If the "Base No. 1" could be secured successfully, then the whole... in fact, the Earth Army's main strategy for this Jovian campaign was to achieve a swift victory, driving the Ancient Legion out of Jupiter's orbit while their defensive systems were still imperfect.

Of course, tactically, they also had to prepare for a protracted war, meaning the swift acquisition of a fully established military base was also necessary.

While a temporary military base could suffice in a pinch, it would inevitably lead to various problems. For the Earth Army, having a ready-made military base to use as a foothold was clearly an excellent option.

The follow-up forces of the Earth Army continued to pour into Fortress No. 1 as if they would not rest until the fortress was completely seized.

After two engagements, the nascent legend of Blade's "Jovian Meat Grinder" had begun to sprout and was slowly spreading, though very few people had actually seen his face.

The soldiers waiting at the main gate did not see Blade's Ghost fighter land. They suddenly noticed a figure dressed as a mercenary, someone they had never seen before, standing beside them. Although they weren't afraid of the ape-like appearance, they certainly didn't offer him a warm welcome.

The more elite the soldiers in the army, the more they tended to look down on mercenaries, and vice versa; top-tier mercenaries often scoffed at army soldiers as well.

This was a conflict accumulated over history, not something that could be resolved in a moment.

"Hey, mercenary, what are you doing here? Which mercenary group are you with? You..." A frantic Colonel, organizing deployment below, spotted the unexpected arrival outside the lava tunnel and immediately called out to Blade, bombarding him with questions.

Before he could finish his inquiry, Blade pointed to the lightsaber hanging from his belt. The Colonel’s eyes widened as if seeing it for the first time, and he swallowed the rest of his words.

Blade shifted his footing slightly and entered the fortress.

He certainly didn't need a personal rocket pack; he simply jumped down. The gravity of this planet was hardly worth noting, and he landed solidly on the ground, as if stepping down from a single stair.

This was a large plaza, surrounded by several gates leading in multiple directions. The walls bore scorch marks, clearly residual damage from the initial bombs thrown by the special forces.

The air density inside Fortress No. 1 was similar to Earth’s, much higher than the external environment. This allowed the sound of explosions to propagate normally. Outside the main gate, the lava tunnels leaked the fortress's air, creating localized high-pressure zones that also carried the sound of explosions outward. Further away, where the air density returned to its thin state, the sound propagation ceased.

Walking through several corridors, Blade saw corpses almost everywhere along the route—some human, some ape—with a ratio of roughly one to one; neither side had gained a significant advantage.

Passing through various facilities, he arrived at the area with the densest sound of explosions: a large warehouse where two to three hundred human soldiers were engaged in fierce combat with a slightly outnumbered Ape contingent.

More and more humans, drawn by the sound of the blasts, arrived, almost every ten seconds a new wave.

However, the opposing apes held the advantage of terrain. Standing on the third-floor gallery, some crouched, others prone, they continuously fired short bursts down at the Earth Army soldiers, pinning them down so they couldn't raise their heads.

The problem didn't end there. On the level above, on the fourth-floor gallery, a tall ape wielding a purple light staff swung it with the speed of wind, locked in a duel with another Force-user clad in a cloak and monastic robes, wielding a blue lightsaber.

Blade observed carefully. Both the high-ranking ape and the Force-user were near-Master level experts; their movements were incredibly fluid. Not only could the energy beams not hit them, but even if they did, they would be deflected by the lightsaber or the staff. However, the high-ranking ape could deflect beams toward the human troops, while the Force-user could only deflect them into the floor.

Among the prone apes, two were also high-ranking apes. Although only Apprentices, their marksmanship was enough to suppress the human forces.

Blade took in the scene in the warehouse and realized the Force-user was at a disadvantage. Although their saber and staff techniques were comparable, the blue lightsaber was inherently disadvantaged against the purple light staff. The Force-user might hold out for a few hundred exchanges, but it would require substantial Ice Energy support, severely draining his Force reserves.

By now, the two must have been fighting for some time. The near-Master Force-user's expression remained focused on the fight, but sweat beaded on his forehead. The near-Master ape fought like a berserker, shouting loudly in Ape language, whirling his light staff into a chaotic storm of purple light, forcing the near-Master Force-user back step by agonizing step.

Blade now had a decent grasp of the Ape language; although he rarely spoke it, he could understand it perfectly. The near-Master ape was shouting: "The fortress stands, I stand; the fortress falls, I fall. I don't care if I lose this life today; I'll fight you to the death! Killing you once will be enough; killing another will be a bonus!"

It seemed this near-Master ape was the fortress's supreme commander.

Seeing a big fish, Blade drew the silver lightsaber from his waist, kicked off, and shot up to the fourth-floor gallery.

"Who goes there!" the near-Master ape roared without turning around. "Someone who will collect debts!" Blade thought for a moment and used a rather cliché response, "Just passing through for a look."

"Bold words! Try it if you think you can! I’m waiting to collect another one!" Before the near-Master ape could finish speaking, he felt every hair on his body stand on end, as if death had descended upon him. He immediately unleashed his ultimate life-saving technique: his joints cracked, muscles bulged, and he spun his light staff into a massive purple windmill, creating an impenetrable defense around himself.

With a sharp, resounding zzzt, the near-Master ape leaped from the gallery. Blade shifted his position and followed closely, landing even a moment before the ape.

"I didn't expect a higher-level master to arrive," the near-Master ape shouted in the Ape language. "If I can kill you, my death will have even greater meaning."

When a person truly has no regard for their life, the skills they can unleash are far greater than when they are concerned with survival. Apes are the same; when necessary, they dare to trade their lives for an opponent's life, creating numerous opportunities—opportunities that a life-preserving opponent must relinquish.

It was precisely because of this that the near-Master Force-user fell behind, not to mention that his blue lightsaber was inherently inferior to the ape’s purple light staff. He was losing in both hardware and software; how could he possibly gain the upper hand?

However, Blade was different. His Force intensity far surpassed the near-Master ape’s. When the opponent fought desperately, Blade could see things more clearly and choose more wisely. Moreover, his lightsaber was superior to the enemy's, meaning he didn't fear a prolonged battle.

The near-Master ape’s light staff moved erratically, seemingly without pattern, yet carrying an intensely desperate momentum, as if determined to crash headlong into the South Mountain.

Without transforming, Blade's physical conditioning and combat instincts didn't hold the overwhelming advantage they would have in his transformed state. However, after half a year of using top-tier near-Master level Force to shape his body, he had already honed this human form to its absolute peak. Further progress would only be possible after achieving Master status.

Bang!

Blade cleaved the near-Master ape away with a single sword strike. The ape smashed heavily against the wall, punching out a human-shaped crater riddled with cracks radiating outward from the impact point.

The ape master struggled, pulled himself free from the crater, and shouted, "What immense strength!"

The near-Master from the Temple of Force had never imagined encountering a Master-level expert from the ranks of the Free Awakening. According to his conventional knowledge, outside the Temple of Force, anyone who reached the near-Master realm was invariably a leader in one of the major sects. Such figures must have some renown, ones he should have heard of. How could an entirely unknown near-Master suddenly appear? This left him hesitant.

From the current situation, it was clear the newcomer dominated the fight. If he intervened now, would the stranger even welcome the help?

After all, some people strongly adhered to the code of the lone master, never seeking assistance for a task they could handle alone. The near-Master Force-user had met many such individuals, so he decided to confirm before making a move.

After a moment’s thought, he called out to Blade, "Unknown near-Master, what name should I use? Would you like my assistance?"

"I am Blade, Colonel of the Trann Mercenary Group. Thank you for your kind offer, but I can handle this."

Blade also intended to test whether his swordsmanship had improved. The Force-user’s query was perfectly timed. If the other had simply jumped in to help, persuading him to stand down might have seemed rather impolite.

For the past six months, he had never ceased his training in swordsmanship. The sword was both a way to refine the self and the reliance for traversing the battlefield. Since multiple clones were separated, he had more time to balance cultivation, work, and life. His foundational swordsmanship training was now rock solid, and this real combat test would likely elevate it further.

Thinking this, Blade’s lightsaber moved swiftly. The blade danced at his will—upward slashes, downward chops, left thrusts, right cuts. Gradually, the lightsaber became invisible, replaced only by a sphere of silver light that imprisoned the near-Master ape within its confines.

Having already lost the fortress, the near-Master ape was prepared to die. Seeing himself suppressed, he erupted in furious rage, channeling his light staff into a vast purple wheel, attempting to slice through the sphere of silver light.

The surrounding ape troops and human forces watched in stunned silence, firing their weapons haphazardly, as if stealing glances into the duel between the two masters.

The near-Master Force-user beside them was beyond astonished. He considered his relationships with other near-Masters in the Temple of Force to be good; when they sparred to test their skills, none held back, yet he had never seen a near-Master possess such power, to suppress an ape near-Master who wielded a light staff and sought mutual destruction to this extent.

The sphere of silver light and the purple wheel clashed violently several times. With a sharp snap, the light wheel shattered. The silver lightsaber cleaved the purple light staff exactly in half, turning it into two useless pieces of light. The near-Master ape, using the remaining intact piece of his staff, managed a few more exchanges with Blade, but Blade seized an opening, thrust his sword through the ape's chest, and pushed it out through the back!

The near-Master ape let go of the staff, which clattered to the ground. As Blade withdrew his lightsaber, the ape's body collapsed.