Chapter 446: The Military Parade

"Thank you, Master, for your guidance." Hu Mei'er suddenly realized that cultivation is nothing but defying Heaven to change one's fate, not following the established order of the world's laws. If one's Dao heart is not firm, even with sufficient Spirit Power, one cannot break through the bottleneck to reach the Grade 6 realm.

Furthermore, when a cultivator advances from Grade 5 to Grade 6, the Heavenly Tribulation they experience is terrifying. If the Dao heart is not firm, it is difficult to survive the Sixth-Grade Heavenly Tribulation, and in the end, one can only return to dust and earth; a thousand years of cultivation ultimately becomes a fleeting dream.

"After we occupy the Jiguan Mountain Spirit Mine, you should go into seclusion to cultivate and prepare for advancing to Grade 6. When you are about to undergo the Heavenly Tribulation, I will also lend you a hand," Meng Yifan said with a smile. The Lightning Rod can effectively weaken the power of the Thunder Tribulation; this has already been verified through testing.

By analogy, the Grade 6 Wind Tribulation and Fire Tribulation should also be able to be weakened by scientific means.

For example, when a spacecraft returns to Earth and enters the atmosphere, it rubs violently against the atmosphere at an extremely high speed. When the Shenzhou series spacecraft re-enter the atmosphere, the surface temperature can reach about 1600°C to 2000°C.

As it approaches Earth, with the decrease in altitude, the slowing of speed, and the decrease in atmospheric density, the surface temperature of the spacecraft will gradually decrease, but it may still maintain a relatively high temperature before landing, usually around several hundred degrees Celsius.

Technologies such as the Aerogel, Glass Fiber thermal insulation material, Ceramic Fiber, Thermal Control Coating, and Heat Pipe applied to the outside of a spacecraft can insulate against a violent temperature difference of two thousand degrees. Therefore, if we use these aerospace materials to make a thermal insulation layer for Hu Mei'er when she undergoes the Fire Tribulation, it should be able to help her weaken the power of the Fire Tribulation.

Of course, undergoing a Heavenly Tribulation involves both danger and opportunity. If Hu Mei'er can survive the Heavenly Tribulation on her own, her body will also be tempered, which is naturally the best result.

If Hu Mei'er cannot survive it and is on the verge of falling, Meng Yifan will then step in to help, using technological means to assist her in passing the tribulation.

Time passed quickly. In the blink of an eye, ten days had gone by. Everyone in Luolong County had been working around the clock, and finally, after ten days, they completed the preparations for the expedition.

Ten days later was a clear day; the sun was bright, the sky was cloudless, and the breeze was gentle. One thousand soldiers of the Salvation Army stood in straight, orderly rows, waiting for Meng Yifan's inspection.

All the Salvation Army soldiers were armed to the teeth, each holding an AK47, carrying a PP87-style 82mm mortar on their shoulder, a PF98-style 120mm rocket launcher on their back, a belt of hand grenades around their waist, and also carrying the corresponding magazines and shells.

The individual load reached as high as one hundred kilograms. If such a load were on Earth, it would be considered terrifying. One must know that when special forces on Earth undergo "Devil Week" extreme training, the individual load is only 30 kilograms.

During international special forces competitions, the limit for an individual soldier's load is 45 kilograms, while completing a march of over 100 kilometers and finishing more than 40 military subjects.

The American special forces have large builds and great strength, but their endurance is lacking; their Marine Corps requires an individual load of 69 kilograms, and marching 15 kilometers is considered passing.

With the current individual load of the Salvation Army, no elite special forces unit on Earth could complete it. However, the Salvation Army is different. Meng Yifan provided them with a large amount of cultivation resources, making every one of them at least a Second Grade Martial Artist. Their physical strength has far exceeded that of ordinary people; even carrying one hundred kilograms of equipment, they can march long distances and immediately engage in battle upon reaching the battlefield.

All the common people of the city came to the surroundings of the training ground, looking at these well-equipped Salvation Army soldiers. Among them were their fathers, their husbands, and their sons. They were about to set out on an expedition. Since ancient times, how many return from war? Perhaps this was the last time they would see them.

The onlookers were very reluctant to part with their loved ones, but they would not stop them from going on the expedition, because they knew that living in the end times, if one does not fight, life is truly worse than death.

Moreover, this expedition is to fight against the Demon Race. The officers and common people of Luolong County all have relatives who were eaten by the Demon Race. This expedition is not only to seize cultivation resources but also to avenge their relatives.

"Son, fight bravely and kill the enemy; don't be a coward," an old father with white hair shouted to his son with tears in his eyes.

"Brother Yue, go and kill the enemy without worry. If you die in battle, I will remain a widow for you, take good care of our parents, and raise our son," a woman said, holding her six-year-old son and crying.

"Dad, you are a hero. When I grow up, I will also be a hero like you," a ten-year-old student shouted loudly, looking at his father in the ranks. He had experienced fleeing from disaster; now, reading and learning characters in school every day, he understood many principles, knew that the life they had now was hard-won, and also knew that it was precisely because of the several bloody battles fought by the Luolong County Salvation Army that Luolong County was defended, giving them a final piece of pure land in the end times.

Now his father was going on an expedition. They were fighting for their relatives and also for all the common people of Luolong County. Just as the teachers said, the soldiers of the Salvation Army live with glory and die with greatness.

The one thousand Salvation Army soldiers were filled with surging emotions and high spirits. They were not afraid of death because Luolong County had already arranged their affairs after death; their families would be properly settled, and even if they died, they could transfer to become ghost soldiers. This was already very good; what else was there to be afraid of?

At twelve o'clock noon, Meng Yifan, in full military uniform, walked onto the high platform on the training ground.

Zhang Shagen ran to the edge of the high platform, saluted Meng Yifan, and shouted loudly: "Lord Meng, the expeditionary force is lined up and ready. Please inspect them!"

Meng Yifan raised his right hand, gave a standard military salute, and shouted: "Begin inspection!"

Zhang Shagen ran back to his original position and shouted to the Salvation Army officers and soldiers: "March! One-two-one, one-two-one..."

The one thousand Salvation Army officers and soldiers followed Zhang Shagen's command and marched forward in step. One thousand people moved as one. While marching, they maintained straight, orderly lines. A spirit of mightiness rushed toward them, making all the watching common people extremely excited. These were their own soldiers, and they were proud of these Salvation Army officers and soldiers.

"Goose-step march! One-two-one, one-two-one..." Zhang Shagen ordered.

All the Salvation Army officers and soldiers, uniform and synchronized, kicked their left feet straight forward about 75 centimeters, with legs straightened, toes pressed down, and the soles of their feet parallel to the ground, about 25 centimeters off the ground;

At the same time, the center of gravity of the body shifted forward, and the right foot moved in the same way; the upper body was upright, leaning slightly forward; the fingers were gently clenched, with the thumb straightened and pressed against the second joint of the index finger; when swinging the arms forward, the elbows were bent, the forearms were slightly horizontal, the palms were facing inward and slightly downward, and the lower edge of the wrist swung to a position about 15 centimeters above the lowest button of the spring-autumn uniform, about 10 centimeters away from the body.

During the march, according to Zhang Shagen's commands, they marched to the rhythm of the "one, two, one" command, with "one" landing on the left foot and "two" landing on the right foot.