Chapter 569: Strategy
The military-issue terminal on his wrist vibrated. Xu Wuyi glanced down at it.
It was a message on an encrypted channel, from High Command.
"Martial Artist Xu, please report to Conference Room 7 in the military headquarters building at 1500 hours today."
There was no signature, but it had been sent with the highest level of clearance.
Xu Wuyi replied with a confirmation.
...
At 2:50 PM, Xu Wuyi walked into the military headquarters building.
The corridors were bustling with people. Many officers would stop in their tracks upon seeing him, either nodding in acknowledgment or casting looks of admiration.
News of his two major achievements—the battle in the Tianshui Star Realm and the cleanup mission in the X-24 Star Domain—had already spread. Within the military, Xu Wuyi was now a bona fide celebrity Martial Artist.
Conference Room 7 was on the top floor and required special clearance to enter.
After Xu Wuyi verified his identity, a metal door slid open soundlessly.
The conference room wasn’t large. In the center was a long, oval table where four people were already seated.
Feng Zhuohua sat at the head of the table. To his left was Lin Shuo, and to his right was a General who looked to be in his fifties with a resolute face. The two General Stars on his shoulder pauldrons indicated his rank.
The fourth person was something of a surprise to Xu Wuyi.
He Yayin.
She wasn’t wearing her Battle Armor today. Instead, she was in a dark blue, standard-issue military uniform, her short hair impeccably styled. Seated next to Lin Shuo, she gave Xu Wuyi a slight nod as he entered.
"Have a seat." Feng Zhuohua gestured to the spot opposite He Yayin.
Xu Wuyi sat down, his gaze calm as he looked at the four high-ranking military officials.
"Xu Wuyi, first, I will formally relay High Command’s decision," Zhao Zhenyue began, his voice deep and powerful. "Effective immediately, your mission authorization is adjusted to ’Strategic Deterrent Level.’ You are not to be deployed unless the Federation faces a crisis of the highest order."
"Additionally, your security level will be raised to S-class. Any travel to an outer Star Realm will require a report to be filed twelve hours in advance and must be approved by High Command."
Xu Wuyi didn’t argue. He simply asked, "How long will this last?"
"Until you break through to Grandmaster, or until the Feathered People rescind the Blood Sacrifice Order," Lin Shuo answered.
"We know this will affect your rate of growth, but it’s a necessary precaution. The potential you’ve shown has made the Feathered People feel threatened. They won’t just stand by and let you continue to develop."
Feng Zhuohua added, "But protection doesn’t mean you’ll be idle. We’ll have more suitable tasks for you, not necessarily front-line combat."
He brought up a holographic Star Map, which displayed the seven Star Domains currently controlled by the Federation, as well as four regions with frequent Feathered People activity.
"Because of your existence, the Feathered People have been forced onto the strategic defensive," Zhao Zhenyue said, pointing at the Star Map.
"They know you’re under heavy protection and don’t dare to make a move lightly. Yet, they must constantly be on guard for you to suddenly appear on some battlefield. Over the past three months, we’ve used this to our advantage, executing seven tactical deployments."
He Yayin operated her terminal, pulling up specific data.
"First, we feigned a large-scale assembly in the K-17 Star Domain. The Feathered People mobilized two Blood Wing guard units to set up a defense. In reality, our main force launched a surprise attack on the L-09 resource star, capturing three rare mineral veins."
"Second, we spread a rumor that you were heading to the Northern Lands to assist with defenses. The Feathered People immediately reinforced their Northern Line. As a result, our Seventeenth and Nineteenth Divisions on the Southern Line advanced in a joint operation, expanding our control zone by fifteen percent."
"Third..."
Xu Wuyi listened in silence.
He hadn’t been aware of these tactical maneuvers before, but it was now clear that the military’s top brass was using him as a strategic chess piece. He didn’t even have to actually make a move; just making the enemy believe he *might* was enough to tie up a significant number of their forces.
Sometimes, the arrow never fired holds the most power.
"In these three months, our feints have caused the Feathered People to expend the equivalent of over twenty sub-King Level deployments," He Yayin summarized. "They’re running themselves ragged, while we’ve seized the initiative on the battlefield."
Zhao Zhenyue looked at Xu Wuyi. "Your value isn’t just in your combat strength, but in the psychological pressure you put on the enemy. A twenty-two-year-old Quasi-Grandmaster who could break through at any moment—that kind of uncertainty is enough to give our opponents sleepless nights."
Xu Wuyi was silent for a moment before asking, "So what’s my next move? Continue acting as a ’decoy’?"
"Not entirely." Feng Zhuohua retrieved a silver-white metal case from under the table and pushed it in front of him.
The case wasn’t large, about forty centimeters long and twenty centimeters wide. It had no markings on its surface, but Xu Wuyi could feel the Energy Fluctuations emanating from within.
"Open it."
Xu Wuyi entered his authorization code. The case unlocked, and the lid slid open automatically.
Inside was a fist-sized crystal.
It was dark red and translucent, with what looked like Flames flowing and leaping within it.
The crystal’s surface was covered in fine, natural patterns. These patterns weren’t random; they faintly formed a sort of regular design, like the trails left by a burning Flame, or perhaps a variation of some ancient script.
What was even stranger was that when Xu Wuyi’s gaze fell upon the crystal, the Golden Crow Illusion in his sea of consciousness suddenly trembled.
Its Flame pinions stirred slightly, as if drawn by something.
"This is..." Xu Wuyi looked up.
"’Flame Marrow Crystal,’" Lin Shuo said slowly. "A special mineral found deep within planetary cores. The Federation has fewer than fifty of them in its entire possession. Each one contains a fragment of the purest Flame Rules, making them a priceless treasure for any Martial Artist who practices the Cultivation of a fire-attribute Heart Image."
Feng Zhuohua looked at Xu Wuyi. "This is a Cultivation resource specially allocated to you by High Command. Consider it compensation for ’playing your part’ these past few months."
Xu Wuyi reached out and picked up the Flame Marrow Crystal.
It felt warm and smooth to the touch, not at all hot, but the flowing Flame within made the Golden Crow Illusion in his Heart Image grow even more active.
He could clearly sense that the Flame Rules contained within the crystal shared the same origin as the Golden Crow Heart Fire he currently wielded, but they were far more ancient and pure.
"How do I use it?" he asked.
"Hold it in your hand and immerse your Heart and Spirit within it to perceive the flow of the Rules inside," He Yayin explained. "The Flame Marrow Crystal is a consumable. As you perceive from it, it will gradually dim and eventually turn into an ordinary Crystal Stone. So you must make every use count."
Xu Wuyi nodded and carefully placed the crystal back in its case.
"Aside from this, there’s one more thing." Zhao Zhenyue brought up a new mission briefing. "Three days from now, we need you to coordinate on an operation."
The holographic image switched, displaying the terrain of an unfamiliar Star Domain.
"The N-33 Star Domain. The Feathered People have established three experimental ’modified broodmother’ bases here. According to our intelligence, they’ve already succeeded in cultivating a second generation of modified beings. Their combat power is close to the peak of the Quasi-Innate realm, and they are capable of basic tactical coordination."
The image zoomed in, revealing a diagram of the underground base’s structure and the distribution of its defensive forces.
"Their defensive force includes six sub-Kings. Two of them are Level 49, and four are between Level 45 and 48. Additionally, there are over three hundred modified beings, as well as conventional defensive installations."