Two hours later, in South America, inside the fortifications of the main battlefield.
The Azure-Americas Coalition, having finally restored battlefield communications, had received the complete intelligence on the Oceania front just ten minutes earlier.
As the report circulated, every combatant of Stream Vanguard assembled swiftly, and the two craft they had arrived in were brought to standby, ready to launch at a moment's notice.
This had been Milla's urgent suggestion. As for the reason, she hesitated, keeping her voice low. "Actually, I'm worried Qingzi and the others might go..."
"Go cut down Daie? Hasn't that been obvious all along?" The Little Prince turned his head. "Once things escalated to this point, Azure had no other choice but to let Legion Commander Chen step in... and Han Qingyu intends to strike that blow in his stead."
There were far too many clues and pieces of evidence pointing to this conclusion. Even if outsiders couldn't see it, practically everyone in their inner circle should have had a rough idea.
The Little Prince looked at Milla. "How did you not see it...? All right, Rusty Sister, Tangtang, and Wu Xu didn't seem to notice either, I guess."
Only after speaking did he realize that the names he had listed already made up more than half the group. "Turns out there are quite a lot of dense folks in this little crew around Han Qingyu."
"So you knew all along?! Then why—why didn't you stop him?!" Milla panicked immediately.
"Stop him?" The Little Prince gave a bitter smile. "Over all these years, whenever Han Qingyu set his mind to something, when was he ever stopped?! Besides, since he has the opportunity to test the waters for the old man first, why stop him?"
What the Little Prince meant was that this decision was not merely rooted in the bond between Han Qingyu's circle and Chen Buer. More importantly, if the mortal realm lost the invincible Chen Buer, then even if they won against Daie, the future would likely remain bleak and hopeless.
Yet if another person—someone like Han Qingyu—managed to pull it off, then hope and vibrant color would return to this world.
"A calamity befalls the world; this is how a true man must stand."
Adopting the cadence of an old-timer, Zhu Jiaming let out a wistful sigh.
A brief silence fell over the surroundings.
"Can he really do it?" Boss Dao asked, eyes filled with tension. "Can he kill it?"
"The chances are very good. Han Qingyu isn't someone who makes pointless sacrifices. A rush of hot blood, wailing and weeping, running off to throw his life away when outmatched—you'll never see that from him. So if he's preparing to go, the odds must be high."
On this matter, Zhu Jiaming could only make an extrapolation based on character logic, because he, too, had no grasp of martial strength at that tier.
"Then... what about him? Qingzi himself...?" Milla asked again.
"I don't know." The Little Prince pondered for a moment. "Around thirty percent, perhaps. He should have at least a thirty percent chance of making it back alive."
"But Doctor Zhe said his condition..."
"A lie," the Little Prince stated bluntly. "Though I didn't tell him, either."
"Then why do you say there's only a thirty percent chance?"
"Because it is thirty percent—and I'm afraid that's already giving him too much credit just because I don't want him to die." The Little Prince sounded somewhat irritable. As he spoke, he turned to look toward Oceania... and after a few seconds, he let out a slow sigh. "Never mind how strong Daie is. Just for himself, the consequences of unleashing that slash... heaven only knows."
At the same time, outside a field operating room, the doctors and nurses had just stepped out.
Wu Xu, fully geared and ready to deploy, stood by the doorway, hesitating for a second. *I should probably let her know,* he thought. Lifting the curtain, he said directly, "I'm leaving. What was said earlier..."
"That doesn't have to count." On the operating table, Nguyen Thi Minh Nguyet struggled to tilt her head up to look at him, offering a faint smile. "Look how troubled you are. Tsk, you don't have to like me."
"...All right." Wu Xu nodded in agreement, casually letting go of the curtain. Turning around, he said, "Then I'm going."
"Yeah... but wait!"
Nguyen Thi Minh Nguyet called after him. Once he paused, she said, "Actually, I've thought it through. Since the world has already come to this, you don't have to like me. But Lieutenant Wu Xu, no matter where we end up later, or who dies first, remember me, okay?"
With the world as it was, Wu Xu had his Stream Vanguard to protect, and Nguyen Thi Minh Nguyet had the people under her own faction to look after; she could not go with him.
So who could say if this would be their last meeting? Who could say where they would be tomorrow, or whether death would claim them in an instant?
*You don't have to like me, but remember me, okay?* Having said her piece, Nguyen Thi Minh Nguyet propped herself up with great effort, gazing at Wu Xu's back.
"...All right."
Wu Xu nodded, stepped away from the operating room entrance, and quickly rejoined the ranks, boarding the newly primed Swordfish-class craft.
***
Oceania. Azure's Supreme Command for the Zenith War was located not far from the front line, housed inside a seemingly ordinary residential building.
When Chen Buer walked out, his clothes were already dry. As he stepped into the conference room, every pair of eyes turned toward him, yet not a single person spoke.
The world now needed its strongest warrior to slay Daie. At the same time, however, not one person was qualified to ask it of him.
On one hand, no one could bear the responsibility of Chen Buer's current state and the potential fallout that might follow.
On the other hand, the gaunt old Huaxian man before them had already done far too much for this world. No one had any right to ask him to burn away the last of what he had left.
"How is General Bochen?" Chen Buer suddenly asked.
Xu Xiaohong translated for him, gesturing toward the wiped-clean Red-Slaying Saber resting on the table, and answered on his own, "He is unconscious right now, but his life should not be in danger."
"Good, as long as he isn't dead." Chen Buer chuckled softly. Turning, he swept his eyes across the people watching him or averting their gaze. "A shame, wasn't it? That dog is cunning as hell..."
Xu Xiaohong translated, and everyone present hurriedly chimed in together.
The most critical factor in the first plan's failure was that no one had expected Daie to back down in the end.
Even with its immense strength, it remained so cautious—craven, even.
The elite Great Spikes seemed devoid of emotions like impulsiveness or rash temper; they followed only their own cold judgment and needs.
"In that case, prepare to carry out the second plan." Though it was a monumental decision, both for this world and for himself, Chen Buer spoke in an entirely calm tone. Turning around, he picked up the Red-Slaying Saber from the edge of the table. "Send me up. I'll cut it down."
As the words fell, *shhk*, the Red-Slaying Saber settled into place across the back of the mortal realm's invincible warrior.
Then, his silhouette strode out of the conference room.
As he walked away, everyone in the room—the Speaker, generals, staff officers, department heads of the headquarters, and supreme commanders of regional armies from various nations—stood at solemn attention, saluting in complete silence.
The old Huaxian man disliked sentimentality. He had a short temper, and they all feared him.
Regarding Azure's second plan to slay Daie, everything was already prepared. Furthermore, because this plan carried near-absolute certainty, an extra phase had been added to it...
That was the official phrasing used during their discussions.
As for the other part of the underlying logic, the Azure leadership present all knew it in their hearts: if even the mortal realm's invincible warrior failed with this strike, the world's collapse and despair would be utterly irreversible anyway.
The moment that strike was unleashed, the fate of all humanity would be laid out on the gambling table.
From there, this world teetering on the edge of ruin, along with all humankind, would either witness Daie's demise with their own eyes and regain hope—
Or continue hurtling headlong into the abyss.
"Go." Having reached this point, the weight suddenly lifted. With reddened eyes, Speaker Kemore turned toward the top leader of the Rejectors. "Remember: aside from what pertains to the plan itself, mobilize every resource."
This was the extra phase added to the second plan: if the Huaxian Legion Commander had to act, the Rejectors would mobilize every available resource to broadcast this single slash live to the entire world.
Let the world's invincible warrior slay Daie before the eyes of the entire world.
Chapter 694