The battle at Hanshan Temple concluded with Senior Disciple Shen Zui revealing a shocking secret to Jiang Wuming: the alien enemies' recent objective was to assassinate Jiang Wuming!
Since then, the ensuing battles had confirmed the accuracy of Shen Zui's information, with the enemies' strength not exceeding the Three-Star War God realm.
However, after the second battle ended and Jiang Wuming saw the great curtain had not yet dissipated, a voice within him signaled that this time was different.
It was his sixth sense, honed through countless battles on the brink of death, and his calm judgment based on various subtle details.
For this reason, he chose to have Ren Xiaoyao and the students evacuate!
But at this moment, Jiang Wuming fell silent.
Because he knew Ren Xiaoyao did not fear death.
He also knew that for Ren Xiaoyao, death was not frightening; what was frightening was a life worse than death.
As Ren Xiaoyao had said, if the defense of the East Sea Martial Academy failed and he were to survive, it would be a fate worse than death!
Seeing Jiang Wuming's silence, Ren Xiaoyao turned his head, his gaze sweeping across the students one by one.
Among the students, some were injured, bandages wrapped around them; some had red eyes, tightly gripping their battle sabers; and others looked dazed, unsure of what to do.
Although they were students of the East Sea Martial Academy, although they were always ready to fight the alien enemies, and although they had just experienced a battle, they were, after all, children born in an era of peace.
Everything that had happened today had exceeded the limits of what they could bear at their age.
"Students, you asked me earlier if the third wave of alien enemies descending was stronger than the previous two. I can now answer you: yes. The upcoming enemies will be stronger, and there may even be enemies in the Four-Star War God realm!"
As he spoke, Ren Xiaoyao's voice trembled slightly, tinged with complex emotions.
"Just now, you must have also heard my conversation with Teacher Wuming. Now, please do as Teacher Wuming said, leave the training grounds, and then take the first, second, and third-year juniors away from our alma mater..."
"Dean, we're not leaving!"
"Dean, I want to stay and fight with Teacher Wuming!"
"That's right, isn't it just a matter of carrying our heads like chamber pots and fighting the enemy with all our might? The pioneers could do it, Teacher Wuming and the others could do it, and so can we—we are not afraid of death!"
However—
Before Ren Xiaoyao could finish his words, the students interrupted him excitedly, wanting to stay and fight alongside Jiang Wuming and the others.
"Silence!"
Just then, Jiang Wuming swept his gaze over the agitated students and said in a low shout:
"From the moment you ended your graduation ceremony and participated in the recent battle, your identities are no longer that of students, but of warriors—you are soldiers under my command!
Now, as the Commander-in-Chief of the East Sea Martial Academy's defense, I order all of you to immediately execute as Director Ren just said!"
"Wu... Teacher Wuming..."
The students did not move, and some wanted to say something more.
However, before the student could finish speaking, Jiang Wuming shouted loudly, "Xiao Han!"
"Here!"
Xiao Han immediately stepped out from the crowd and approached.
"I authorize you to temporarily lead this small team. Now, take your team and leave this place immediately!" Jiang Wuming said sternly.
"Master... Yes, General Jiang Wuming!"
Hearing Jiang Wuming's command, Xiao Han initially wanted to address Jiang Wuming as Master, but under Jiang Wuming's cold gaze, he ultimately changed his address and loudly accepted the order.
After accepting the order, Xiao Han took a deep breath, adjusted his expression, and then turned to his classmates, saying:
"Classmates, I won't lie to you, I also really want to stay and fight, even more than any of you.
Even if the upcoming battle means certain death, I would have no regrets!
In fact, I would consider fighting to the death on the battlefield alongside Teacher Wuming to be the greatest honor of my life!
But now, we must leave here!
Because, as Teacher Wuming said, we are already warriors! As warriors, we must unconditionally obey and execute the orders of our superiors on the battlefield!"
With his words, Xiao Han turned, saluted Jiang Wuming and Ren Xiaoyao, and then led the way.
Seeing this, some students instinctively followed Xiao Han's footsteps, but some were more stubborn and unwilling to leave. However, under Jiang Wuming's gaze, they eventually moved.
"Wu... Teacher Wuming, can we still win?"
Suddenly, a student from the back of the crowd stopped, turned, and asked.
*Clatter!*
With his question, a commotion erupted in the crowd. All the students, including Xiao Han, stopped and looked at Jiang Wuming with expectant eyes.
"Below the Four-Star War God realm, Teacher is invincible; at the Four-Star War God realm, Teacher fights with all his might!"
Facing the expectant gazes, the youth shed the pretense of indifference on his face, smiled slightly, and waved his hand.
Hearing Jiang Wuming's words and seeing the familiar smile on his face, the students' despondency lessened. They waved goodbye to Jiang Wuming and left in an orderly, long procession.
"Hoo..."
Seeing this, Jiang Wuming let out a long sigh and then turned to look at Ren Xiaoyao.
"Child, go. I'm here, with your father, to accompany you."
Ren Xiaoyao stood by Jiang Zhan's statue and patted Jiang Wuming on the shoulder.
Jiang Wuming nodded, then looked up and gazed deeply at his father's statue.
At that moment.
He seemed to see encouragement in his 'father's' eyes.
He turned and re-entered the training grounds without looking back.
In the training grounds, the teachers of the East Sea Martial Academy, led by Xia Xueqin, along with Dongfang Xiaoyao, Xing Tian, and Huangfu Weixia, watched the young man approach.
"Everyone, take this opportunity to rest and recover. The next battle will be a fight to the death."
Jiang Wuming walked to the front of Xia Xueqin and the others and spoke.
When facing Xia Xueqin and the others, he was completely different from how he was with the students, showing no pretense.
Without waiting for a response, he walked to the very front of the formation, just as he had before the previous battle.
Then, just as Jiang Wuming was about to sit cross-legged and enter the mysterious space to recover, he suddenly sensed one hundred auras rapidly approaching the training grounds, and heard the sound of synchronized footsteps.
This discovery made his heart stir, and he judged that Qin Linhai had brought people.
This was because he knew that the East Sea Branch of the Military Department had a total of one hundred people, with the strongest combat power being a Two-Star War God and three One-Star War Gods.
This was the establishment before the multi-regional descent of alien enemies—before this year, alien enemies descended in Long Country at the fixed location of the Loulan Ancient City. Therefore, besides the Loulan Legion, other legions and branch warriors were generally fewer in number, and their top combat strength did not exceed that of the Three-Star War Gods.
The personnel allocation of the East Sea Branch was considered high-end for most provinces and cities outside the capital, which also reflected the importance of the East Sea in Long Country.
As Jiang Wuming made his judgment, he turned to look at the source of the auras.
Not only him, but Xia Xueqin and the others also turned their heads.
The next moment.
Jiang Wuming and the others clearly saw Qin Linhai leading the entire East Sea Branch of the Military Department, fully armed and running towards them.
The entire East Sea Branch of the Military Department, led by Qin Linhai, noticed Jiang Wuming and the others' gazes but did not slow down.
Soon, they arrived at the entrance of the training grounds. Qin Linhai greeted Ren Xiaoyao and then led his subordinates into the training grounds.
*Swish, swish, swish...*
As they entered the training grounds and saw the corpses of alien enemies scattered everywhere, their expressions changed simultaneously.
Although they had learned from the East Region Army Command Center before arriving at the East Sea Martial Academy that the second battle had concluded, and that Jiang Wuming, leading the Battle Dragon Squad and collaborating with the teachers of the East Sea Martial Academy, had achieved victory against superior odds with zero casualties, winning against a stronger enemy,
They were still shocked by what they saw.
They could not imagine how the youth had accomplished this!
"All personnel, halt! Hold your positions!"
After the shock, Qin Linhai issued an order.
Following his command, ninety-nine members of the East Sea Branch of the Military Department stopped and formed a square.
Qin Linhai then ran to Jiang Wuming, saluted him, and said loudly:
"General Jiang Wuming, my unit received orders from the Army Command Center to come to the East Sea Martial Academy to participate in the battle. The Army Commander has ordered me, including myself, to have the entire East Sea Branch obey your command. Please provide instructions!"
"General Qin, the members of your unit below the One-Star War God realm are to be dispersed around the perimeter of the training grounds. The members in the One-Star War God realm and Two-Star War God realm are to be respectively assigned to the battlefield's One-Star and Two-Star squads, and then remain on standby."
Jiang Wuming returned Qin Linhai's salute and gave his instructions.
"Yes, General Jiang Wuming!"
Qin Linhai did not question Jiang Wuming about why his subordinates were to be spread around the training grounds; instead, he directly accepted the order and turned to carry it out.
Like Qin Linhai, the members of the East Sea Branch of the Military Department were somewhat confused by the orders, but they executed them without hesitation.
After completing this, Qin Linhai voluntarily joined the One-Star squad and smiled at Xing Tian, Dongfang Xiaoyao, and Huangfu Weixia.
"Uncle Qin, Xiao Zhi is on the rooftop of the teaching building," Xing Tian said.
"I know."
Qin Linhai nodded. He could sense his son's aura but did not look back at his son on the rooftop.
At the same time, Qin Xiaozhi did not look at his father through his sniper scope but aimed at the great curtain.
This battle.
The Qin father and son were both on the battlefield, but neither saw each other's faces before the battle commenced.
Concurrently, at the very front of the formation, Jiang Wuming sat cross-legged, less than a hundred meters from the great curtain, and entered the mysterious space.
In the previous battle, he had used a forbidden technique of the Daoist sect's inner force, burning his true qi, and had also used the forbidden fifth move, "God Slayer," of the God Slayer Saber technique created by his father, Jiang Zhan. This had consumed a significant amount, and he needed to absorb mysterious energy in the mysterious space to replenish his true qi and mystic power.
In addition, he wanted to attempt to break through a bottleneck.
Although his martial cultivation had only recently broken through to the tenth stage of the Two-Star War God realm, he wanted to try and see if he could break through to the legendary eleventh stage of the Two-Star War God realm and attempt to reach the major bottleneck of the Three-Star War God realm!
*Swish!*
After an unknown amount of time, Jiang Wuming abruptly opened his eyes!
*Swish, swish, swish...*
Xia Xueqin, Qin Linhai, and the others also immediately turned their attention to the great curtain!
Just a moment ago, the great curtain had shown massive energy fluctuations again!
The third wave of enemies was about to descend!
...
ps: Happy Father's Day. This chapter is dedicated to all our fathers. Father's love is like a mountain. They may be ordinary, but they are great to us and our families.