"That’s the situation. The enemy launched a sudden, ferocious attack. I’ve already reported it to division HQ... The question now is how to reinforce Director Qi!"

The deputy director, a True Transformation Realm cultivator who had stayed behind, said anxiously.

"What can we do? There are only two hundred of us left! Why don’t we just retreat!" Liu Huaijin said frantically.

According to the deputy director’s briefing, the enemy had launched a sudden major offensive. Not only was Director Qi trapped in a canyon, but they were also rapidly advancing on their position.

The entire situation had suddenly become perilous.

Hearing this, the deputy director frowned at him but said nothing, turning instead to Zhao Rui.

At this point, the only ones in the entire regimental headquarters capable of mounting a rescue for Qi Tianlu were the two Grandmasters, but one of them wanted to pull back.

Naturally, their only hope was Zhao Rui.

"What did division HQ say?" Zhao Rui asked, not answering immediately.

"Well..."

The deputy director began to stammer.

Zhao Rui’s eyes turned cold, a sharp glint flashing through them. He instantly used the Charm Immortal Technique on the deputy director.

The man already had a guilty conscience, so his mind was clouded in an instant.

"Division HQ ordered an immediate retreat. The enemy isn’t just attacking here; they’re coming from all directions. I only wanted you two to go provide reinforcements because I wanted to save the director."

The deputy director spoke woodenly, like a puppet.

"Fuck, you son of a bitch!"

Enraged, Liu Huaijin kicked the deputy director to the ground.

"No time for that! Prepare to evacuate, now!"

Zhao Rui broke out in a cold sweat. ’Thank god I was decisive and used the Secret Technique right away. Otherwise, this guy would have gotten us all killed.’

In that instant, the deputy director snapped out of it. He saw the two of them darting out of the regimental office without a word.

He instantly realized he must have revealed his secret. He stomped his foot in frustration and shouted, "Guard company!"

"Present!"

"Arrange for all personnel to fall back!"

Soon, the entire camp burst into activity. A moment later, all remaining soldiers had boarded their mechanized vehicles and were speeding toward division HQ.

「Half an hour later.」

Aboard a jeep, Liu Huaijin gave Zhao Rui an exasperated look and scoffed, "That guy’s crazy. Taking the guard company to rescue the director."

"That’s just a suicide mission!"

"We may not be able to do it, but don’t look down on their ardor," Zhao Rui said, his expression unreadable. "One day, it might be us who ends up dead."

Liu Huaijin gave an awkward laugh and turned to look out the window.

The entire Northwest was a landscape of undulating terrain, with Gobi deserts and barren ridges everywhere. There were even vast deserts that stretched on endlessly.

The convoy pressed on, like a lone boat on a vast sea.

Just then, a sound like a tidal wave and a landslide rolled toward Zhao Rui, growing louder as it approached from the distance.

He shoved the door open, vaulted onto the roof of the jeep, and scanned the horizon.

Suddenly, his pupils widened. He stared in utter shock.

In the direction of the Northwest, a wall of energy that blotted out the sky was advancing like a bulldozer, seeming to flatten the very heavens as it rushed toward them at incredible speed.

It was so fast it was upon them in the blink of an eye.

"What is that?" Liu Huaijin, who had also seen it, asked frantically.

"I don’t know! Tell the whole regiment to go on high alert!"

"All units, high alert!"

The regiment’s command was now down to two makeshift, amateur directors: Zhao Rui and Liu Huaijin.

So naturally, it fell to them to give orders.

However, worried about his own ignorance of battlefield tactics, Zhao Rui gave Battalion Commander Qiu Tong full authority over the troops to prevent any mishaps.

Just as everyone from the regiment was taking cover near their mechanized vehicles, their bodies tense with alarm...

The vast, apocalyptic wall of energy swept over them.

It passed straight through the entire regiment in an instant!

The soldiers only saw the light dim for a moment before they were enveloped by the strange wall of energy.

The wall of energy continued to spread into the distance at incredible speed.

"This... this aura... it’s so dense..."

Liu Huaijin stretched out his hands, feeling the Infinite True Qi that felt like a vast ocean. He was deeply and inexplicably shaken.

"Gui Xu is here!"

Zhao Rui’s heart pounded like a drum, but his face was terrifyingly grim.

This wall of energy was clearly the result of Spiritual Qi from the other side spreading out the instant Gui Xu merged with Blue Star.

He believed that soon, the entire Blue Star would be saturated with Spiritual Qi of the same density.

This also meant the environment here was now perfectly suitable for the Gui Xu people, allowing them to launch a full-scale invasion.

"Alert, alert! Evacuate this area immediately! Evacuate this area immediately!"

Just then, a shrill, terrifying warning blared from one of the vehicle-mounted radios.

"Damn it! That’s the signal for a fire saturation strike!"

Qiu Tong’s face fell. He roared, "All hands, immediate evac! Immediate evac! Abandon the heavy gear and pull out at full speed!"

At his command, the well-trained soldiers swiftly cleared out the transport vehicles.

At the same time, all the mechanized vehicles sped eastward at full speed.

"They’re fast!"

Inside his vehicle, Zhao Rui fought down his unease and picked up a light machine gun.

"What’s coming so fast?"

Liu Huaijin was frustrated. ’How is it that I’m always out of the loop, while Zhao Rui seems to know everything?’

"The enemy’s here. Lao Liu, if we hold them back, we might have a slim chance of survival. Otherwise..."

Zhao Rui paused, then looked at Qiu Tong. "You all retreat quickly! Director Liu and I will take the armored vehicles to hold them off!"

"But, Director, let me stay behind with my men!"

Despite having only known him for a short time, Qiu Tong had a great deal of respect for the young director.

The man was young and not a career soldier, but since joining the unit, he had thrown himself into training and learning with single-minded focus.