Chapter 68: Approaching

In another world, before the spatial passage.

Groups of Firefeathers continuously gathered, clad in iron armor, wielding curved greatswords.

Like a hundred rivers flowing into the sea, they lined up in perfect unison.

Each Firefeather’s eyes burned with fanaticism, fixed tightly on the passage, as if something wondrous drew them.

Above, three-meter-long Firewing Birds swooped past.

Upon their backs stood Firefeathers bearing longbows.

Forming countless bird formations, they hovered midair.

So numerous they stretched beyond sight, dense as a sea.

Added to the ground formations.

Sky and earth seemed turned to red.

The towering Firefeather Lu Xiusi hovered in place using levitation magic.

He inspected his troops in silence.

The spatial passage would open in two hours—that would be the moment to reach Blue Star.

Originally, Blue Star’s strength could not withstand a full army of First-Rank Firefeathers.

But Lu Xiusi felt unease in his heart—he, as king of the Firefeather Rui family.

His faith in the divine was never devout, at most a shallow believer.

To him, the divine were merely a tool to rule his people.

Secular power belonged to the king; faith belonged to the divine—that was the Firefeather society’s structure.

Yet the divine always stood above all; when they called for a holy war, none dared disobey.

Not even Lu Xiusi—otherwise his kingship’s legitimacy would be questioned.

He could be overthrown by scheming factions.

But this divine command was absurd: it demanded eighty percent of the population join the war.

As if failure had never been considered.

Lu Xiusi naturally disliked it—he was no king who cared for his people.

Yet he understood one truth: if all his people died, his kingship meant nothing.

To consider defeat before victory was the mindset of rulers like Lu Xiusi.

He had tried explaining the situation to the noble council, hoping to pressure the divine authority.

The result, of course, was useless.

That day, the divine manifested, scanning the assembly with a gentle yet stern gaze.

All who resisted lowered their heads.

The flames of judgment burned across the sky; the people’s cheers echoed to the heavens.

This was the age of the divine—their disinterest in worldly affairs meant only that they chose not to care.

It did not mean they lacked control over the mundane.

The church, deeply embedded in the people’s food, clothing, housing, travel, birth, aging, sickness, and death, was the very embodiment of their power.

When they cast their gaze downward, all earthly matters became jokes.

Their might was so solemn, their status so exalted.

Beyond the reach of any mortal.

Had Lu Xiusi not been skillful, had he sent only a pawn,

He might not even sit in this seat now.

Of course, Lu Xiusi himself was uncertain.

Whether his strategy worked—or whether the divine simply did not care about him.

Perhaps they felt replacing him might destabilize things.

Harmful to the coming war.

But no matter what, Lu Xiusi would never again defy the divine’s command.

“Perhaps I overthink it—my army will crush all.”

“From now on, the Rui clan will leave the Etna world.”

“Live in peace and tranquility.”

…

Fang Shi sat quietly in the sword-practice room, surrounded by broken dummies.

Today was the nineteenth day, the day of the second assault’s imminent arrival.

And only one hour remained until its final onset.

Fang Shi no longer practiced swordplay; he sat still, restoring his strength, preparing for the coming battle.

After four days of cultivation, Fang Shi’s White Crane Sword Art had not reached perfection,

but it had attained mastery.

He also consolidated Sword Weapon Mastery I, Sword Weapon Specialization I, Sword Weapon Proficiency I, and Sword Attack Lethality I.

Into a single new specialization.

“【Sword Art I】: As your battle count grows, your handling of sword weapons becomes increasingly natural. Among a hundred warriors who wield swords, your skill ranks among the top! You know how to maximize damage, how to strike enemies more easily. (Damage +3, Hit +3, Attack Speed +1, Critical Strike +1)”

The only regret was that Fang Shi’s magic power remained at five points, unchanged.

Or rather, some magic power lingered in his lower dantian, not yet transformed into his own essence.

Once used, this magic power would be lost forever.

It could not be quickly restored; it required slow, deliberate refinement and accumulation.

Only when this magic power became essence would Fang Shi’s magic power increase by one point.

Simultaneously, it marked the Qi Refiner’s ascent to Level 2.

…

Ancheng, conference room.

Zhaowen Army, Commander Chen, Professor Wang, and over a dozen senior leaders of Ancheng gathered together.

They sat upright, faces solemn, eyes fixed on the mechanical clock at the center of the room.

The time was precisely 11:30 PM.

“One hour remains before the second assault. How prepared are you all?”

An elderly man seated at the head broke the silence first.

He had once been a member of Ancheng’s former committee.

He survived the apocalypse, rising from a sidelined position to Ancheng’s highest authority.

But times had changed—highest authority was no longer a symbol of glory, but a heavy burden.

The safety of Ancheng’s remaining two hundred thousand rested on his shoulders.

Every decision carried a heavy cost.

Thus, he worked tirelessly each day, exhausted yet never relaxing.

It was not that he clung to power.

But at this critical moment, someone must stand firm, overseeing everything.

Each subordinate had their own ideas.

Their intentions might be good, but their actions differed, even clashed.

At such a time, one person must guide the direction, command the whole.

Prevent internal waste, channel all strength in one direction.

And now, only he could be that person.

“Military deployment is complete. Combat units are stationed on every floor, ready to deliver the first strike upon arrival.”

“Civil Affairs has evacuated all civilians, concentrating them in the riverside residential district.”

“Logistics has sufficient grain—we opened the riverside granary, enough to feed two hundred thousand for a year.”

“Technology Department…”

As each report came in, the old man’s face relaxed.

If prior simulations held, Ancheng had a high chance of surviving the second assault.

Even without a single casualty.

The old man smiled: “Then good—if everyone feels ready, that’s best.”

“Let us await tomorrow.”

Ding! Ding! Ding!

The moment he finished speaking, the wall clock struck midnight.

Boom!

Light—countless beams pierced through the black clouds; the earth blazed as if into daylight.

Everyone in the conference room rose at once, their gazes heavy as they watched the transformation outside.

The second assault had arrived!