The sky was filled with falling snow, and the ground was covered in a white blanket. Between heaven and earth, only white remained, with extremely low visibility in the early morning.
A night had passed since Jiang Wuming's epic battle with the extraterrestrial enemies in the canyon.
A helicopter arrived at the entrance of the canyon where Jiang Wuming and the extraterrestrial enemies had fought.
Besides the pilot, there was only an old man dressed in a black robe.
The old man was the Third Elder of the Martial Department, possessing the combat power of a Five-Star War God. He was originally responsible for guarding the front-line command post at Mount Everest. He had suddenly received orders from the command post to search for the whereabouts of Jiang Wuming and the others.
"Chief, the snow on the ground is too thick. The helicopter cannot land," the pilot said.
"No need to land. You lower the altitude, and I'll get off myself. After I'm done searching, you can lower the rope ladder to pick me up," the Third Elder of the Martial Department said.
"Yes, Chief!"
The pilot took the order and lowered the flight altitude as instructed by the Third Elder.
When the helicopter was only a few meters from the ground, the cabin door opened, and the Third Elder of the Martial Department leaped out.
Just as the pilot had said, the snow on the ground was nearly one and a half meters deep. After landing, the Third Elder was submerged more than halfway by the snow.
However, soon, the true energy within the Third Elder surged, and the surrounding snow instantly melted, turning into steam.
*Thump!*
As the surrounding snow melted, the heart of the Third Elder couldn't help but tremble.
This was because he saw the wreckage of an armed helicopter, bearing the team flag of the Battle Dragon team.
Could it be that the Battle Dragon team had indeed met with misfortune?
The Third Elder of the Martial Department asked himself this question.
Immediately, a bad answer surfaced in his mind.
His heart sank instantly, and his expression became extremely solemn, but he did not jump to conclusions.
*Whoosh!*
The Third Elder of the Martial Department sprang up from the ground, true energy surging beneath his feet, resembling a pair of true energy wheels.
Then, stepping on these true energy wheels, he traversed the entire canyon like a dragonfly skimming the water's surface, his feet lightly touching the snow.
Throughout the entire process, he carefully sensed everything within the canyon.
However—
He found nothing until he stopped at the other end of the canyon.
The entire canyon was dead silent, with no trace of any living beings!
With a grim expression, the Third Elder of the Martial Department returned to the entrance of the canyon and then ascended back into the helicopter cabin via the rope ladder.
"Chief, you didn't find General Jiang Wuming and the others?"
The pilot asked bravely.
Although it was not appropriate or permissible for him to question the Third Elder of the Martial Department given his status, he wanted to know the answer.
This was because, like many warriors of the Martial Department, he greatly admired Jiang Wuming and the entire Battle Dragon team, and he absolutely did not wish for Jiang Wuming and the others to be harmed!
"With the canyon as the center, fly ten kilometers in each of the southeast, northwest, and north directions. No, thirty kilometers."
The Third Elder of the Martial Department, his face grim, indirectly provided the answer.
Although reason told him that Jiang Wuming and the others had likely perished in the canyon, he was still unwilling to give up and decided to make a final attempt, instructing the pilot to fly the helicopter and search the surrounding areas of the canyon with him.
"Yes, Chief!"
Upon hearing this, the pilot's heart sank as well. With a sad expression, he accepted the order and flew the helicopter again.
The Third Elder of the Martial Department, his face still grim, raised his wrist and used his communicator to contact the front-line command post, reporting his search findings and his next plan.
"Elder Wu, if Jiang Wuming and the others had left the canyon alive, they would have definitely reported the battle situation to the front-line command post. However, they have not done so. Therefore, I believe your assumption is unreasonable, and there is no need to waste time continuing the search."
Long Qisheng, the temporary Marshal of the Martial Department and the overall commander of the Mount Everest War, said this after receiving the report from the Third Elder of the Martial Department.
"I want to try."
The Third Elder of the Martial Department left this sentence and then ended the call.
An hour later.
The Third Elder of the Martial Department ceased his search and returned to the front-line command post by helicopter.
He had found nothing in the entire hour.
At the same time, the final search results of the Third Elder of the Martial Department were transmitted back to the front-line command post.
At that moment.
The entire front-line combat command room fell into a deathly silence.
Almost everyone's face wore a sorrowful expression.
Even Long Qisheng was no exception.
After a brief silence, Li Rui silently walked out of the combat command room and headed towards a room in front of the courtyard.
That was Qi Wufu's temporary ward.
In the ward, Qi Wufu lay motionless on the hospital bed, hooked up to various instruments displaying his physical condition.
Just as he had been brought back, his bodily indicators were normal, but he remained in a coma.
Li Guyi and Li Lianyi had tried their best but could not heal Qi Wufu's soul injury in a short time.
At this moment, besides Qi Wufu, only Li Guyi was in the ward.
Li Lianyi had gone to the field hospital behind the front-line command post to assist the field doctors in treating the wounded.
"Divine Doctor Li, I want to stay with Old Qi for a while."
Li Rui entered the ward, his face filled with sorrow.
"Alright."
Li Guyi nodded and turned to leave. However, just as he was about to exit the ward, he paused and turned back to ask, "Staff Officer Li, have they found Wuming?"
"No."
Li Rui shook his head slightly.
*Swish!*
Li Guyi's expression changed, and then he left the ward.
Li Rui walked to the bedside, looked at the unconscious Qi Wufu, and said softly:
"I'm sorry, Old Qi. Wuming sacrificed himself, and I failed to protect him."
On the bed, Qi Wufu remained unresponsive.
Beside the bed, Li Rui, a staff officer, clenched his fists tightly, his face filled with guilt, and his eyes were red!
...
An hour later.
The news of the sacrifice of the Battle Dragon team, led by Jiang Wuming, spread in a small circle within the front-line command post.
In the field hospital not far from the front-line command post, Gu Tianlong, who was in a special ward, was the first to learn of this news.
Last night, after returning to the front-line command post, he first reported the combat situation of the Dragon God team to Long Qisheng and Li Rui in person, and then was arranged to be treated in the field hospital—he had sustained several wounds.
Although he had already predicted this news, he couldn't help but beam with joy.
*Knock, knock...*
Just as Gu Tianlong was feeling pleased, the ward door was knocked.
"Come in."
Gu Tianlong suppressed his emotions, lay on the hospital bed, and turned his gaze towards the ward door.
The next moment, under Gu Tianlong's gaze, the ward door was pushed open, and Li Lianyi, dressed in medical attire, entered the room.
"Lianyi?"
Gu Tianlong was surprised to see Li Lianyi.
He knew that Li Guyi and Li Lianyi had come to the front-line command post together to treat Qi Wufu, but he was unaware that Li Lianyi had come to the field hospital to assist in the treatment.
"Colonel Gu Tianlong, how are you feeling?"
Li Lianyi, with a poker face, walked directly to the bedside, silently checked the indicators on the various instruments, and then asked.
"Lianyi, my injuries are fine. I'll be discharged in a few days and will continue to participate in the fight," Gu Tianlong said.
"Oh."
Li Lianyi nodded and then turned to leave.
"Lianyi, I heard that Jiang Wuming and the entire Battle Dragon team were sacrificed in the battle?"
Gu Tianlong looked at Li Lianyi's graceful retreating figure, a fervent look of conquest flashing in his eyes, and then asked in a low voice.
Hearing this, Li Lianyi paused and said solemnly, "Although I don't know where you heard the news, I haven't heard of this matter."
"This matter has already spread throughout the front-line command post, but the chiefs were worried about affecting morale, so they haven't announced it yet," Gu Tianlong said.
"Is that so?"
Li Lianyi suddenly turned around, her gaze fixed coldly on Gu Tianlong, as if she could see right through him.
"Lianyi, I didn't mean anything else. Jiang Wuming and the others died while rescuing me and my comrades. I feel extremely self-reproachful, guilty, and sad. If I had known it would end like this, I would have rather not asked for help from the front-line command post back then."
Gu Tianlong spoke with an expression of self-reproach and sorrow.
Li Lianyi gave Gu Tianlong a deep look, then turned and left the ward without a word.
Outside the ward, it was still snowing heavily, the sky was gloomy, without a hint of light, just like the girl's mood.
"You promised me you would come back alive to see me, so you definitely won't die, right?"
The girl stood outside the ward, looking up at the sky, whispering to herself, her eyes instantly turning red.
This was because she had learned of Jiang Wuming's death from her grandfather, Li Guyi.
Moreover, as Gu Tianlong had said, the front-line command post would soon announce this news!
...
Longhu Mountain.
Zhu Yong, in a state of anxious agitation, arrived at the Taoist temple where Tianlong Daoist resided.
In the temple, Tianlong Daoist sat cross-legged on a mat, his eyes closed, motionless.
After the battle at Mount Everest, he had returned to Longhu Mountain and entered a period of seclusion.
"Master, Master, something bad has happened!"
Zhu Yong rushed into the Taoist temple, shouting in panic.
*Swish!*
Tianlong Daoist opened his eyes and asked, "What is it?"
"Junior... Junior Brother, he's... dead!!"
Zhu Yong wailed sorrowfully.
Upon hearing this, Tianlong Daoist's pupils slightly widened, and then he calmly asked, "What exactly happened?"
"Just now, I received news from the front-line command post at Mount Everest..."
Zhu Yong informed Tianlong Daoist about receiving the news of Jiang Wuming's death and explained in detail the circumstances of Jiang Wuming's demise in battle.
However—
Before he could finish speaking, Tianlong Daoist waved his hand to interrupt him, "I know, you may leave."
"Mas... Master, why don't you seem to have any reaction?!"
Zhu Yong froze in place, then realized something, "Could... could it be that you think Junior Brother is not dead? That he's still alive?!"
The old man remained silent.
The grand chess game, with another move placed, officially entered its endgame phase!