A Spear Enters the Array

"What was that sudden loud noise... Why has it suddenly gone quiet down there?" In the third-floor operating room, Mu Qijian was in the middle of a surgery when she suddenly heard the crash of the jeep landing below. Then the sounds of fighting seemed to temporarily vanish. She had no time to turn around, but asked out of concern, afraid the soldiers could no longer hold out. Standing by the window, Mu Xiaolan turned around, her stunned expression turning into pure joy. She exclaimed excitedly, "Reinforcements are here!" "Ah?! How many are there?!" Mu Qijian trembled slightly in her excitement. Quickly drawing her hands back from the incision, she asked in surprise. "Uh, three," Mu Xiaolan laughed. "Han Qingyu is back! And..." Before she could finish, the nurses were already turning their heads one after another. Qingzi—it was Qingzi! They had never set foot on a battlefield, never undergone combat training, and understood little about source energy or combat strength. They only knew that according to legend, Han Qingyu had once been besieged by a hundred foes, yet in the end, with twin blades alone, he had carved his way out of that canyon of death! They did not care how that battle had unfolded, nor how tonight's enemies were different. In short, knowing Han Qingyu was back brought an instant wave of relief. Those fruits hadn't been fed to him in vain; neither had cutting his hair and washing his clothes. He was a soldier, so of course he would repay them with long blades slaying enemies. "And... is that blockhead Wu Xu with him?" Mu Qijian had treated Wu Xu's wounds with her own hands not long ago. Hearing that they had returned, her feelings were complex—she was both touched and deeply worried. Under the current circumstances, the soldiers downstairs were already at the end of their rope. The enemy was numerous, with top fighters among them. Even with their arrival, it seemed impossible to turn the tide; they would probably only throw their own lives away as well. "Yes, and Wen Jifei," Mu Xiaolan said, less given to overthinking things and still brimming with joy. "Ah, Wen Jifei... but can he even fight? That big flirt." Having witnessed the big flirt's charms, several young nurses couldn't leave their posts to see for themselves, but curiosity got the better of them. "No," Mu Xiaolan shook her head, her smile fading as her eyes went wide. "With a single slash, he cut down one of the enemy clan heads!" "!!!" The entire operating room was stunned. In truth, what had been stunned was the entire battlefield. In the siege by seven clans, the first clan head had fallen. Killed by Wen Jifei, with only one slash. Even if it was an ambush from behind, one had to possess the skill to pull it off. At that moment, having spoken his piece, Wen Jifei stood where he was, his body trembling uncontrollably—not from fear in hindsight, but from sheer exhilaration. Just before, when unleashing that strike, he hadn't spared a single thought for what would happen if the roll was a D or an F... He had merely caught sight of Ran Qiuling lying on the ground, blood trailing from the corner of her mouth, while a little old man stood before her holding a blade. He was too terrified that something would happen to his elder sister. The instant he saw it, he had slashed straight out. And then, he had killed him. He had cleaved a clan head to death. After all, Plague Chicken had actually consumed countless source energy blocks. Every day, he listened to Han Qingyu, Shen Yixiu, and Wu Xu discussing source energy surges and combat techniques, and watched them spar together. In private, he had continually tried to imitate and learn from them, vomiting blood who knew how many times whenever the dice rolled poorly. Thus, that slash had been a genuine Grade A source energy surge. Ping Guangliang had died with great grievance, yet without injustice. At the front of the battlefield, Han Qingyu and Wu Xu exchanged a glance. In their urgent state of mind, neither was in the mood to joke around; their only worry was that Wen Jifei, having gone berserk with that one strike, would get addicted and want to keep fighting. *I really want to keep going,* Wen Jifei muttered to himself. He turned around. "Sister." "...Mm." Ran Qiuling tried to stand on her own, but found it difficult. Wen Jifei stepped forward to support her, taking her arm. "Let me help you to the rear first." "But..." Ran Qiuling hesitated, seemingly reluctant to leave the battlefield. "Leave it to Qingzi," Wen Jifei comforted her. Seeing this, Han Qingyu felt relieved. Pulling back his gaze, he calmly surveyed the battlefield ahead. Almost by instinct, the comparative balance of power and numerous tactical details fell into place inside his mind. It had not been easy for the Azure remnants to hold out until now, but realistically, they were truly at their limit. And behind them, why were all those doctors and nurses standing right there as well?! "Reporting!" After looking around, Han Qingyu took several paces forward and raised his hand in a salute. According to Azure tradition, when forces met in chaotic battle, the highest-ranking officer served as the temporary commander. Han Qingyu saluted Major Wang Zhanpo and said, "Azure Sole Witness Legion, Ninth Army, Regiment 425, Squad 1777, Private Han Qingyu, reporting for duty!" "Good." Wang Zhanpo naturally knew of Han Qingyu. Not only did he know him, but through his acquaintance with Lao Jian, his ears had long been battered with endless boasting about the boy. Furthermore, what had just occurred was more than enough to prove his worth. Returning the salute, Wang Zhanpo hesitated and asked, "You..." "I request temporary command." "...It's yours," Wang Zhanpo nodded. Then he warned in a low voice, "That one over there is top combat power." Han Qingyu nodded and glanced back at Tian Hetai. Earlier, when leaving the He residence, the people behind him had said that Old Master Tian alone could kill him, and Han Qingyu had overheard them. This would be his first time facing true top combat power. *He should be weaker than Captain Shao Xuan, right? Captain Shao already has one foot into the Super rank... A pity that our match in the ring back then was only a testing-the-waters sparring match...* The thought crossed his mind unbidden, but he cut it short at once. "All of you, prepare to form a grand defensive array to protect yourselves." In a low voice heard only by the soldiers of the primary battle array, Han Qingyu gave his first order upon assuming command. Hearing this order, the severely weakened Li Jincheng raised his head and glared at Han Qingyu. "You brat, you..." As a veteran, he naturally knew that this order did not include Han Qingyu himself. He understood what the boy intended to do. The brat was being too arrogant... no, pushing himself too far. Han Qingyu didn't answer him, simply turning away. "What does he mean?" someone from the rear who hadn't caught on asked. "He's going to pin down their top experts," Wang Zhanpo said. "The situation has changed. When the enemy strikes again, they won't be focused on taking captives like before. And once a melee of top combatants starts killing in earnest, regardless of the ultimate outcome, most of us here will die." Han Qingyu had come to kill, but even more so to save lives. Ahead, Han Qingyu asked, "Who is named He?" He Zengsheng froze for a moment. "What of it?" "Your home is gone." Han Qingyu briefly described the state of the He family compound, proving that he had truly been there. Ignoring He Zengsheng's reaction, Han Qingyu turned straight around. "Who is named Tian?" Tian Hetai looked at him. "What is Tian Yingguang to you?" Tian Hetai, who had remained calm and unflappable all along, suddenly paled. "What did you do to my grandson?" "Nothing much... just killed him." "You... Impossible! Guang'er has always been clever and alert!" "He was clever. A pity he ran his mouth." Han Qingyu briefly described a few more details. *Song!* Deliberately ignored, He Zengsheng suddenly struck, his spear whistling with explosive violence as it thrust straight toward Han Qingyu. "This old man will have your life!" "And I'll see you on your way!" With an answering *song*, the roar of Han Qingyu's source energy apparatus rang out even louder. Apparatus source energy poured forth, liquid source energy surged like a tide, four metal blocks silently dissolved against his body, and life source energy spilled over. Head-on collision! His left hand held a horizontal blade... while the blade in Han Qingyu's right hand flew from his grip. As the long blade spun violently, a blue-black blade glow erupted. This time, in a head-on slaughter, the Rusty Sister Vortex Slash was not silent; rather, arcs of lightning crackled and hissed as it surged forth like a thundercloud. *So strong!* This was the shared thought of friend and foe alike in that instant. From the enemy ranks came an immediate shout: "Surround and kill him!" Had Han Qingyu arrived a moment later, this battle would have practically been over. Now, he was the defenders' sole pillar, and also the sole object of their fury. Tian Hetai let out an enraged roar and hurled the single blade in his hand as well, hurtling toward Han Qingyu's back. Then he drew another weapon from his back that he had not touched until now—a mace, a long mace of dead iron, edgeless yet pointed, heavy and archaic. In an instant, the experts of the seven clans surged forward, swarming to besiege and kill Han Qingyu! The remaining fighters of the seven clans lunged toward the Azure grand array. Split into two battlefields by Han Qingyu, the melee erupted once more. *Ch-ch-ch-ch...* *Whoosh-whoosh-whoosh-whoosh...* *Clang!* A blade was batted down—the single blade Tian Hetai had just hurled at Han Qingyu's back struck the ground. Into the besieging battle array as it drew tight... A black spear plunged into the ranks. A man entered the fray alongside the spear. Wu Xu stood behind Han Qingyu, facing enemies on three sides.