Chapter 378: The Nine-Headed King, Keep Pushing Forward, Young Man (II)

As the beautiful dancers whispered among themselves, Xu Xiaoqi called out to them from a distance. "Everyone, come over, get in the car, we're heading back to the company."

An hour later, Zhang Qiong led Chen Chu to the commander's office within a military base outside Tiannon City. Inside, a middle-aged man in his forties with a scholarly aura was already waiting for him.

He smiled as Chen Chu entered. "Chen Chu, you’re here. Come, have a seat, let’s talk."

"Good day, General Li," Chen Chu said politely before sitting down opposite him.

In the Federation, military bases were classified according to the level of the commanding officer stationed there. A first-rate base, like the southern battlefield, was overseen by peak Ninth Heavenly Realm powerhouses, who were just one step away from entering the king-level.

At a second-rate base like Tiannan, the stationed commander, Li Qingtian, was at the peak of the Eighth Heavenly Realm, while the military base several hundred kilometers from Miamir City in Gunado was run by a peak Seventh Heavenly Realm powerhouse.

These experts were stationed primarily to refine their cultivation and prepare for breakthroughs, after which they would usually head to the frontlines. Lin Xiong and Pang Long had been in a similar situation back at Nantian High School.

In addition, there were fortress-level bases guarding the world passages, with kings and advanced high-power weaponry.

After Chen Chu sat down, Li Qingtian smiled and said, "Here, I represent the Federation and the human race in thanking both you and Li Daoyi for your outstanding performance.

"Thanks to your efforts, we completed our planned objectives: eliminating Kaotoros’ true body, and sealing one of Akunus’ soul essences. Even if we can’t kill Akunus this time, we’ve destroyed his laws, making it impossible for him to recover for at least a century."

"Akunus isn’t dead yet?" Chen Chu paused slightly.

Li Qingtian shook his head. "The outcome of the battle hasn’t reached us yet. Both sides are likely still fighting, and I’m only making a prediction based on the current situation.

"Kings are so powerful that any small action can have massive consequences. So even though many of them joined this operation and caught Akunus off guard, it’s difficult to wipe both him and the demon kings out.

"Once a battle of this scale breaks out, high-level reinforcements from both sides will also arrive. I expect that killing two demon kings will be the limit this time.

"As for Akunus, back when I started cultivating, this being was already causing havoc in the mythical world, and had escaped numerous human pursuers. The reason for his survival lies in his mastery of the laws of blood, which are extremely difficult to deal with. I’m sure you felt that too, didn’t you?"

"Indeed." Chen Chu nodded.

Compared to Kaotoros, who was destroyed in just two hits, Akunus’ methods had been far more insidious and difficult to counter. This being could even separate his soul essence from his divine soul.

"That’s why I said it’s very difficult to kill him." Li Qingtian smiled. "However, with Heavenly Kings Xuanwu and Jiuyou both in action, even if he doesn’t die, he will be knocked down from the king-level realm with an incomplete soul, just barely able to hang on.

"But Chen Chu, your performance this time was so outstanding that we suggest you use your alias from this mission when you enter the mythical world in the future."

Chen Chu’s eyes flickered slightly. "You mean to continue using the name Chu Batian?"

Li Qingtian nodded. "Yes. Currently, the war between the human race and the Purgatory Clan is becoming increasingly intense, including assassination attempts against the new generation of geniuses.

"The Federation’s Logistics Department has already placed your family under protection, and the security level of Wujiang City has been raised by one. You can focus on your cultivation without worrying about your family’s safety. Strive to achieve a breakthrough to the king level as soon as possible."

Li Qingtian then asked, "Chen Chu, are you familiar with the Federation’s three major military departments? Which one are you inclined to join? Don’t worry, the military won’t overly constrain a genius like you. It’s mainly about determining your growth path once you join.

"No matter which department you choose, you’ll receive 1,000 merit points as a monthly reward, and the Federation will provide all of the resources for your cultivation, though some special top-level resources will still require merit points for exchange."

After reaching the Seventh Heavenly Realm, each step to advance to a higher stage became increasingly difficult, slowing down the cultivation process significantly.

For an ordinary genius, it would take at least ten years to progress even one stage. Due to certain deficiencies, some became stuck at the Eighth or Ninth Heavenly Realm, unable to advance further. At that point, top-level resources from the mythical world became extremely valuable.

These natural treasures could accelerate the process of turning the True Martial Phantom into reality, enhance the Battle Body at the Eighth Heavenly Realm, and aid in comprehending laws and contemplating the mysteries of heaven and earth at the Ninth.

With the assistance of these top-level resources, a cultivator could quickly bypass the accumulation of cultivation and focus solely on advancing their realm.

However, these resources were also extremely precious. Even someone as exceptional as Chen Chu had to use merit points to exchange for them. Although the Thunder Emperor had dominated vast ocean territories recently, it hadn’t found any top-level natural treasures, only ordinary resources.

After some thought, Chen Chu said, "I plan to join the Special Operations Division."

Compared to the Main Corps, Chen Chu felt he was better suited for the Special Operations Division and the Expansion Division, although the latter would have to wait until after the war to embark on long journeys.

He didn’t even consider the idea of not joining the military and cultivating in isolation. Though cautious in his actions, he had never lacked the spirit of determination and progress.

Moreover, the current situation didn't allow him the luxury of slowly cultivating in seclusion; both his colossal beast avatar and his main body needed to grow stronger at a faster pace.

As long as he still cared about Zhang Xiaolan, Chen Hu, and his friends, as long as he didn't want to see the Blue Planet turn into a hellish place, then only one side could survive between him and the Purgatory Clan.

Li Qingtian’s face turned solemn as he said, "Under the authorization of headquarters, I now represent the Special Operations Division and the Federation, and I hereby confer upon you the rank of major."

With that, Li Qingtian stood up, took out a letter from a drawer, and handed it to Chen Chu with both hands.

Chen Chu also stood up, his expression serious as he took the commission letter with both hands as well.

This rank of major was different from his previous rank of second lieutenant. He now held real power, allowing him to mobilize resources below the rank of colonel in various regions.

After the brief and simple commissioning ceremony, Li Qingtian’s face relaxed into a smile once more. "Seeing you achieve such accomplishments at such a young age, Chen Chu, it feels like I’m witnessing the future of the human race."

Chen Chu modestly replied, "General Li, you flatter me. It’s all thanks to the Federation’s nurturing."

Although he could have relied on his avatar’s evolutionary feedback to strengthen his body, he would now be comparable to an ordinary level 7 mutated beast at most if he hadn’t started cultivating at school. That would be purely physical strength, without any transcendent abilities or powers.

After a few more polite exchanges, Li Qingtian returned to the main topic.

"You’ve already condensed the runic phantoms, and now you only need to reach the peak of the Sixth Heavenly Realm. Once your essence, qi, and spirit are unified, you’ll be able to cross into the Seventh Realm.

"Before you returned, I already applied for five top-level Majestic Flame Crystals on your behalf. The energy contained in these crystals will not only significantly enhance your true power and expand your dantian, but they also have a subtle transformative effect.

"When combined with the Soul Suppressing Stele, which contains the will pressure of a king to temper your own will against, you’ll be able to reach the peak of the Sixth Heavenly Realm with a solid foundation within a week.

"The path to divinity is about to open. If you can break through to the Seventh Heavenly Realm in one go, the chances of obtaining the essence in the ruins will be much higher. Not just you, but all of the geniuses selected from various countries have received a substantial allocation of resources.

"This is a tremendous opportunity for both you and the Federation. Soon, there will be another surge of top-tier human powerhouses. Just thinking about it is exciting. So keep pushing forward, young man."