped unscathed.

Their combat strength and achievements are beyond doubt.

Therefore, they can receive preferential treatment in terms of resource acquisition.

However, Lieutenant Colonel Gu Xiaomeng arrived the latest and lacked convincing combat performance, which put her at a disadvantage in terms of strategic resource allocation.

Now, with a frontline celebrity suspected of being a gilded star in the mix, it's like adding insult to injury.

The other members of Lieutenant Colonel Gu Xiaomeng's elite team heard Wang Hui's slightly sarcastic words.

Although they did not express their opinion directly, they did not step forward to stop it either.

"I never imagined that I, a first-class combat hero, would be bullied in the military and become the one who is disliked."

It was pointless for Qin Shi to calm down and stop arguing.

In Ironthorn Fortress, words carry far less weight than fists and battle records.

The doubts of others stemmed from a lack of trust in Qin Shi's strength and dissatisfaction with the "dilution" of resources.

He can understand.

But that doesn't mean we need to explain or cater to them.

"I hope to see you on the training field, Lieutenant Qin!"

Wang Hui stopped, squinted, and called out to Qin Shi, who was walking ahead.

The latter still ignored him and walked away.

"Ha! Low rank and weak strength, you should stay in the rear! What are you doing here causing trouble!"

Wang Hui sneered, while Qi Ming, who was on the same team as him, laughed:

"His strength isn't as bad as you say. He's a professional-level fourth-dan, not at the bottom."

Besides, Lieutenant Qin's First-Class Combat Honor didn't fall from the sky; defeating Blood River Typhon head-on is something neither you nor I could necessarily do.

Wang Hui crossed his arms, looking quite disdainful.
"It was just a repulsion, not a serious blow. If you ask me, the Western Front just wanted to promote a 'big star' to boost morale, and he just happened to be there."

Qi Ming said no more. This was the prevailing attitude in the military: only the strong and heroes deserved respect.

Perhaps because he was too young, the honor he received during the Qin Dynasty did not bring him enough recognition.

……

……

In dormitory room 742 of zone D-7, Long Qiuyuan and his two companions had neatly stacked the standard supplies they had received for second lieutenants in a corner, making the space feel even more cramped.

"Boss, what about Lieutenant Colonel Gu..."

Long Qiuyuan's tone carried a hint of worry.

Ironthorn Fortress is a large city, but the circle of high-ranking officers is very small.

It has become known that Qin Shi has been repeatedly provoked by Wang Hui, who is a major.

"It's alright." Qin Shi took off his crisp officer's uniform coat and hung it on a simple clothes rack.

Resources should be earned through merit. Doubts should be dispelled with competence. That's all.

After Long Qiuyuan and the others left, Qin Shi sat cross-legged on the floor, his back straight as a spear.

Consciousness sank into the body.

The surging, vibrant life force, like golden magma, flows ceaselessly through the bones of this extraordinary body.

Each heartbeat is like the sound of a war drum, propelling this pure energy to wash over every part of the body, cleansing every inch of flesh and blood.

"call!"

Qin Shi took a deep breath, his body like a giant steel furnace, continuously releasing heat.

He could feel himself expanding and contracting, each breath like a bowstring slowly being drawn back, accumulating explosive kinetic energy.

Tiny sparks of electricity danced and flickered between the muscle bundles, a manifestation of highly concentrated vitality and the ultimate activity of flesh and blood.

By absorbing the high-level military supplies previously supplied by the Western Front Command, Qin Shi has firmly established himself at the fourth stage of the professional level, extremely close to the late stage.

If the other officers in Ironthorn Fortress City knew about this rate of advancement, they would probably be so shocked that they would question their own existence.

"The sixth major hurdle is the Qi hurdle."

Qin Shi sat cross-legged without moving, and beneath the surface of extreme power, his "vision" seemed to have been elevated.

As the scene inside his extraordinary body became clearer, he finally saw its imperfections, what the ancients called the "bottleneck".

There is always an invisible "barrier" between one's own life radiance and external energy factors.

"When the Qi barrier is broken and one enters the sixth limit, the energy factors and the source of life can be perfectly integrated, thus forming an 'internal cycle' and reducing dependence on the external environment."

Traversing starry seas, battling across universes, and even maintaining peak strength in extremely harsh ecosystems.

In the Qin Dynasty's "inner vision," the bottleneck was very deep, as if it were a viscous and tough "barrier" rooted deep in the bones and between cells.

It is precisely because of its existence that the extraordinary body is restricted from moving towards a higher level of "transformation" and "perfection".

"Old Zhang's 'Secret Manual of the Universe' offers a solution: use your own body as a furnace to gradually melt and dissolve the impurities."

Lao He, on the other hand, used his will as an axe to forcefully chisel through.

As for Old Qi, he was as violent as ever, using brute force as a hammer to smash it apart.

As Qin Shi pondered these three big shots, an idea popped into his head.

How about... we try them all?

Use your body as a furnace, your will as an axe, and your strength as a hammer!

Qin Shi was always a man of action; he would do what he said he would do.

His entire superhuman body instantly transformed into an invisible furnace!

The powerful body forged by the five limits began to operate with a roar, and the surging life essence transformed into a raging furnace!
Countless cells hummed and trembled in the "furnace fire," like a super alloy being forged and hammered.

Within the sea of ​​consciousness, the purest and truest will condensed into platinum light!
Then, using mental power, sculpt it into a giant, formless, and incomparably sharp axe!
The violent heat generated by the furnace fire and the destructive giant axe derived from pure will all converged into one.

At the moment when body and mind merge, the hammer containing absolute power takes shape!
boom!
The axe of willpower struck first!

Click!

A clear "crack" appeared instantly!
It felt as if my soul had been pierced, and the intense pain was like a million steel needles stabbing into my brain at the same time!

Immediately afterwards, the Hammer of Destruction, formed from pure power, slammed down with an all-encompassing, domineering will!
Rumble!
An indescribable roar exploded in every corner of my body!

The crack cleaved by the Axe of Will shattered like fragile glass under the absolute power of the Hammer of Destruction!

A gap was forcibly torn open!

pain!
Deep into the marrow! Deep into the soul!
Qin Shi's body trembled violently, and fine beads of blood instantly seeped from his skin, which then evaporated into a pale red mist under the intense heat of the furnace!
"That seems a bit too reckless."

The moment the gap opened, a torrent of energy, like a furnace fire, rushed in, causing the "obstacle" to gradually dissolve.

This process was extremely agonizing.

It will last for about half an hour.

Qin Shi was paused due to excessive energy expenditure.

That "obstacle" was eventually burned away by a quarter.

"It worked, but it was just too difficult to bear."

Unlocking the sixth limit is a long process; even for peerless masters like Lao Qi and Lao He, it took several years.

Qin Shi used three secret techniques, hoping to achieve twice the result with half the effort, but naturally, he had to pay a price.

"Another Lava Marrow might make things a little easier."

Even with Qin Shi's iron will and resilient spirit, he almost couldn't withstand it, which shows how intense the pain was.

He took a few deep breaths to calm his turbulent, extraordinary body.

It is best to activate the sixth limit before entering the maze.

In this way, facing the Mother of All Consciousness, who is at the fourth level of disaster, will give us a better chance of success.

……

……

Two days later.

Qin Shi's personal terminal vibrated; he had received an access request from the Third Sharp Knife Team's internal communication channel.

In short, I was added to the "work group".

"We will have a meeting in the tactical simulation room in Zone C in an hour."

Lieutenant Colonel Gu Xiaomeng's voice came from inside.

Qin Shi changed into his neatly pressed officer's uniform and went out again.

The tactical simulation room in Zone C is much smaller than the previous conference room.

The main topics of this meeting were the allocation of tactical positions and the distribution of personal resources.

Although the Maze divides space and matches battlefields, after a long period of exploration and research, the Western Front Command discovered that the Mother of All Knowledge has its own set of rules for judging "strength and weakness".

If used properly, five people can form a team and successfully 'land' in the same nest.

Qin Shi arrived relatively early, and he habitually chose to sit in a corner.

Before long, a burly figure stood in front of his desk.

"Did you see Lieutenant Colonel Gu's assignment list? I'll be the assault team member, and you'll be working with me, responsible for guarding and eliminating the weaker targets—basically, providing support."

Lieutenant Qin, I expect you to obey orders and not cause trouble for others.

The simulation room suddenly fell silent.

All eyes were fixed on Qin Shi, some watching with amusement, some indifferent, and so on.

"Oh."

Qin Shi slowly stood up, his expression calm, showing no signs of being provoked.

He silently raised his hand and reached into the left breast pocket of his lieutenant's uniform.

Take out a medal from it.

The eight-pointed star, crafted from deep-space metal, gleams under the cool white indoor lighting.

Qin Shi calmly pinned the medal to the left chest of his regular uniform, directly above his heart.

Then he said:

"Major Wang, with your rank, I'm afraid you're not qualified to directly lead me."

(End of this chapter)