All-Army Conference

Xilang Peak was still there, still the highest peak in the world. Left behind upon the snowy summit was a Great Spike mothership. The secrets it held potentially spanned source energy spacecraft technology, source energy mechanical drive technology, source energy medical science, high-end dead iron source-fused weaponry, advanced materials engineering, and more. What was more, preserved beneath the craft's lower hold was the intact corpse of a black-armored Great Spike that had failed to self-destruct... Together, they might well usher in a brand-new era in Azure's century-long history of struggle. Over the past century, Azure—or humanity itself—had always progressed this way: pushing relentlessly forward and learning through sacrifice. Only this time, the harvest covered so vast a scope and carried such momentous significance that it possessed the potential to alter the course of human history. This very morning, both on the front lines and in the rear, many were already looking forward with anticipation, pre-emptively dubbing the impending transformations the "Third Source-Weapon Technological Revolution." Looking back across the milestones of Azure history: Humanity's First Source-Weapon Technological Revolution had been marked by the advent of the source energy apparatus and dead iron weaponry. Led by the first-generation triad of scientific leaders, it granted mankind the ability to engage the Great Spikes in head-on combat for the first time. The Second Source-Weapon Technological Revolution was broadly defined by shifting the connection method of the source energy apparatus from inside the body to the body's surface, along with the subsequent cascade of innovations that brought. Spearheaded by a figure named Ne, it had boosted humanity's overall source energy combat capabilities by more than threefold. Now, the Third Source-Weapon Technological Revolution was on the horizon. As to what changes it would ultimately bring, people had only hopes rather than definite answers. Yet however much of it was realized in the end, it would unquestionably be epoch-making. *Actually, the emergence and application of vitalized source energy are also crucial. If that stuff could be researched, developed, and popularized...* All the way down the mountain, Han Qingyu remained in a "coma," listening and pondering the entire time. At the base of Xilang Peak, the thousands of military tents belonging to Azure's various front armies were still standing, yet there were those who would never return. Their souls would guard the world's highest peak; above the ice and snow, their heroic spirits would endure forever. Lying on the stretcher, Han Qingyu squinted through his feigned unconsciousness. He saw that among the sprawling tiers of military tents, at least eighty percent had already reoriented outward. The front line had shifted into a defensive posture to guard the Great Spike mothership. At the base of the dirt slope where Squad 1777 was stationed, the stretcher carrying Han Qingyu came into view. The crowd rushing down from the slope came to an abrupt halt, standing in stunned silence as they stared at the blood-drenched body on the stretcher. They were terrified. "Qingzi, he..." "He... Come down and help carry him." Rusty Sister called down Wen Jifei, He Tangtang, and the others, taking over from the medics. They carried him up the slope and into the tent. Then, Han Qingyu sat bolt upright. "You! I... Fuck your whole family." Wen Jifei and the others cursed and spun around. They had been on the verge of getting all sentimental; thank goodness they hadn't started bawling. Han Qingyu gave a tired smile. "No time to explain much. For the next day and night at least, keep watch for me. Don't let anyone in—and I mean anyone. I think I'm about to molt." He used to shed his skin, but this time, the word Han Qingyu used was *molt*. That was simply how his body felt. As for the consequences, he had no idea, though an undercurrent of unease was inevitable. With that, he carefully tucked his blue column sword and the remaining thirty metal blocks into his bedding, then had Rusty Sister set down her smaller blue column sword and the jade bone as well, stashing them together. From now until departure, he would use "the body of a Xilang Peak battlefield hero so gravely wounded that he could turn into a corpse at any moment" to guard these treasures. *Those two explosive outbursts in the traction field were at the super level, but they weren't an accurate reflection of my own actual strength. After this, where will my power really end up?* Han Qingyu wondered as he drifted into a groggy sleep. In the wake of victory and glory, an inexplicable unease weighed even heavier than before. He was already on this path; now, he could only keep being this formidable, growing stronger and stronger. ... Over the next day and night, not a single outsider stepped foot inside the tent. During this time, frontline commanders and representatives from various front armies had nearly all stopped by once or twice—either to offer condolences and encouragement, gather information, or simply out of curiosity and admiration, hoping to forge a bond of friendship. Every single one of them was turned away at the flap. At dawn on August 29, the sky was just beginning to pale. Wen Jifei and the others sat huddled around a fire outside the tent, warming themselves while chatting idly. "Hey, do you think this can still be kept secret? Will Azure try to cover it up again?" Deep down, He Tangtang was rather eager for the truth about the Great Spikes to go public. He didn't care to think too deeply about grand implications; he simply felt that when that day arrived, his parents, fellow villagers, classmates, and old friends would have their jaws drop to the floor and look up to him with pride... Just thinking about it was enough to make him smug beyond belief. "There's no way they can hide it completely, not with such an enormous commotion," Liu Shiheng said. "Yesterday when I stepped out, I heard people saying that many countries—including Huaxia—have already taken the initiative to broadcast reports about the strange light phenomenon on Xilang Peak from the night of the twenty-seventh. And unlike before, there weren't any experts debunking rumors or directing the science. They just reported what happened and let the public speculate." "Is that right?" Wen Jifei thought for a moment and said, "Then they're laying the groundwork. First, adopt an ambiguous stance to test public reaction, while helping people prepare mentally for when the full truth inevitably has to be revealed. That way, folks won't be caught completely off guard and plunge into mass panic." "So you mean for now they're letting rumors and guesses run wild?" He Tangtang asked. "Yeah," Wen Jifei said. "Historically, whenever governments want to test public opinion before making a major decision or policy announcement, that's often how they play it." "Oh, that works. I'm in no rush then." He Tangtang nodded, staring into the campfire as he imagined returning home in his combat uniform with a dead iron war blade strapped to his back, striding right up to his family, classmates, and friends... *Oh, and that third-grade homeroom teacher who claimed I'd definitely grow up to be a menace to society—I've got to pay him a visit.* Laughing and bantering, the group indulged in fantasies of what it would be like when the truth went public. After a while, the conversation shifted. "Practically everyone who came by over the past day and night said Qingzi's definitely getting the Star of Azure this time," Wen Jifei recalled, thinking about the Han Qingyu he had always known. He chuckled. "Can you believe it? The Star of Azure." The Han Qingyu they knew was far too real. People always loved to imagine heroes as lofty, noble figures, but in truth, heroes were ordinary human beings most of the time. Take Akshay, the super combat power from the Indedu Front who had fallen in this battle—supposedly, he had been a legendary casanova. According to statistics from Indedu Front Headquarters, as of now, at least eighteen women were known to have borne him twenty-seven children. A scoundrel? In times like these, the line between a bastard and a hero was often just a single step. Just like that stingy, greedy bastard in the tent. If he hadn't wanted this and wanted that this time—and had the gall to actually go after whatever he wanted—the outcome of this battle for Azure would still be anyone's guess. "Well, they definitely have to give him the Star of Azure. It's like the village pig slaughterer getting to keep the pig's head—it'd be unreasonable not to give it to him." He Tangtang pointed up at the Great Spike mothership on the peak, then had a sudden thought: *If that's the case, once the truth goes public and we go back home, should I bring Qingzi along to back me up and flex on everyone?!* The campfire crackled with a pop. Liu Shiheng looked up, his knit brows uncreasing as he spoke. "If Qingzi really gets the Star of Azure, I remember there's a one-time privilege attached to it, right?" "Yeah," Rusty Sister nodded. "What do you think he'll use that privilege for?" "...The Alphonse family?!" the others blurted in unison. That had to be it. To their small crew, the Alphonse family hung over their heads like an inescapable shadow, powerful and terrifying. But if Qingzi secured a Star of Azure, they might truly be able to shake off that threat once and for all. A sharp rustle came from behind as the tent flap was pushed open. Turning around, they saw only a single hand poking out... a strikingly pale hand. "Qingzi? Or some girl?" "Fuck off. You guys clear out for a second, but don't let the fire go out." Han Qingyu shooed them away, waited a moment, then walked out of the tent and dumped all the sloughed-off skin into the flames. A scorched stench rose... before dispersing in the wind. "You can come back now," he called out. Wen Jifei and the others walked back and took a look. "Holy shit, you're fucking pale." "..." Han Qingyu glanced down at the skin on his arms, feeling a touch morose. Still, knowing that no unpredictable mutations had occurred after absorbing the bone source was enough to make him thoroughly relieved. At the same time... "By the way, I've got at least one foot across the threshold of super now," Han Qingyu added in a quiet voice. A half-step super. That was Han Qingyu's own estimate of his current strength. After all, Akshay's desperate strike that cleaved open the mothership and severely wounded the small Red Shoulder had come purely from his own power—that was true super strength. In contrast, Han Qingyu's finishing blow that pierced through that small Red Shoulder had relied on the energy of the traction field. Outside of special environments like the traction field, if he were pitted against a genuine super expert like God Lü in a life-or-death melee right now, he definitely still couldn't win. However, if his sole aim was merely to survive, it shouldn't be too big a problem. "Also, Rusty Sister and Wu Xu, the two of you should have reached top tier by now as well. With this strength and honor as our foundation..." Han Qingyu swept his gaze across the people before him, saying in a heavy voice, "If the timing is right this time, I might bring up the matter of the Alphonse family with the commander." The group looked at him and nodded. Crunching footsteps approached from behind. Holding a notice-like slip of paper, Lao Jian walked over and said, "You're awake?" Han Qingyu nodded. "Captain Lao." "Mm. How do you feel?" "Not bad. Though I could faint again at any moment." "You mean you *can* faint at any moment if you feel like it, right?" Lao Jian tested him. By now, he had a pretty good idea about Han Qingyu's habit of hoarding treasures and using this little trick to guard them. He didn't call him out on it, chuckling before continuing, "Good to hear. Corps Headquarters sent an urgent telegram: you, Shen Yixiu, Wu Xu, and Wen Jifei are to set off for home ahead of the rest to attend the All-Army Conference starting September first." Wen Jifei looked puzzled on the spot. "Why am I included?" "Because you took part in the battle at Medical Station 101." "Oh." Wen Jifei nodded. "What about the rest of our squad?" "Waiting for the phased withdrawal." Having said that, Lao Jian turned his head slightly and gestured. "There's one more thing I want to talk to you about..." His expression turned cautious and solemn. Han Qingyu felt a twinge of concern. "What is it?" "Fatty Tian went missing on the night of the twenty-seventh," Lao Jian said bluntly. Fatty Tian's real name was Tian Jiao. He was a veteran in the squad whom Han Qingyu and the others usually called Brother Tian—a warmly liked older brother figure. He had gone missing? Hearing Lao Jian say this, everyone felt their hearts tighten. Lao Jian had known that Fatty Tian was wounded in battle on the night of the twenty-seventh, but in the heat of combat, none of them had been able to spare the attention to look after him, leaving him to fall back on his own first. As a result, by the time the battle ended, Fatty Tian was nowhere to be found. "There's no body. Personally, I suspect he might have run off back home." Pulling out a folded sheet of paper, Lao Jian continued, "I got hold of his personal file off the record through Commander Lu. On your way back, stop by his home and check on him..." "So what you're saying is, Captain Lao...?" "I don't want him to end up branded a deserter. You all know Azure's regulations on desertion," Lao Jian said with a heavy countenance. "Commander Lu feels the same way—he doesn't want such a stain on the Ninth Army's glorious record after this campaign. So, as long as he's willing to come back, everything can be smoothed over." Understood. Han Qingyu nodded and took the slip of paper.