Chapter 73: On Merit

"Commander, there are two more—look…" Another cry of delight rang out.

Without that voice reminding him, Zheng Fang had already noticed the situation on the other side.

Besides a young woman leading a squad slaughtering monstrous beasts with unstoppable momentum, another pair of students—a boy and a girl—were likewise reaping monstrous beasts.

As the commander during the first battle, Zheng Fang always kept close watch on battlefield changes to make adjustments.

Today, only because the situation exceeded his expectations, he had been desperately seeking a new breakthrough.

So whenever he focused on the battlefield, everything was captured by his gaze.

"I didn't expect Blue Planet's top ten academies sent so many strong ones—is this student from Zhenyu Academy's fifth year?"

Zheng Fang's voice trembled with excitement; seeing so many young masters emerge, he knew the Human Corridor Defense Line had hope.

If the Human Corridor Defense Line had hope, humanity had hope.

Long before the Human Corridor Defense Line was built, Zheng Fang had already fought gene-monsters for over a decade.

Now, standing on the Human Corridor Defense Line against gene-monsters, he understood better than anyone that humanity's survival could not rely solely on holding this line.

He knew clearly that the future of the Human Corridor Defense Line couldn't depend only on these old men—humanity must break out of the line and exterminate all the monstrous beasts.

What if one day another great monster appeared elsewhere? What would humanity do then? At that moment, this defense line would be a joke.

Now, seeing so many young strong ones emerge one after another, he felt genuine relief. Only by continuously injecting fresh blood could the Human Corridor Defense Line have hope—and humanity have hope.

Suppressing gene-monsters across the globe cannot be achieved by one person or one nation—it is humanity's collective task.

…

Because Qu Yi led a squad slaughtering monstrous beasts from one side, Fang Chong and Especially Especially Ai Xi led a squad slaughtering monstrous beasts from the other.

The monstrous beasts surging toward the defense line rapidly diminished.

When the number of monstrous beasts became insufficient to surround soldiers and martial artists, one-sided slaughter began.

The gene-monsters clearly couldn't hold out; as they neared annihilation, sharp beast roars echoed from afar.

Hearing those sounds, the surviving gene-monsters reacted as if hearing celestial music, frantically charging toward the city walls' exterior.

Some even leaped wildly from the heights of the steel defense wall, disregarding their own lives.

But beneath the wall, the ground was already piled high with monstrous beast corpses; even from greater heights, falling would only injure them, never kill them.

"We won!" Enthusiastic cheers rang out from afar.

More shells rained down, as if escorting the fleeing monsters.

Under the bombardment, rows of monstrous beasts were obliterated; those still alive surged like tidal waves toward the Undersea Highway.

At this moment, the Undersea Highway had long become the monstrous beasts' encampment.

…

"Fang Chong, you're incredible—I was stunned even from far away."

As soon as the monstrous beast crisis ended, Lyu Zi rushed over first, exclaiming excitedly.

Compared to when he first met Fang Chong, Lyu Zi had become much more outgoing.

"You're not bad either—your sword technique killed plenty of monstrous beasts," Fang Chong patted Lyu Zi on the shoulder.

Lyu Zi said, "I owe it all to you—if not for you, I couldn't have killed so many. When you have time, you must teach me the later parts."

"Don't worry—I promised I'd teach you," Fang Chong knew Lyu Zi meant the later techniques of the Thousand Network Gene Art.

Lyu Zi lowered his voice, "Fang Chong, are you and Especially Especially Ai Xi together?"

Fang Chong snorted, "What nonsense—you know I already have someone I like."

"Then why does she know that technique? And I noticed her strength seems no weaker than yours," Lyu Zi said.

He suspected Fang Chong had taught Especially Especially Ai Xi the Thousand Network Gene Art—otherwise, how could she be so powerful?

Fang Chong nodded, "We're all the same level—Fourth-Grade Gene Cultivators. I'll be honest with you: my Invisible Wind Blade technique was taught to me by Especially Especially Ai Xi."

"Incredible—she actually knows that technique! Fang Chong, teach me too after this," Lyu Zi said enviously.

Fang Chong shook his head, "No, I can't—this isn't my creation. But I can teach you my One Yang Finger. Don't underestimate it—my technique is no weaker than the wind blade."

"Fine. By the way, how did Especially Especially Ai Xi reach Fourth-Grade Gene Cultivator so fast? Did you teach her the Thousand Network Gene Art?" Lyu Zi remembered Especially Especially Ai Xi's cultivation level and asked again.

Fang Chong didn't hide it: "Yes, I did teach her the Thousand Network Gene Art."

"Ah…" Lyu Zi stared blankly at Fang Chong.

The Thousand Network Gene Art was passed down by Master Ding Huan—Ding Huan hadn't said anything, yet Fang Chong had already taught it to Especially Especially Ai Xi?

"Master Ding told me that if I thought someone was worthy, I could pass it on," Fang Chong explained.

"Incredible—I mean, Especially Especially Ai Xi is incredible. She foresaw this and chose Han Yi Academy," Lyu Zi marveled.

In his view, if Especially Especially Ai Xi hadn't entered Han Yi Academy, she wouldn't have learned the Thousand Network Gene Art—and her strength certainly wouldn't be this strong.

"Big Brother Fang, Big Brother Lyu…" Several students gathered around.

Among them were not only students from Han Yi Academy and the Protectors, but also students from other academies.

Though Fang Chong and Lyu Zi were both first-years, in this era, strength ruled. Seeing how effortlessly they slaughtered monstrous beasts, everyone knew how powerful they were.

"Fang Chong will definitely be the first among us to receive the International Star Guardian Rank, and the rank won't be low. Among our group, he and Especially Especially Ai Xi are definitely the highest," one student said enviously.

Fang Chong laughed heartily, "I just have a great mentor—if not for Master Ding Huan, I wouldn't be the Fang Chong I am today."

"Sigh, why can't I meet such a great mentor?" someone lamented.

"Fang Chong will definitely receive the International Star Guardian Rank, but not necessarily the highest," another said.

Lyu Zi recognized the speaker and asked curiously, "Zhang Qiang, how many monstrous beasts did Fang Chong kill? How many people did he and Especially Especially Ai Xi save leading their squads? Who among us killed more monstrous beasts than him?"

Zhang Qiang pointed to another group far away, "There's a girl over there—I don't know her name. Her techniques resemble Fang Chong's and Especially Especially Ai Xi's, but her efficiency is even higher—she killed more monstrous beasts and saved more people."

"Who is she?"

"She's from the Security Bureau."

"When did the Security Bureau get such a strong expert? Isn't their strongest, Director Zong Han, still recovering from injuries?"

While the crowd was still buzzing with discussion, the broadcast above the defensive line crackled to life,

"All participants and assistants in this beast attack defense, report to the Defense Merit Hall in unit teams. The Defense Forces, report to the Defense Merit Hall in company units."

Chen Dongqin, Director of the Huacheng Security Bureau, shouted loudly, "Everyone, follow me out of here—the battlefield needs clearing, and some wounded require immediate transfer and treatment."

Chen Dongqin was injured, his entire half-body stained with blood.

But he was a Grade Earth cultivator and knew the condition of his wounds; his decision not to seek treatment meant his injuries posed no threat to his life.

As Guo Qingrong was leading Fang Chong and the others to follow Chen Dongqin out, someone came and called Guo Qingrong away.

……

The Human Corridor Defense Line.

This was a defensive line built jointly by all nations of the world to block gene-beasts; one could imagine how vast its financial resources were.

Although the mortality rate here was extremely high, the rewards were astonishingly generous.

Nine out of ten who earned the International Star Guard rank came out of the Human Corridor Defense Line.

Earn merits here, and you need not fear someone stealing your credit, nor need you wait a year or more.

Because here, merits are not reported up through layers, verified slowly, debated, then slowly pushed forward—after fighting gene-beasts, your merits are counted immediately.

Thus, every time a beast tide is repelled, or after every attack wave, merits are awarded instantly.

Delay will never exceed twenty-four hours; if it does, the commanders here are at fault.

When Fang Chong and the others followed Chen Dongqin into the Merit Hall, over a thousand people were already inside.

Fang Chong knew they were newcomers and thus had no unit assignments yet; once settled, they too would be organized into teams.

Each team ranged from ten to thirty members.

After the Merit Assembly, every representative must distribute team and company rewards to individuals within twenty-four hours.

Though called twenty-four hours, since the defense line's founding, no one had ever received their merits more than six hours after battle ended.

Fang Chong's group all belonged to the Great Han Yi Academy, so they sat together in one section.

The lower ranks had not yet all arrived, but the leaders above had already taken their seats.

"Has Master Guo not arrived yet?" Fang Chong asked, noticing everyone had been chatting for a while and Guo Qingrong still hadn't shown up.

"Don't worry, I'm here," came Guo Qingrong's voice.

"Master Guo, what was it that called you away?" Especially Especially Ai Xi whispered.

Guo Qingrong chuckled, "Good news—just wait. Let me introduce you to some of the leaders here…"

Through Guo Qingrong's introduction, Fang Chong learned the elderly man seated in the center was Hu Jiatian, the overall commander of the Human Corridor Defense Line.

The tall, bearded middle-aged man beside Hu Jiatian was Zheng Fang, the First War Commander of the Human Corridor Defense Line; the white man was War Chief of Staff Kendi.

In addition, there was a young woman, Secretary-General Anne.