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Chapter 445 I will take his place and hold the fort at the rear for you!
The original martial arts training wall, an underground passage.

The heavy stone door slowly closed.

This isolates Fang Qingyu's figure from the myriad phenomena that may exist within.

Outside the door, the golden light gradually faded.

Only the faint white light emitted by the fluorite on the rock wall remained.

It reflects the image of Hong Qitian and the old gatekeeper.

Hong Qitian stood still, his hands behind his back, gazing silently at the stone gate for a moment.

Then, he slowly exhaled a long breath.

Without lingering, he turned and prepared to leave.

"Ok?"

He had just taken a step when the old man beside him, who had been sitting back against the rock wall with his head bowed as if he had fallen asleep again, suddenly uttered a syllable filled with doubt.

The old man did not look up; his voice, hoarse and aged, echoed in the silent passage like a dream.

"Aren't you going to wait for him to come out?"

Hong Qitian stopped in his tracks, turned half his face to the side, remained silent for a moment, and then shook his head:

"No. He will stay here much longer than anyone imagines."

He paused, then lowered his voice and added a sentence, as if explaining.

"The fighting has already started outside. I can't just wait here."

The old gatekeeper who always seemed indifferent to everything around him.

The withered fingers resting on his knees twitched almost imperceptibly.

He kept his head down, his white hair obscuring his face, making it impossible to see his expression.

A brief silence fell over the passage, with only the silent flow of fluorite light.

After several seconds, the old man spoke again, his tone tinged with inquiry:
"Is it possible?"

He slowly raised his head.

Those seemingly cloudy old eyes pierced through the dim light, staring intently at Hong Qitian's back.

"What you just said...wasn't you lying to that kid?"

The boy he was referring to was naturally the child spirit on the stone gate, formed from golden light.

Hong Qitian had just made a solemn promise to the spirit, saying that Fang Qingyu was a once-in-a-lifetime genius who would quickly learn all the inheritances after entering, thus helping him escape his predicament.
Upon hearing this, Hong Qitian slowly turned around and faced the old man.

He shook his head with a strange expression.

"of course not."

The old man's pupils contracted slightly the instant he heard the answer.

That calm, expressionless face.

A trace of emotion finally surfaced.

All of Hong Qitian's conversation and actions with the wall spirit flashed through his mind, prompting him to reinterpret them.
co-authored
Was Hong Qitian's statement not a stopgap measure to appease Bi Ling and facilitate Fang Qingyu's entry?
Is he telling the truth?!
That young man named Fang Qingyu might actually be one.
No, it is highly likely that one can thoroughly comprehend all the ancient sage origins contained within the Primordial Martial Arts Wall in a short period of time.
this.
The old man's thin chest rose and fell slightly.

It was as if an ancient well that had been silent for too long had finally begun to ripple.

The surprise and doubt in his eyes slowly faded, transforming into an extremely complex understanding.

"Row"

The old man finally lowered his head again.

He shifted his body and sat firmly against the cold rock wall, in the same posture as when Fang Qingyu and the others first arrived.

Only a single, extremely soft word drifted out, like a wisp of smoke:

"Then I understand."

"I will protect him."

Hong Qitian watched as the old man returned to his original state.

A barely perceptible hint of respect and gratitude flashed in his eyes.

He said no more, but bowed deeply once more to the old man's bowed figure.

Then, he resolutely turned around.

Without the slightest hesitation, they quickly disappeared at the end of the narrow passage leading to the ground.

The heavy footsteps faded into the distance, eventually being completely absorbed by the rocks.

The underground passage has returned to its deathly silence.

Only the cold light of the fluorite illuminated the ancient stone gate and the old man standing before it, who seemed to have become one with the rock.

……

The Great Wall at Sea.

A7 Theater Command Building.

Two days have passed since Fang Qingyu left for the capital.

The crowds who had spontaneously gathered and cheered in the plaza below the building to celebrate the great victory in the first ice-breaking operation had already been persuaded to leave and disperse.

Jiang Qi issued a clear order: the war zone was placed into a level-two combat readiness state.

Non-essential personnel are not allowed to linger near the command center.

A resounding victory at the start of the year is certainly encouraging.

But everyone knew that for this global war that would determine the fate of races, it was merely a limited initial victory.

The real battle, like an undercurrent beneath the surface of the sea, is now beginning to surge and converge.

The top floor of the command post.

A medium-sized conference room specifically designed for meetings of senior key personnel.

The atmosphere was so heavy that water seemed to drip out.

Xiao Jiu sat in the main seat.

Chu Kuanglan and other key members of the Dawn Legion, along with several high-ranking generals from the A7 War Zone Federation, sat on either side.

Each person has a lit tablet in front of them.

The screen displays the latest combat orders, which have just been encrypted and transmitted from the Great Wall Command.

[A7 Theater Emergency Defense Mission (Code: HLW-D002)]

[Mission Type: Large-scale positional defense battle]

[Enemy Situation Summary: A massive army of Life Demons has been detected moving towards the Bone Continent, with an estimated strength exceeding one million units. Their trajectory points directly towards the A7 war zone defense section. Based on fluctuation characteristics, multiple powerful Royal-type reactions are present within this army, indicating a greater than 97% probability that Tier 5 Life Demons are accompanying them.]

[Mission Requirements: Relying on the maritime Great Wall defense line, resolutely repel the invading enemy, ensure that the A7 theater defense section is not breached, and deplete the enemy's manpower as much as possible.]

[Warning Time: Enemy vanguard units are expected to enter our long-range strike range within 48 hours.]

[Instruction: Effective immediately, Area A7 is placed on Level 1 combat readiness. All combat units are to move into their designated defensive positions according to the pre-arranged plan.]

one million!

Fifth-tier royal race accompanied the army.

These two words weighed heavily on everyone's mind.

Unlike previous ice-breaking operations that involved proactive attacks and using strength to strike at weakness.

This time, they were purely on the defensive.

They will face a massive army a hundred times their size, and almost inevitably, a high-level enemy force that requires equal combat power to contend with.

And their most fatal problem right now is...

It lies precisely in high-end combat capabilities.

Fang Qingyu's whereabouts are unknown. Old Master Hong only sent word that he had important business to attend to and his return date was uncertain.

Jiang Wei did return at noon the day before yesterday.

But she didn't come back alone.

He was accompanied by a comatose, unfamiliar woman.

The woman was dressed in a simple, dark-colored robe, with long hair cascading down like an ink waterfall. She was tall and had an exquisitely beautiful face.

After Jiang Wei appeared carrying her, she led her into the highest-level quiet room in the command building, and then there was no further movement.

Chu Kuanglan and the others only caught a fleeting glimpse of it at the time.

But no one knew her.

Before the Lunar New Year, Fang Qingyu took Zhulong back to the Arctic.

However, before everyone had even emerged from seclusion, Zhulong departed.

Therefore, they had never seen Zhulong's appearance, and naturally didn't know who the woman was. However, most of them were fourth-tier powerhouses, and even if they couldn't discern Zhulong's strength, they could more or less understand how terrifying she was.
now.

The oppressive atmosphere in the meeting room was almost suffocating.

Chu Kuanglan held back for a long time, his rugged face full of anxiety. Finally, he couldn't help but look at Xiao Jiu in the main seat, his voice hoarse from suppressing his emotions:
"Master Jiu, is it really not okay to go and ask about the Jing Shi area?"

His gaze swept over the crowd, his meaning clear.

The top combat force we can count on now.

It's just Jiang Wei and the mysterious woman she brought back.

Xiao Jiu slowly shook her head.

"That woman must be injured, Xiao Wei. Although it wasn't said we can't disturb her, let's leave it alone for now unless it's absolutely necessary."

Her words were reasonable and well-founded.

Everyone listened in silence, even though they were burning with anxiety.

After all, no one knows what is happening inside the quiet room.

The consequences of rashly disturbing the peace could be even worse.

But the current battle reports will not change in the slightest because of their predicament.

The enemy's million-strong army is pressing in.

The threat of a fifth-tier royal race looms overhead.

Without a powerful figure of equal caliber stationed in the rear to provide deterrence and response, the outcome of this defensive battle was almost predictable.

Once the enemy's fifth-tier royal species makes a move, the Great Wall defense line will be no longer as strong.

Even that could not withstand the tearing force of a god.

It will inevitably be a one-sided massacre, and the casualties in the A7 theater will be extremely heavy.

This is no longer just a matter of the safety of the Dawn Legion.

It also concerns the safety of millions of personnel, support troops, and hundreds of millions of people in the rear base cities of the entire war zone!
Lin Kang, who had been sitting silently in the corner, suddenly raised his head and said in a deep voice, "Let's ask the Federation for help."

His voice broke the oppressive silence and drew everyone's attention.

"Explain our situation and request the emergency deployment of a Tier 5 expert to temporarily oversee the A7 war zone."

This is currently the most realistic, and possibly the only, feasible solution.

Xiao Jiu sat in the main seat, her delicate eyebrows tightly furrowed.

After a moment, she finally took a deep breath and nodded gently.

"can."

She made her decision and then turned her gaze to Jiang Qi, who was sitting upright and quickly taking notes of the meeting's key points.

"Jiang Xiaoguan."

“Here!” Jiang Qi immediately stood up, her posture upright.

"You will remain fully responsible for the overall command and coordination of this defensive battle. Immediately begin developing a defense plan, coordinating all units, logistics, and intelligence departments. I need to see a detailed operational plan within 12 hours."

"Yes! Promise to complete the mission!"

Jiang Qi responded without hesitation, immediately getting into the zone.

"other people."

Xiao Jiu's gaze swept over Chu Kuanglan, Wei Banmeng, and the others. "Return to your posts immediately, organize your troops, check combat readiness, and await further instructions. Meeting adjourned!"

The moment the order was given, the tense atmosphere in the meeting room was instantly replaced by urgent action.

Everyone immediately stood up without saying a word.

Leave the meeting room quickly and in an orderly manner.

The war machine has begun to operate at high speed.

Xiao Jiu didn't leave immediately; she walked alone to the huge floor-to-ceiling window of the conference room.

Outside the window, the interior of the A7 war zone of the Great Wall at Sea is bustling and orderly like a honeycomb, with countless corridors and tracks shuttling back and forth, and small transport vehicles coming and going in an endless stream.

Further away, through the transparent dome, one can see the deep blue, almost inky, seawater.

Then Xiao Jiu took out her phone.

The screen lit up, displaying the contact name Hong Qitian.

However, just as Xiao Jiu's fingertip was about to press down...

A hand appeared out of thin air without warning, gently covering the back of her hand and pressing down on the cell phone that was about to dial a number.
!!!

Xiao Jiu's muscles tensed up to their limit in that instant.

His pupils contracted rapidly.

A sense of horror shot up her spine and to the top of her head in an instant.

Because she discovered that she couldn't move her phone with that hand, it meant that the owner of that hand was far more powerful than her.

Within the headquarters, only Jiang Wei possesses such capabilities.

But Jiang Wei wouldn't do that because of her personality.

So whose hand is this?

Xiao Jiu remained expressionless, but cold sweat had soaked her back.

At the conference room door, Chu Kuanglan, Wei Banmeng, and the others, who had just left and hadn't gone far, also noticed the sudden presence inside the conference room at almost the same time!
"Who?!"

"Master Jiu!"

Several sharp shouts rang out at the same time.

Chu Kuanglan reacted the fastest, his crimson blood energy erupting suddenly, and he shot back like a cannonball, throwing a punch straight at the owner of the suddenly appearing hand.

Wei Banmeng's Xuanchi Twin Blades instantly unsheathed half a foot, their icy blade intent locking onto the uninvited guest.

Lin Kang, Su Wanqing, and the others also unleashed their power at the same time, turning back to rush into the conference room without hesitation.

However, he was met with a furious attack and aura lock from several fourth-tier powerhouses.

The owner of that hand seemed completely unaware.

She didn't even turn around, but gently patted Xiao Jiu's hand with a hint of reassurance.

It was such a slight movement that it was almost negligible.

Chu Kuanglan's violent and ferocious punch, powerful enough to collapse a small mountain, struck an invisible wall when it was still three feet away from its target.

boom!
The crimson blood and qi surged back violently, and Chu Kuanglan groaned as his figure was abruptly stopped halfway. He staggered to the ground, his face filled with disbelief and astonishment.

Wei Banmeng's sharp sword intent vanished without a trace.

It dissipates and disintegrates instantly after approaching a certain range around the target, posing no threat whatsoever.

Lin Kang, Su Wanqing, and the others' attacks were also pushed away by a gentle yet irresistible force, preventing them from getting close.

Everyone was completely stunned by this seemingly casual approach.

And it was at this moment that Xiao Jiu finally slowly turned her head.

The first thing she saw was the hand pressing against the back of her own hand.

Fair-skinned, slender, with distinct knuckles, like jade carvings, radiating a faint, indescribable warm luster, and even lingering with a very light, yet seemingly soul-stirring, strange fragrance.

This is a woman's hand.

Then, she saw the arms, and the wide sleeves of the dark, antique-style robe.
Go further up.
A stunningly beautiful yet indifferent face came into her view.

His dark, jade-like eyes, as deep as the starry sea, were calmly gazing at her.

is her
The woman Jiang Wei brought back the day before yesterday.

The horror and death wish in Xiao Jiu's eyes vanished instantly, like the receding tide.

Instead, there was a sense of bewilderment and confusion.

At this moment, Chu Kuanglan, Wei Banmeng and the others who rushed back to the conference room finally saw the face of the person who came. They were all stunned and stood there, their hostility and tension replaced by astonishment.

Everyone's mind was in complete chaos.

At a loss for what to do.

The woman in black slowly withdrew her hand from Xiao Jiu's hand.

Her gaze calmly swept over everyone in the conference room, taking in the emotions on each person's face.

Then he said softly:
"There's no need to call for help."

"The upcoming battle."

"I will take his place and hold the fort at the rear for you."

(End of this chapter)