The spacious room was intensely bright, bathed in the serene sunlight pouring through four immense windows.

The light fell upon the soldier behind the office desk, casting a shadow that wasn't exactly vast. Sunlight, shadow! Qin Fen instantly felt the temperature in the room drop; the warmth had little to do with the seemingly bright spring day. Snake King quietly assessed Qin Fen, his eyes, which rarely betrayed true emotion, showing a flicker of profound surprise. Fifteen stars? The skin on Snake King’s forehead pushed up slightly, and the thumbs of his clasped hands involuntarily twitched several times.

Less than a year had passed since Qin Fen temporarily left the military, and only eight months since he went to the Sacred Martial Hall. His strength had leaped from an eight-star martial artist after the recruit competition, through the breakthroughs of Blood Transformation Rebirth True Innate, to the ten-star level, and now to the fifteen-star level of Marrow Cleansing Nirvana Grand Innate! Many martial artists praised as geniuses were forever stuck at Blood Transformation Rebirth, while swaths of those called unparalleled prodigies were permanently nailed at the fourteen-star level, unable to conquer the martial obstacle of Marrow Cleansing Nirvana. Snake King’s shock was momentarily impossible to conceal. No matter how highly he had thought of Qin Fen before, this performance was still far beyond expectation. For this young man, the world's martial barriers seemed simply non-existent.

“I presumed, no matter how formidable you might be, you’d only reach the fourteenth star and remain stuck there for a while,” Snake King’s surprise quickly calmed. “It is beyond my expectation that you actually crossed that incredibly difficult threshold.”

Watching Snake King’s reaction, Qin Fen couldn't help but admire him. So many people who considered themselves clever always thought their fleeting emotions were invisible to others; they believed they could fool the world, unaware that it was mere self-deception. Once Snake King’s surprise was revealed, he immediately and generously admitted it. That lack of concealment and pretense only made him even more inscrutable to others.

Snake King pressed a key on the desktop keyboard, and the curtains behind him slowly descended like a grand screen, instantly darkening the room. A massive projection materialized directly above the desk. Qin Fen’s pupils shrank instantly to pinpricks. Two cold beams of light shot forth from them. Floating in the projection was not some sci-fi movie, but something Qin Fen had personally experienced, something that had truly happened: Insect Martial Artists! The scene from the East Asia New Recruit Confrontation Exercise, where the Insect Martial Artists wreaked havoc! Strange insects the size of human heads moved with alarming speed. They would latch onto a person’s face and quickly complete a bizarre possession, causing a martial artist whose strength was usually manageable to instantly surge in power. Qin Fen still remembered the New Sumo wrestler, easily defeated before, whose terrifying strength after being possessed by an Insect Martial Artist.

As the projection slowly played out the events of that day, Snake King spoke softly, “This is footage captured by a monitoring device installed nearby. This imagery was retrieved after rescue teams were dispatched. I imagine you have some familiarity with them?”

Insect Martial Artists! Qin Fen mentally screamed the name of these monsters, nodding grimly while maintaining a stern expression, deliberately not echoing the name Chen Feiyu had shouted out then.

“According to our intelligence, these things are called Insect Martial Artists,” Snake King continued. “They are merely one type of experimental subject from the Creation Society.”

The Creation Society? This was the first time Qin Fen had heard the name, and a vague sense of foreboding settled in his heart.

“Not long ago, one of their bases was located,” She Wang typed rapidly on the keyboard. “Because you have encountered these things and have relative experience, we are sending you to lead the team. The mission is to wipe out this base and secure as much data as possible.”

Insect Martial Artists? A base? Qin Fen recalled something Lin Liqiang had called him about a long time ago.

“General,” Qin Fen straightened his posture again and asked, “How much preparation time do I have?”

“Your time is short,” Snake King snapped his fingers on the desk, and a magnetic disk spun through the air, landing in Qin Fen’s hand. “This contains the data from our investigation, as well as the profiles of the action team members. You surely understand the saying, ‘Speed is paramount in war.’ That squad has already been assembled; they have spent three months waiting for you. So, you must hurry and complete this task as quickly as possible.”

The projection vanished, and the huge, thick curtains slowly rolled back up. Snake King lightly shook his wrists. “Go now, and try to secure as much material as possible.”

Qin Fen snapped another crisp salute, turned, and walked to the door. Suddenly, he paused, turned back, and bowed slightly toward a seemingly ordinary dark corner. “Thank you.”

...

The corner remained silent. Snake King’s assessment of Qin Fen rose significantly again. A shadow so difficult for most to detect—Qin Fen had discovered his presence so easily.

“Kid, do well,” Old Man Zhao said, walking alongside him. “If you complete this mission, no one can stop your return to the army.”

Qin Fen nodded repeatedly. His return to the military was non-negotiable! He had accumulated considerable military merit during the recruit competition and subsequent missions, only to be unceremoniously kicked out of the military structure. If he continued to drift outside the military system, who knew when someone might stir up trouble again and expel him completely? If that happened, all his previous service would be for naught, and even his retirement benefits would likely vanish into thin air.

Wasted effort? Ever since being swindled twice while working odd jobs in his late teens, Qin Fen had resolved never to encounter such bad luck again, especially after risking his life for the military. He was determined to claim what was rightfully his. This wasn't about the amount of reward; it was a matter of principle cultivated over years: absolutely no working for free!

Leaving the office building, Snake King had already made all the necessary arrangements. Qin Fen immediately boarded a mag-lev speeder and headed directly to a nearby military base. Shengjing, as a major city in the Central Province, naturally possessed numerous secret military installations.

The base Qin Fen was heading to was located beneath the Great Wall, in a section of desolate, undeveloped territory overgrown with weeds, showing no sign of artificial landscaping. Qin Fen looked around, highly impressed by the design and construction team. If he hadn’t been trained by top-tier concealment and counter-concealment instructors, he never would have recognized this area as the periphery of a military base, let alone locate the entrance.

Standing before what looked like a small burial mound, Qin Fen remained motionless, staring intently at a very natural-looking stone. He gently shook the magnetic disk Snake King had given him a few times.

Without the slightest sound of turning gears, the mound slowly shifted sideways, revealing a stairway tunnel leading underground. Qin Fen leaped into the tunnel, feeling the hidden, iron-and-blood scent of the military below. A strange excitement surged within him—a feeling of coming home.

The tunnel descended a hundred meters before opening into a series of independent, enormous chambers. Following the directions on the magnetic disk, Qin Fen arrived at the room at the far end of the corridor.

The massive iron door was sealed tight. Qin Fen placed the magnetic disk onto the sensor pad, but the two huge, thick iron doors remained stubbornly immobile.

Jessica Weir, Colonel, specialty in computer programming, modification, attack, and defense.

Qin Fen immediately recalled the file of one of the team members he had viewed in the mag-lev speeder. Waiting three months for one person before starting a mission? Qin Fen managed a wry, understanding smile. If he had been the one causing a three-month delay for a mission, he would surely have given the last arrival a forceful welcome to vent his frustration. This thick iron door had clearly had its program tampered with; the chip could no longer open it.

“If it won’t open, I can’t get in?”

Qin Fen shrugged, raised his arm, and pushed the door! The heavy, iron-clad door slowly parted to the sides under his force, allowing the scent of gunpowder and metal to slowly leak out of the room.

Creeeeak... creeeeak... creeeeak...

The two massive, heavy iron doors emitted a grating sound as they moved slowly, revealing the figure of a young man in a Lieutenant Colonel’s uniform through the widening gap, under the gaze of the five people inside.

This was...? Forcing it open? How much strength did he possess?

In an instant, the expressions of the five special forces soldiers changed dramatically. A mixture of shock and awe sprang from their eyes, focusing entirely on Qin Fen. The army strictly adhered to iron discipline. They had arrived immediately upon receiving the order, yet they had waited three full months for this final member to join them. These five were seasoned veterans who had undertaken countless missions; they had never encountered a soldier so high-and-mighty as to keep everyone waiting for three months.

Their resentment grew daily. Jessica Weir had even gone so far as to tamper with the door’s opening program, intending to teach the arrogant “captain” a lesson, never expecting that this new commander would enter using such a brute-force method.

Such a young captain? A Lieutenant Colonel at this age? The five special forces members registered Qin Fen’s appearance, and even more surprise and disbelief washed over them.

Jessica Weir had not forgotten the military file stating that this captain possessed the skill level of a top-tier Ace Mobile Armor operator, was a Tier-A super sniper, and held top-level proficiency in infiltration, assassination, concealment, and counter-concealment. To reach such heights in even one of these fields required immense talent and likely ten years or more of dedication. To master all these military skills to a top level? Jessica Weir and her comrades had speculated many times that this tardy VIP must be a forty or fifty-year-old veteran, a secret weapon of the military. Faced with such conjectures, accepting that their commander was such a young man was psychologically jarring.

So young? Jessica Weir’s stunning blue eyes flickered with doubt. Could someone who hadn't even fully grown facial hair master so many critical techniques to such a terrifying degree? Had the military files been mistaken?

Qin Fen surveyed the large, spacious room, silently admiring it as the best-equipped military base he had ever seen. It held not only portable firearms and small artillery but also various models of mobile armor and high-tech individual combat weapons: running-and-jumping enhancement boots, ultra-vision night goggles, high-strength alloy dragon-scale armor plating...

The man sitting on the table hopped down to the floor with lithe ease. The top two buttons of his uniform shirt were undone, giving him a somewhat roguish air. He executed a simple salute. “Captain Qin Fen?”

Qin Fen assessed the soldier before him. This man was very different from Xue Tian or Lin Liqiang; his playfulness was clearly manufactured, with a deep, buried scent of slaughter embedded in his very bones.

“I am he,” Qin Fen nodded lightly. “Major Feng Lu, good to meet you.”

At this point, Qin Fen had taken in everyone in the room: Jessica Weir, expert in computers, whose loose uniform couldn't quite hide her Western figure; Feng Lu, expert in stealth and killing, who was lean and agile; the demolitions experts, Jack and Terry, who were rather stocky; and the two brothers, Lü Chu and Lü Han, specializing in mobile armor combat, who looked ordinary but whose fierce expressions ensured they wouldn't blend into a crowd.

Beyond their specialties, the files indicated that all five possessed considerable martial arts strength; three had advanced training at the Sacred Martial Hall—three twelve-star martial artists and two eleven-star martial artists.

“Captain Qin, we waited three months for you. That time was not entirely wasted,” Feng Lu’s gentle smile carried a hint of cunning. “During this time, the five of us have developed a deep understanding of each other; coordinating on the battlefield will naturally be seamless. However...”

The other four also hopped down from tables, chairs, and the shoulders of mobile armor, slowly beginning to encircle Qin Fen.

Feng Lu stylishly swept back his short hair. “Regarding you, our understanding is limited to the superficial text of the data. We lack a true understanding of your strength. Cooperation during the mission might prove difficult.”

“Exactly,” Jessica Weir interjected without looking up from the handheld game console she was fiddling with. “Operational coordination is crucial. The five of us are already operating almost as a single unit...”

The other three were also smiling. They had waited a long time for this moment, planning to give the newly arrived commander a bit of a hard time for revenge, but this commander sent from above was too young—likely not even twenty years old. As for his martial strength, the vague information stating he was a nine-star martial artist a year ago was hard for them to accept. A nine-star a year ago? Even in a burst period, he’d be hard-pressed to reach True Innate Blood Transformation Rebirth now. Sending someone who might hold them back on such a dangerous mission was unacceptable. Looking at Qin Fen’s rank and his age, the five strongly suspected this very young Lieutenant Colonel had ties to a powerful military family and was being pushed in to accumulate merit points.

There was never a truly pure, clean place in this world, and the military was no exception. These five had seen superiors force people into positions under the guise of training rookies, when in reality, they were just collecting undeserved military honors.

“What you say is right, entirely reasonable,” Qin Fen agreed with a light nod. “To expedite our mutual understanding, how about we get intimately acquainted right now?”

“Oh? How does Captain Qin intend to get intimately acquainted?”

Feng Lu smiled faintly, already subtly flexing his wrists and ankles. As a soldier, he sensed the challenge in Qin Fen’s fighting spirit. The other four also smiled. They feared the new captain would rely on rank and tolerate their taunts to avoid a physical confrontation for the sake of easy merit. They least expected a young man who couldn't resist a direct challenge to act immediately.

Qin Fen raised a hand to touch his nose bridge, his eyes sweeping over the other four aside from Feng Lu. “I think, to save time, perhaps we should all get close at once. Getting intimate one by one is too much trouble.”

Getting intimate one by one is too much trouble? Feng Lu stepped forward, while the others, wearing indifferent smiles, simultaneously retreated several steps. A martial artist who was only nine-star a year ago—no matter how hard he tried to improve, he couldn't possibly defeat the twelve-star Feng Lu, could he? The five were highly skeptical. Whether this captain had even achieved Blood Transformation Rebirth was questionable. Attacking him all at once felt like bullying; if they accidentally hurt him into crying, well... that wouldn't be good.

Why aren't you joining in? Qin Fen unbuttoned the collar of his uniform. ‘Although I am the captain, I am very easygoing and enjoy group activities. Let’s all get close together.’

‘No need,’ Jessica Weir tossed her golden hair. ‘Captain Qin, we all feel that one-on-one intimacy is a faster way to understand each other.’

“Is that so?”

A smile played on Qin Fen’s lips. He took off his upper uniform shirt and tossed it high into the air, unleashing the full power of his fifteen-star innate energy!

Instantly, the air around his body violently shuddered. A vortex of wind erupted from beneath his feet! His crisp uniform snapped and flapped loudly from the released energy as it radiated outward! The constantly expanding aura, wave after wave, surged toward Feng Lu.

Fifteen stars? Feng Lu’s eyes blazed with sharp light. He had never imagined Qin Fen’s strength would be so astonishing. Facing the sudden, immense pressure, his chest felt tight, as if he had been rammed by a charging warhorse—a sensation so overwhelming he felt an urge to vomit blood.

Thud, thud, thud...

Feng Lu was forced to take five rapid steps back before stabilizing his stance. His gaze was fixed on Qin Fen, his mind reeling with five simple words: How is this possible?

Fifteen stars? Marrow Cleansing Nirvana Grand Innate? The other four soldiers were also stunned. A fifteen-star at this age? Were they dreaming? Had someone achieved Marrow Cleansing Nirvana before the age of twenty?

Qin Fen stood silently, his eyes flashing with sword-like electric light as he swept over the other four. A sincere smile graced his face. “Gentlemen, do you still believe I should have an intimate session one-on-one with Major Feng Lu?”