I can receive unlimited protection; my parents handed me over to the state.

Anyway, they've already killed the fleet commander. The feud is now set in stone.

So, instead of passively waiting for the other side to retaliate, it's better to take the initiative and attack before the other side can react and before their main force has been fully assembled!

"This...this..." Su Lie opened his mouth, but for a moment he didn't know how to refute it. He felt that something was wrong, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

"I agree!" Qian Sen, standing next to him, was the first to slam his fist on the table, his face filled with excitement and fervor!

"That kid's right! Fortune favors the bold! We can't always be on the defensive! So what if it's Atlantis? So what if it's a prehistoric super-civilization? They've been asleep for tens of thousands of years and know nothing about our world now! But we can use the spoils of war to conduct in-depth research and analysis on them! That's our greatest information advantage!"

Qian Sen grew increasingly agitated as he spoke, his eyes, always tinged with a hint of madness, fixed intently on Lu Yuan. "Lu Yuan! You did a fantastic job this time! That trident, that Kraken's life core, and the wreckage of those bio-warships—bring them all back intact! I'm going to dismantle them all! Dismantle them piece by piece! I'm going to reverse engineer all of Atlantis's technology! Then, I'll have you use our own technology to build warships and artifacts even more powerful than theirs! Then, I'll see whether they come to conquer us, or we go to 'visit' their so-called 'Seven Seas'!"

Qian Sen's words were filled with the extreme madness and confidence of a scientific fanatic! Everyone present was thrilled!

Yes! What's there to be afraid of? They have the world's top scientists! They have the world's most fearless warriors! And they have a unique "divine craftsman" who dares to use even gods as "raw materials"! A mere Atlantis? Let's fight it!

"Good!" Su Lie was completely ignited by Qian Sen's words! He slammed his hand on the table, and the domineering and heroic spirit of a steely general surged up once more! "Let's do it!"

"Li Qingcang! Listen up!" He issued the order to the completely dumbfounded Commander-in-Chief of the East China Sea Military Region on the communication channel, "From this moment on, the East China Sea Military Region is on high alert! You keep a close watch on that dimensional portal, don't let a single fly in! At the same time, I will immediately apply to the committee to mobilize support troops from the other three major military regions! Within three days, I want to assemble more than half of China's naval forces in the East China Sea!"

"Also," Su Lie paused, turning his gaze back to Lu Yuan, "Lu Yuan, you shouldn't be idle either. You and your 'God-Making Project' team will be stationed in the East China Sea for now. Your mission is simple: go all out and build! Turn all the 'raw materials' you've collected this time into weapons that can kill the enemy! I don't care what methods you use, I don't care how many resources you consume! In three days, I want to see every core member of our force wielding at least one new epic-level piece of equipment! Can you do that?!"

Su Lie's voice was filled with unquestionable authority! However, Lu Yuan just curled his lip upon hearing this.

"Three days? Epic level?" He looked at Su Lie with a disdainful gaze. "Grandpa Su, you underestimate me too much. Three days is too long. Give me one day, that will be enough."

Lu Yuan held up one finger, a confident smile spreading across his face: "One day from now, I will show you a 'God's Legion' armed to the teeth with legendary artifacts! Then, it won't be them invading us, but us... going to their homeland and throwing a grand 'Seafood Buffet BBQ Party'!"

"Lu Yuan! You little brat!!" Su Lie's powerful roar still echoed in my ears, but the screen had already gone black.

Li Qingcang, the commander-in-chief of the East Sea Military Region who had just escaped death, now looked at Lu Yuan with a gaze that could no longer be described as "awe." It was the gaze one would give to a monster, a god, or some kind of completely incomprehensible being.

"Advisor Lu...Advisor Lu..." Li Qingcang's voice was a little dry as he carefully organized his words, "You...you see, the upcoming defense, and...the handling of these spoils of war..."

"Don't touch anything." Lu Yuan waved his hand, interrupting him. He was in a very good mood, like a top chef who had just finished browsing a market full of top-quality ingredients and was already planning what kind of Manchu Han Imperial Feast he would cook.

That Atlantean fleet, seen as a terrifying enemy by others, was nothing more than a bunch of walking, glittering "legendary raw materials" to him. Especially that guy named Odin, his trident, and that behemoth Kraken's life core. Tsk tsk, these are all good stuff!

"Block this area of ​​water for me. Gather up every piece of warship wreckage, even the smallest fragment the size of a fingernail," Lu Yuan casually ordered, like a powerful tycoon giving orders. "I need it later."

"Yes, sir! Mission accomplished!" Li Qingcang snapped to attention, his voice booming louder than his soldiers'. He wasn't kidding; this was a precious darling of both Su Lie and Qian Sen, two big shots, and he dared not be the slightest bit negligent.

Gu Tianye and Xiang Batian were currently huddled together, arms around each other, looking at their powerful artifact that had just displayed its might, laughing like two 200-pound children.

"Old Xiang, did you see that? That 'Night Parade of Beasts' axe strike I just used was pretty cool, wasn't it? It practically blew that giant octopus's carcass away!"

"Handsome my foot! That's just whipping a corpse! If I hadn't cracked its head open from the front, would you have had a chance?" Xiang Batian said with a disdainful look, but the grin on his lips was impossible to hide.

"Shut up, all of you." Ye Cang's voice came coldly as he carefully wiped his demonic sword, Asura, with a cloth. "You're disturbing Lu Yuan."

The two lively characters immediately fell silent, like mice seeing a cat, and obediently stood aside. The entire "God-Making Project" team now revolved around Lu Yuan as the absolute core; if he said one, no one dared to say another.

Amidst this chaotic yet strangely harmonious atmosphere, a cool and aloof figure slowly walked to Lu Yuan's side. It was Mu Bingli.

Today, she was wearing a light blue combat uniform, which made her skin appear even whiter and her demeanor even more icy. However, at this moment, her eyes, which always seemed to be frozen, held a hint of complex emotions.

"Something wrong?" Lu Yuan glanced back at her and asked casually. He assumed Mu Bingli was also there to ask for an equipment upgrade. After all, in the battle just now, her half-finished guqin, [Nine Heavens Jade Pendant - Ice Soul], although it had played a role, was still far inferior to Xiang Batian and Gu Tianye's two fully-fledged divine artifacts.

However, Mu Bingli shook her head. She didn't speak, but silently took out the guqin from her spatial ring. She sat cross-legged on a relatively clean section of the warship deck, placing the guqin across her lap.

The surrounding noise seemed to fade away at that moment. Her slender, fair fingers gently touched the strings.

A clear, melodious note from the zither, like a mountain stream, instantly washed away the lingering stench of blood and the chill of battle. Everyone involuntarily stopped moving. They turned to look at the girl, who resembled a fairy from a painting.

Mu Bingli closed her eyes, her fingers dancing lightly on the strings. The music was devoid of killing intent or coldness; it possessed only an indescribable peace and gentleness, as if it could soothe the deepest weariness and pain in one's heart.

Lu Yuan was also stunned. It wasn't because the music was beautiful, but because, on his [Blessing of All Things] system panel, he could clearly "see" that, as Mu Bingli played, pale blue "rule notes" made of pure spiritual power were drifting out from the strings and merging into the air.

These musical notes were gently repairing the chaotic spatial rules that had been disrupted by the recent battle. Even the depleted energy and blood of Gu Tianye and Xiang Batian, who had forcibly activated their divine artifacts, were slowly being restored by the music.

"This..." Lu Yuan was somewhat surprised. He hadn't expected Mu Bingli's control over power to have reached this level. This was no longer a simple battle, but rather an application that was almost akin to the "Tao." She was expressing her gratitude to him in her own way.

The music ended, its lingering notes echoing. Mu Bingli opened her eyes, her gaze calm and serene as she looked at Lu Yuan. "Thank you," she said softly, yet with exceptional clarity. "It's more than just a weapon."

Lu Yuan understood. For Mu Bingli, who had been struggling on the edge of life and death, this zither was hope and salvation.

"It's alright, but the materials are a bit cheap. I'll get you a better string later." Lu Yuan nodded and gave a serious evaluation.

Mu Bingli: "..." The slight feeling of emotion that had just arisen within her was instantly swallowed back. This guy, as expected, is still that straight-laced man who treats everything as "materials".

Just as the atmosphere became somewhat tense, Zhao Qingxuan suddenly appeared beside Lu Yuan, holding a military communicator. "Sir, an urgent communication from Commander Yan Ji of the Northern Theater Command."

"Yan Ji?" Lu Yuan raised an eyebrow. Judging by the time, she and Tang Long should have already dealt with that "Void Nightmare" in the Northern Territory.

He took the communicator, and Yan Ji's strikingly beautiful face immediately appeared on the holographic projection. Her background seemed to be the bridge of a warship, surrounded by busy soldiers.

"Kid, not bad!" Yan Ji's first words were her signature hearty laugh, but her voice carried an undisguised excitement and pride. "I just saw your East China Sea theater's live battle report at the Northern Command. One person, leading a small squad, wiped out Atlantis's vanguard fleet? And even killed their governor? Tsk tsk, your growth rate is making me a little jealous."

Yan Ji's tone was less like praising her subordinate and more like that of an older sister proud of her successful younger brother.

"The usual stuff is all low-quality stuff, not worth mentioning," Lu Yuan said casually.

"Rotten fish and shrimp?" Yan Ji was amused by his Versailles-like tone. "In all of China, you're probably the only one who can describe an SSS-class fleet governor as rotten fish and shrimp."

She paused, then changed the subject, a hint of amusement in her eyes: "However, I've heard you've been surrounded by quite a few women lately, it's been quite lively. That little girl playing the piano earlier was quite nice. Pretty and with a good temperament. What? I've only been gone a few days, and you've already fallen for someone else and forgotten about your 'battle instructor'?"

The air froze instantly upon hearing this. Mu Bingli, who was silently putting away her guqin, paused slightly. Lin Ziling, not far away, also looked over with great interest. Even Gu Tianye and Xiang Batian pricked up their ears, looking like they were ready to witness a major spectacle. A chaotic scene? This was much more interesting than a fight!

Lu Yuan completely missed the point. He frowned, looked at Yan Ji on the screen, and asked seriously, "How's the battle going on your end? What's the data feedback for [Phoenix Cry]? Have there been any energy overloads or rule rejections? I need detailed data on your last one hundred attacks for future upgrades."

Yan Ji's smile froze. Looking at Lu Yuan's serious expression, as if to say "I only care about work," she felt like she'd punched a pillow. This clueless blockhead! Idiot!

"Data, data! All you ever think about is data!" Yan Ji roared, somewhat exasperated. "I'm in the Northern Frontier, braving the wind and snow, fighting those disgusting monsters to the death, and the first thing you ask me for is data? Can't you even check if I'm hurt?!"

After she finished yelling, she realized that her tone seemed a bit too harsh, too...resentful. This wasn't like her "Flame Princess" style at all.

"Ahem," she quickly cleared her throat, regaining her deputy commander's demeanor. "Alright, I'll have my adjutant organize the data and send it to you later. Old Man Su has already given the order: Tang Long and I will return to the Zenith World immediately, then head to the East Sea to meet you. You just wait! When I get there, I'll see how I properly 'train' you!"

Without waiting for Lu Yuan's reply, Yan Ji abruptly cut off the communication, leaving Lu Yuan completely bewildered.

"She...is she angry?" Lu Yuan scratched his head and looked at Mu Bingli beside him.

Mu Bingli glanced at him, her gaze as if she were looking at an idiot. She said nothing, picked up her zither, and turned to leave. But her retreating figure seemed lighter and more carefree than before.

Lu Yuan was even more confused. What was wrong with these women? They were all acting so strangely. Could it be that his "Master Craftsman" aura came with some kind of IQ-lowering debuff?

He was completely baffled. Oh well, if he couldn't figure it out, he wouldn't think about it anymore. It was more important to figure out how to turn this "seafood" into a delicious meal.

"Within a single day, arm an 'Army of Gods'." Lu Yuan's bold promise to Su Lie was being transmitted through the military's top-secret channel to every member of the Supreme Military Council of China.

If anyone else had said these words, even an S-rank Star Envoy, they would have been dismissed as madness. But the one who said them was Lu Yuan. The monster who single-handedly turned the tide of the war in the North and slaughtered the prehistoric super-civilization's fleet like "seafood" in the East China Sea. Therefore, no one doubted him. There was only endless shock and anticipation.

The order was issued to the East China Sea front at top speed. The entire East China Sea Naval Region sprang into action with unprecedented efficiency. A temporary "Master Craftsman's Workshop," erected by countless engineering robots in just three hours, appeared on the coastline. Top-of-the-line forging equipment and rare materials, urgently airlifted from all over China, were piled up like mountains.

Lu Yuan, as the sole chef of this "feast," did not immediately begin his performance. Instead, he summoned all the members of the "God-Making Project" to the workshop.

"From now until six o'clock tomorrow morning, this will be your second training ground." Lu Yuan looked around at the transformed geniuses before him. Gu Tianye, Xiang Batian, Ye Cang, Mu Bingli... each of them exuded a powerful aura far beyond their peers. However, in Lu Yuan's view, it was still far from enough.

"The weapons in your hands may be legendary, but you yourselves are still just babies who have just learned to walk." Lu Yuan's words were direct and hurtful.

Xiang Batian was the first to object. He stuck out his neck and shouted, "Lu Yuan, I don't like what you're saying! I just cleaved that giant octopus's head open with a single axe strike!"

"Really?" Lu Yuan glanced at him. "Then how much force did you use? After that axe blow, wasn't more than 70% of your vital energy instantly drained? If an enemy of the same level had appeared nearby at that moment, what would you have used to defend yourself?"

Xiang Batian was instantly speechless. Every word Lu Yuan said had struck a nerve. He had indeed felt a surge of satisfaction. However, that one axe blow had almost completely drained his strength. If Gu Tianye and the others hadn't arrived in time, he might already be a cripple.

"Weapons are an extension of your power, not your entirety." Lu Yuan's voice echoed in the empty workshop. "Each of you possesses a unique SSS-level or S-level talent. This is your true foundation. Artifacts merely help you better utilize this 'foundation.' If you cannot even fully control your own power, then giving you even the best artifact would be a waste."

These words caused all the geniuses present to lower their heads. They had indeed been blinded by the power of the divine artifact and had somewhat put the cart before the horse.

"So," Lu Yuan paused, his gaze falling on Lin Ziling, "it starts with you."

Lin Ziling possesses the SSS-level talent [Heart of Elements]. In the "God-Making Project," besides Lu Yuan and the mysterious "Zero," she is the most scholarly-like person. She is neither as violent as Gu Tianye nor as pure as Ye Cang. Her fighting style is more like that of a meticulous magic engineer.