Mu Ye Xing Chen listened to the approaching footsteps, immediately feeling as if he were facing a formidable enemy.
He quickly turned, scooped up Fu Ya Fang, and hid her within the dark room of the main hall.
As he elegantly emerged from the dark room, all the lights in the command hall blazed to life, illuminating the space brightly. It was even more blinding than the previous dim environment, as if the earth-shattering cannon blast had struck here.
A man, nearly two meters tall and built like a small mountain, strode rhythmically into the hall from the entrance.
The man wore the black cape of a Black Star Army commander and held a golden scepter. He stopped steadily, his gaze neither happy nor sad as he looked at Mu Ye Xing Chen. He slowly removed his white gloves and tossed them to a nearby guard.
Mu Ye Xing Chen's gaze shifted from calm to hatred, then back to calm.
"Lai Jing Fa Nan, what are you doing here?" Mu Ye Xing Chen asked calmly.
Lai Jing Fa Nan tilted his head slightly, his expression nonchalant and his tone relaxed. "I came to congratulate you. But it seems there's no need now. The Xian Xia garrison wiped out a hundred thousand Xing Chen troops with a single shot. The Empire will not let this matter rest."
Mu Ye Xing Chen smiled confidently. "I haven't lost yet. My hundreds of thousands of troops are still wreaking havoc within Xian Xia, as if in uninhabited territory. What are a mere hundred thousand troops?"
Lai Jing Fa Nan's lips curved slightly. He gave Mu Ye Xing Chen a 'we'll see' look and silently turned to leave the hall. As he turned, his peripheral vision remained fixed on Mu Ye Xing Chen.
After Lai Jing Fa Nan and his entourage departed, Mu Ye Xing Chen slowly sat back in his original position. After a long silence, he clenched his fist and slammed it down in frustration.
Meanwhile, Fu Ya Fang, hidden in the dark room, had witnessed the entire exchange.
"Lai Jing Fa Nan..." Fu Ya Fang murmured. According to Mu Ye Xing Chen, this man was his greatest rival.
If Mu Ye Xing Chen truly failed, then in the Xian Xia Intelligence Bureau's handbook on Black Star commanders, Lai Jing Fa Nan would undoubtedly rank at the top.
However, information on this individual was completely blank; he was extremely mysterious. Fu Ya Fang had only learned of his existence from Mu Ye Xing Chen.
From Mu Ye Xing Chen's composed expression, Fu Ya Fang guessed that he was actually fearing this man.
Mu Ye Xing Chen, seated in his gold-trimmed commander's chair, pondered for a long time. He then calmed himself, grabbed his communicator, and calmly stated, "Connect me to Hong Lian Zhi Wu."
Shortly after, Hong Lian Zhi Wu's voice came through the communicator.
Mu Ye Xing Chen spoke in a low voice, "The operation in Xian Xia City has failed. Don't be surprised. My decision to send you to Wu He City to find Gu Xing Chi was correct; it saved your life. Now, find Gu Xing Chi at all costs. If you absolutely cannot, then capture Gu Ya first. The 'Hei Yang' plan cannot be delayed any further. All troops currently in Xian Xia are now under your command."
"You are the only one I trust right now."
"Understood!!"
As the communication ended, Mu Ye Xing Chen fell into deep thought once more.
He had never imagined that his recent fantasy would actually come true – Xian Xia indeed possessed a super-cannon capable of destroying everything!
And the ability to conceal such a massive weapon so perfectly must be related to some technology within Xian Xia.
"Void technology. I didn't expect Xian Xia to have researched it so thoroughly."
"That person named Gu Ya, according to Zhi Wu, void technology originates from him. We need to capture him for detailed research."
"But the immediate priority is how to deal with Xian Xia's super-cannon. If that thing fires a few more rounds, the Black Star Empire will surely be annihilated. Although I dislike Black Star, it is currently my best means of advancement. I haven't lost, not by a long shot!"
...
Four days after the super-cannon tactic was successfully implemented, the massive Xian Xia dam was finally completed just before the tide arrived.
The majority of the materials for this dam, stretching over five kilometers, were purchased by Gu Ya from the system store.
Out of five million system coins, only a hundred thousand remained. Fortunately, the reinforcements for Xian Xia arrived in time. Tens of thousands of mechs were mobilized for construction, digging soil and transporting materials, which allowed Gu Ya to retain some system coins.
This was a temporary dam; further reinforcement work was still underway. Gu Ya no longer needed to worry about this.
From the beginning of the Xian Xia City defense battle to the construction of the dam, for nearly a week, Gu Ya had not had a proper rest.
After coming down from the front lines, Gu Ya, without attending to anything else, collapsed into sleep. When he woke up again, it was already dusk the next day, but the fatigue had not abated.
Gu Ya, with his body feeling like it was falling apart, supported himself against the wall and slowly walked out of the room.
He didn't know where he was. Yesterday, his eyes had been too heavy to open, and staff members had helped him into a room. He had fallen asleep without even looking.
The guards at the door all snapped to attention and saluted upon seeing Gu Ya. A man in military uniform quickly approached and said in a low voice, "The Chairman wishes to see you once you awaken. If you can still manage..."
"It's nothing. Let's go," Gu Ya said calmly.
Walking down the spacious and bright corridor, Gu Ya could guess from the external scenery that this was likely an annex building of the Xian Xia's highest administrative tower.
The tallest building outside the window had been blown in half, its fractured section revealing jagged, twisted steel bars.
Taking the pedestrian elevator, Gu Ya reached his destination five minutes later.
This was the tenth basement level, a secret conference room designed to withstand weapons of mass destruction.
Along both sides of the brightly lit corridor were numerous rooms, each stocked with food and fresh water. Gu Ya estimated the quantities were enough to sustain a thousand people for a year.
Walking down the long corridor to a small room at the end, Gu Ya found the Chairman seated behind a large office desk, discussing post-war matters with the supreme commander seated opposite him.
On either side of them were numerous high-ranking generals. Gu Ya saw Ye Zhen Jun among them.
"Stand up!"
A solemn voice, whose source was unclear, rang out.
All thirteen people in the room, including the Chairman, stood up.
The Chairman quickly walked up to Gu Ya, grasped his hands tightly, and nodded repeatedly. His eyes, brimming with tears, were locked onto Gu Ya's.
"You are the hero of all Xian Xia," the Chairman said with a smile.
Gu Ya responded with awkward diffidence, "This is the merit of all the Xian Xia defenders. I..."
The Chairman was a straightforward person. He spoke plainly, looking at Gu Ya with admiration, "Tell me what you want."
For the head of state of a country to say such a thing made Gu Ya feel rather mundane, like a transaction of reward for merit. However, considering the Chairman's busy schedule, perhaps he simply didn't want to waste time with pleasantries and preferred to be direct, saving everyone's time.
Gu Ya thought for a moment and said, "If possible, please do not publicize my information, nor bestow any honors. I wish to have my title as God of War revoked. I also wish to..."
As he spoke, Gu Ya glanced at Ye Zhen Jun.
Ye Zhen Jun clearly understood Gu Ya's intention. He smiled at him and nodded gently.
Having received Ye Zhen Jun's affirmation, Gu Ya said, somewhat shyly, "Could Ye Ying be transferred to the Hawk Three team?"
Upon hearing this, everyone in the room, except Ye Zhen Jun, was somewhat surprised.
They initially pondered who "Ye Ying" was, and then began to look at Gu Ya with admiration.
This nineteen-year-old youth, facing such immense war achievements, desired nothing in terms of fame or fortune, yet only wished to transfer someone into his special operations team.
However, in Gu Ya's heart, money and fame were mere burdens. The only person he cared about was Ye Ying.
The Chairman patted Gu Ya on the shoulder and said with satisfaction, "Don't worry, I'll handle it for you. However, there are still many Black Star enemy forces within Xian Xia, so it might take some time to transfer someone here."
Gu Ya said calmly, "It's alright. I can go pick her up myself. Uh... I mean, if Xian Xia City has already been relieved. Of course, if Xian Xia City is still in crisis, I will stay and continue to fight."
"Hahaha!" The Chairman let out a few hearty laughs and said, "You must be exhausted after not resting for so many days. You should stay here and recover. I will arrange for someone to bring Ye Ying, as you mentioned."
"Alright, come, let's sit down and discuss how to expel the foreign enemy next."
Several hours later, Gu Ya returned to the surface from the underground conference room.
Gazing at the ravaged city, Gu Ya sighed deeply. But it was followed by a sense of relief.
The crisis in Xian Xia City had been resolved. Although the city was severely destroyed, he believed the people would rebuild Xian Xia City to be even more glorious.
The evacuated residents were now gradually returning from outside the city. Regardless of whether they were men, women, or soldiers, they all began to dedicate themselves to the reconstruction of Xian Xia City.
This dead city seemed to have regained its vitality.
Just as Gu Ya was lost in thought, gazing at the ruins,
Several joyful shouts came from behind him: "Gu Ya!!!"