Gao Wu insists on cultivating immortality.

Chapter 291 Like-minded but incompatible

Ten miles north of Jiguang County is the headquarters of the Second Army.

The military headquarters was surrounded by a four-meter-high red wall with barbed wire. Every fifty meters there was a tall watchtower with heavy machine guns mounted on the windows by soldiers on duty.

Aurora County is less than 200 miles from the Aurora Icefield. As more and more spatial passages are added, strange beasts occasionally venture into the territory of Aurora County.

To protect Aurora County from invasion, dozens of outposts are set up along a 200-mile radius. Even the military headquarters guard towers remain on high alert.

Around noon, the lookout post spotted several military vehicles passing through the county town and heading towards the military headquarters.

The sentry immediately notified the duty room and quickly received a reply that it was the Central Plains Inspection Team that was inspecting the military headquarters.

The soldiers who received the notification were a little confused; such an important matter was announced at the last minute.

The two battalions directly under the military headquarters immediately sprang into action, organizing soldiers to line up on the main road at the entrance to welcome them.

In the office building's duty room, Chief of Staff Song Yunfeng immediately went to find Song Chunqiu and informed him of this important news.

Song Yunfeng looked puzzled: "Why are you conducting inspections at this time? You didn't even tell us beforehand. If something goes wrong during the inspection, it won't look good for anyone."

According to regulations, inspection teams must be notified in advance of their visits so that all departments can prepare.

A surprise inspection without prior notice is most likely a troublemaker. Therefore, Han Ming was somewhat worried, wondering what was going on in Zhongjing.

The situation on the Aurora Icefield is dire; stability is needed on all fronts. To cause trouble now would be tantamount to killing millions of Aurora Legion soldiers…

Song Chunqiu remained calm and composed: "It's nothing, it must be an old friend who has come."

"An old friend?" Song Yunfeng was even more puzzled. Where in Zhongjing did they have any old friends?

The Aurora Legion has always been on the periphery of the Alliance military, mainly because Song Xuetao has guarded the Aurora Icefield for sixty years. His prestige is unshakable, and he is the spiritual leader of the entire legion.

This is why the Aurora Legion also bears a strong personal imprint of Song Xuetao.

Zhongjing certainly didn't like this situation, but the threat from the alien beasts was too great, so he could only silently endure it.

Although Song Yunfeng was from a collateral branch of the Song family, he had served in the military for many years and had already entered the core of the Aurora Legion. He naturally knew that the relationship between the Song family and Zhongjing was not good.

"Actually, you've met him before."

Song Chunqiu sighed with emotion as he recalled the past, which made Song Yunfeng even more confused. He had met him before?

Seeing the usually shrewd and capable Song Yunfeng looking completely bewildered, Song Chunqiu couldn't help but laugh: "It was last August in Changling, when Wan Canglong held a blood sacrifice in Dacang Town. There was a young martial arts expert back then, do you remember?"

"I remember, that child has keen senses. It was he who discovered that Wan Canglong was hiding in the mirror space. That's how he easily dealt with Wan Canglong."

Song Yunfeng said, "Two months ago, in the 197th Secret Realm, wasn't it Gao Wu who launched the nuclear bomb? Did he join the military?"

The 197 Secret Realm is related to diamond crystal mines, which is a very important industry and has always been under the responsibility of Song Yunfeng.

He naturally knew that it was Gao Wu who released the nuclear bomb, which killed the level seven alien beast.

He was somewhat surprised that Gao Wu had joined the Zhongjing military organization after only two months.

Gao Wu's abilities are undeniable, but he lacks any seniority in the military. As far as he knows, Hai Wuji doesn't wield much influence over the Zhongjing military either.

Once a group shares common interests, it becomes very difficult for outsiders to interfere. The same applies to the Martial Saint, unless Hai Wuji disregards the rules.

"Gao Wu is now a major general in the Security Headquarters and has the authority to supervise the three armed forces."

As Song Chunqiu spoke, he couldn't help but sigh. He had initially wanted to win over Gao Wu and had promised him the rank of Major General.

The same rank, but different positions represent different powers. The major general he gave him can only enjoy the benefits of a major general. He can certainly get by in Beizhou, but he won't be able to do so in other places.

The Strategic Security Headquarters is the Alliance's highest intelligence agency and also possesses immense power to oversee the three branches of the armed forces. It reports directly to the Supreme Council.

Gao Wu's entry into the Security Headquarters as a major general can be described as a meteoric rise in his career.

Song Chunqiu was a little envious. These positions were reserved for the most important core members. Not to mention someone with the surname Song, no one from any of the other fourteen states could get in.

"The convoy has arrived. Let's go down and meet them." Song Chunqiu sighed again. "Times have changed. Even if he is only eighteen years old and is my granddaughter's husband, he is still an honored guest and cannot be neglected."

Song Yunfeng's feelings were also a bit complicated. Last year when he saw Gao Wu in Changling, he was still a flamboyant and brave young man. This year, the young man has already firmly surpassed him.

In the vast Aurora Legion, only Commander Song can consistently keep Gao Wu in check. The others are no match…

The two arrived at the office building entrance, where the convoy had also arrived.

Gao Wu got out of the car first, and accompanied by a group of people, he went to Song Chunqiu. After two months apart, Song Chunqiu had not changed at all, but Gao Wu had changed a lot.

Thinking about it, he felt a little emotional. Before Song Chunqiu could speak, he gave a formal salute: "Greetings, General Song."

In private, it doesn't matter what you call him, but in front of so many people, you should naturally address him by his official title. He won't make a mistake on this point.

Song Chunqiu returned the greeting and then gestured, "Welcome General Gao, welcome to the inspection team..."

Gao Wu introduced Wang Tiemei to Song Chunqiu, then shook hands and exchanged pleasantries with Song Yunfeng before the group went upstairs to the conference room.

Even though the two sides were clearly very familiar with each other, Gao Wu, being of a certain status, had to be polite at first, exchanging some official pleasantries.

Fortunately, Song Chunqiu was very familiar with this process, so he chatted with Gao Wu and gave a brief introduction to the situation of the military headquarters and the Second Army.

I also accompanied Gao Wu and his group to the camp for a quick look around. Because we hadn't prepared in advance, some parts of the camp were still a bit messy.

Fortunately, they generally met the standards and there were no major problems.

At noon, Song Chunqiu treated a group of people to lunch in the small canteen. The food was relatively refined, mainly consisting of a large amount of exotic beast meat.

In this respect, the Aurora Legion has a significant advantage. They have an almost inexhaustible supply of various high-grade alien beast meat.

After lunch, Gao Wu told Wang Tiemei to take the others to rest. He and Song Chunqiu went to the office.

This was Gao Wu's first time here. The office was simply furnished, mainly consisting of a heavy laptop and a large pile of paper documents.

Apart from that, there was nothing else to furnish or decorate.

"Please sit down, make yourself at home." Song Chunqiu sat down on the sofa and gestured for Gao Wu to sit as well.

Song Chunqiu brewed a pot of tea. He didn't bother with anything special; he just poured a handful of tea leaves into boiling water, and the tea turned a dark reddish-black color. It looked delicious.

"What are you doing here?" Now that there were no outsiders around, Song Chunqiu dropped the pretense and asked directly, "You're not really here to investigate me, are you?"

"No, I'm on my way to the depths of the ice field. I just stopped by to see you."

Gao Wu took a sip of the slightly bitter and astringent hot tea. To be honest, after eating the greasy beast meat, this bitter tea really helped to cut through the grease.

"What are you going to do in the depths of the ice plains? It's extremely dangerous there." Song Chunqiu's expression turned serious. The depths of the ice plains were no longer a secret realm, but a true otherworld.

The last time they went to the other world, it was because they had scouted the area and found that there was only one level seven giant snake nearby.

The ice plains are different. Every winter, large numbers of strange beasts emerge from the passages because food resources are scarce in the ice plains during winter. These beasts are willing to risk coming to check the situation.

The Aurora Legion has guarded the ice field for decades and has ventured deep into the ice field to explore its conditions several times. Each time, they suffered heavy losses and gained very little.

To this day, the true extent of the ice field remains unknown. All that is known is that the opposite side is a vast ice cave world, with a unique ice field ecosystem that sustains numerous strange beasts.

"I was ordered to investigate the situation." Gao Wu trusted Song Chunqiu, but he wouldn't tell Song Chunqiu much about such an important matter.

Song Chunqiu couldn't help him, and telling him would only risk revealing the secret. So, it was better not to say anything. Gao Wu casually took out a small briefcase and handed it to Song Chunqiu: "Teacher Song, this is a small gift from me."

"Hmm?" Song Chunqiu stared at Gao Wu's hand and asked in surprise, "Spatial ability?"

"I suppose so." Gao Wu grinned, but didn't mention the Xuanlong Ring.

"Amazing!" Song Chunqiu exclaimed sincerely. This kid has one superpower after another, and now he has even awakened a spatial ability, which is extremely useful.

Putting everything else aside, if you carry a nuclear bomb with you, you can throw it at any powerful alien beast you encounter. Even if it doesn't kill the beast, it can at least stop it.

Song Chunqiu clicked his tongue in admiration, his face filled with undisguised envy. He casually opened the box and saw a tangible golden potion inside.

"This is?"

"Level 7 Golden Elixir. It can strengthen the body and enhance source power. Most importantly, the side effects are minimal," Gao Wu said.

"Oh, then I'll give it a try." Song Chunqiu trusted Gao Wu a lot, and he immediately opened a vial of medicine and took a small sip.

This kind of thing that goes in your mouth is definitely different from injected medicine. He figured it wouldn't hurt to taste a little.

The golden elixir, upon entering his mouth, transformed into a long yet intense spiritual energy that instantly permeated his entire body. Song Chunqiu felt his blood burning, and his hair stood on end, supported by the surging spiritual energy...

Several minutes later, Song Chunqiu finally exhaled. He sensed the burgeoning vitality within his body and couldn't help but feel a surge of emotion.

After a moment of silence to compose himself, Song Chunqiu said earnestly to Gao Wu, "Thank you."

“Two years ago, Master Song taught me boxing techniques and gave me all sorts of guidance, which I remember and will never forget.”

Gao Wu said sincerely, "This small gift is nothing to me; I only hope it will be of some help to Master Song."

"With this elixir, advancing to level six will not be difficult."

Song Chunqiu was filled with emotion. He had already advanced to level five more than twenty years ago. At that time, he was full of vigor and thought that level seven was not impossible. However, a serious injury caused him to stagnate at level five.

He thought his life would end like this, but he never expected there to be such a spiritual item as Golden Elixir, which could heal his old injuries and would surely allow him to advance to level six.

Song Chunqiu laughed, "Mingyue has such good taste. From now on, our Song family will rely on the two of you..."

Gao Wu smiled obsequiously. Whether the Song family relied on him or not was hard to say, but he and Xiao Song were definitely bound together.

For this reason alone, he should treat the Song family better. Besides, he needs the Song family's full support to train deep in the icy plains.

Don't be fooled by the twenty-odd men he brought; they're practically useless on the ice plains. Ultimately, the Aurora Legion's full cooperation is needed for his men to be of any use.

That evening, Song Chunqiu and Gao Wu headed straight for the Aurora Legion headquarters, a hundred miles away.

Gao Wu also met Song Xuetao, the Martial King who had been a powerful figure in the Northern State for decades.

Song Xuetao has a full head of white hair, thin features, and somewhat loose facial skin with some age-related scars, making him look quite old.

But he sat there with his back straight, his eyes bright and alert, the Union insignia and a large gold star on his shoulder insignia representing the rank of Marshal.

The entire alliance has only nine marshals, all of whom are the most important pillars of the military, and each one is exceptionally important.

Facing the old military marshal, Xiao Song's great-grandfather, Gao Wu first saluted and then bowed deeply to greet him.

It wasn't just because of Song Xuetao's identity, but also because he had been stationed in the Aurora Icefield for sixty years, dedicating his entire life to border defense and protecting the entire Northern State.

Such a person deserves respect simply for his achievements and contributions.

Song Xuetao looked Gao Wu up and down. His gaze was gentle, and his aged face was full of a gratified smile: "Chunqiu has mentioned you many times. I've finally seen you in person. You are indeed a dragon among men."

"Good, good, good... We have successors, the Alliance has successors, China has successors..."

Gao Wu's powerful spiritual strength allowed him to keenly sense that Old Master Song was genuinely happy, without any ulterior motives. He was simply pleased to see the rise of the new generation and to see hope for the future.

Putting everything else aside, his magnanimity is no less than that of the two Martial Saints. In fact, it's even purer.

No wonder Grandpa Song guarded the frontier his whole life.

Gao Wu felt somewhat unworthy of the old man's high expectations. He said, "This junior is ashamed; I haven't done many things well."

"No, you're already very good."

Song Xuetao said seriously, "When I was your age, I was just a clueless kid who didn't understand anything. Kids these days are definitely smarter and more talented."

He then asked, "Was it Hai Gong who sent you deep into the ice field?"

Before Gao Wu could speak, Song Xuetao said softly, "Beyond the Icefield Secret Realm lies the Endless Ice Cave, a very special world. Deep within the Ice Cave, there should be extremely powerful beasts. It would be extremely dangerous for you to go in alone."

Song Xuetao shook his head slightly as he spoke. He felt that Gao Wu had unparalleled talent and was already at level six at eighteen. He believed that Gao Wu would have a chance to become a Martial Saint at thirty.

The risks and rewards of rushing into cultivation are completely disproportionate.

Seeing the old man's concern, Gao Wu could only say, "It was Qin Gong's arrangement. He felt that time was of the essence, and we had to be more proactive."

"Time is indeed running out," Song Xuetao sighed softly, for he was all too familiar with the icy plains.

The ice sheet has changed significantly over the past year. To put it another way, it's as if the ice sheet is rapidly disintegrating and will collapse completely soon.

At that time, the secret realm of the Aurora Icefield might expand tenfold. With the legion's strength, it would be absolutely impossible to defend such a vast secret realm.

With the defenses breached, how long can Beizhou hold out against the overwhelming horde of strange beasts?
Gao Wu said, "That's precisely why I need to venture deep into the ice field to investigate the situation. Perhaps I can find a solution."

“Go ahead,” Song Xuetao said. “Don’t worry, I’ll have them fully cooperate with you. You can tell me what you need.”

"Thank you, Lord Song." Gao Wu was overjoyed to receive this promise.

"Time is of the essence, I'll head to the Ice Plains tomorrow. Once Mingyue arrives, we might be able to communicate through mental resonance. That would be much more convenient."

Finally, Gao Wu presented two bottles of Level 8 Golden Elixir. These were sent to him by his teacher, Hai Wuji.

The teacher was unaware that he would join the Security Headquarters, but he knew about his relationship with the Song family. Because Song Xuetao was so important to the Aurora Legion, he was asked to help deliver the gold elixir.

"Lord Hai is so kind." Song Xuetao held the two vials of golden elixir and immediately sensed the powerful vitality within them. He understood Hai Wuji's meaning and was also somewhat moved.

He always felt that Hai Wuji was somewhat naive, and that it would be difficult for him to protect the alliance in this cruel world. He and Hai Wuji were never true allies.

However, they shared one thing in common: a dedication to public service. Therefore, they could be considered kindred spirits, sharing the same ideals but fundamentally different paths…

Gao Wu obtained a portion of the map of the Ice Plains from headquarters, along with some supplies and equipment specifically designed for use in the Ice Plains.

Early the next morning, Gao Wu rode his mechanical warhorse straight to the Icefield Secret Realm.

On the rooftop, Song Chunqiu watched Gao Wu's figure disappear into the distance and sighed, "That mechanical warhorse is really useful and impressive."

He then whispered, "But I always felt that Gao Wu was a bit cunning and wasn't telling the truth."

Song Xuetao was also watching Gao Wu's departing figure. Hearing this, he chuckled and said, "You, you just calculate too much. As long as you're willing to take responsibility for the human race, that's good. Everything else is trivial."

"Just like Duke Qin, although he was pragmatic and even unscrupulous, it wasn't for his own selfish reasons. It was simply that we had different principles..."

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(End of this chapter)